Husafell

Husafell sits where the farmland of Borgarfjordur runs out against the Hallmundarhraun lava and the ice caps beyond, and it has been developed as a base: a hotel, cottages, a campsite, a golf course and a swimming pool, with the Husafell Canyon Baths built in a ravine nearby and reached on a guided trip. The estate has been in the same family for generations and the artist Pall Gudmundsson works there, using local stone. Outside the old church is Kvíahellan, the Husafell stone - a slab of around 180 kilos that shepherds and later strongmen have lifted as a test, and which still draws people to try.

What you actually see

• A base at the highland edge - hotel, cottages, campsite and pool.
• Canyon baths in a ravine - reached on a guided trip.
• A lifting stone by the church - around 180 kilos, still attempted.
• An artist working in local stone - Pall Gudmundsson on the estate.

When to go

June to September for the full range; the hotel runs year round. A full day.

Honest expectations

The canyon baths must be booked and are not walk-up. Accommodation and activities are priced as a resort. The lifting stone injures people who try it untrained. Roads beyond here become highland tracks.

Nearby

Hraunfossar and Surtshellir are close; Into the Glacier leaves from here.