10 Amazing Places In Iceland You Didn't Know Existed

Iceland is well-known in traveler’s guides for its epic landscape features and monuments. Many of these are the first things travelers head towards on their first visit. Gullfoss, Geysir, and Þingvellir, for example, are well worth a visit; however, here are 10 amazing places that are a little less known, off to the side, or hidden gems lost amidst the main attractions.

1. Glymur Waterfall

Natural Feature

The second-highest waterfall in Iceland with a cascade of 198 meters, Glymur is a majestic site on par with other numerous must-see waterfalls to be found in Iceland. Tucked into the crevices of Hvalfjörður fjord about an hour drive from Reykjavík, this waterfall and the inner reaches of this fjord are often bypassed after a tunnel was built under the fjord. The hike to Glymur can take up to four hours total and is an experience in itself as you walk through caves along the mossy canyon offering a variety of angles from which to view this hidden waterfall.

Bókin Bookstore in Reykjavík

Bókin (The Book) may be the closest thing you will find to an actual book cave. Located in downtown Reykjavík, you may not recognize it as a bookstore at first, or even a shop open for business for that matter. One of the last independent bookstores in Iceland, this odd collection contains a little bit of everything, from rare editions by Icelandic authors to cheap paperbacks. The bookstore is also famous for being a favorite hang-out of the late American Grandmaster chess player, Bobby Fischer.

Bókin Bookstore, Klapparstigur 26, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

Samúel Jónsson Art Museum

In the sparsely populated valley of Sélardalur in the Westfjörds, you can see this striking collection of sculptures and paintings by outsider artist Samúel Jónsson. The reclusive farmer turned his hands to creating artwork in the mid-1950s until he passed away in 1969. Scattered around a museum and a chapel the artist built himself, the collection is now maintained by independent and government organizations. It is only open for visitors during the summertime as the roads reaching it are impassable in winter.

Listasafn Samúel Jónsson, Brautarholti, Selárdalur in Arnarfjörður, 471 Þingeyri

2. Roni Horn's Library of Water (Vatnasafn)

Library, Museum

The Library of Water, installed in 2007, is located in a former library overlooking the bay of the quaint village of Stykkishólmur on Snæfellsness peninsula in west Iceland. This poetic installation by contemporary conceptual artist, Roni Horn, is one of many artworks she has made concerning Iceland. Consisting of 24 glass columns, each containing water collected from major glaciers around Iceland, the play of light through the windows onto the glass columns creates a stunning visual array that is not to be missed.