Hiking in East Iceland

Stórurð, 'the big boulders', is one of Iceland's most beautiful and least-known hikes: a hidden basin of giant moss-covered boulders and vivid turquoise glacial pools, cradled beneath the serrated ridge of Dyrfjöll, the 'door mountains', in the far east.

Reaching it is an adventure through classic East Iceland country — quiet, green and empty — and arriving at the pools, their milky blue water pooled among the huge rocks with the jagged peaks above, feels like stumbling on a secret.

It's the kind of place that's famous among Icelanders and all but unknown to visitors, precisely because the east is so far off the main circuit.

For hikers who've done the south's crowded honeypots and want somewhere wild and quietly spectacular, Stórurð is a revelation, and a perfect reason to venture into Iceland's forgotten quarter.

A moderate mountain day hike — around 18 km round trip depending on the trailhead, with a few hundred metres of ascent — on marked but rugged paths over passes and through the boulder basin, with some cold river or stream crossings.

It's within reach of any reasonably fit hiker but the terrain is real mountain ground: uneven, exposed to fast-changing weather, and boggy or snow-patched early and late in the season.

The highlight is the boulder field and turquoise pools themselves, set beneath the dramatic Dyrfjöll ridge, but the whole approach through empty eastern country is part of the appeal. Expect solitude — you may meet almost no one.

Bring proper footwear, waterproofs, warm layers and food, as there are no facilities. It's a rewarding, scenic hike that repays the effort of getting to the remote east.

Hike in summer, roughly June to September, once the snow has cleared the passes.

Start from one of the marked trailheads (Vatnsskarð or Njarðvíkurskarð) between Borgarfjörður eystri and Egilsstaðir; the route is signed but rugged, so bring boots, waterproofs, warm layers, food and water — there are no facilities at Stórurð.

Check the mountain forecast, as eastern weather is changeable, and be prepared for stream crossings and lingering snow early in the season. Allow a full day for the round trip.

No guide or permit is needed for fit hikers, but the remoteness means you should be self-reliant and tell someone your plan. Combine it with the charming village of Borgarfjörður eystri and its puffin colony. For a wild, uncrowded highlight, it's one of the best walks in the country.