Iceland in Photos – Iconic Landscapes and Hidden Gems

After five visits to Iceland, its landscapes continue to amaze me. My first trip followed the classic route – the Golden Circle and its famous landmarks – all unforgettable places, but well-trodden and documented. What has kept me coming back are moments beyond the guidebooks – places both well-known and hidden, transformed by seasons, weather, shifting light, and even wildlife. Waterfalls I’ve seen in the winter look entirely different in the summer, black sand beaches change with every storm, and familiar mountains never appear quite the same twice.

In this post, I'm sharing some of my favourite places and photographs from over the years – a mix of the iconic and the lesser-known – to show you why Iceland keeps calling me back.

Kirkjufell Mountain

Kirkjufell is one of Iceland's most photographed mountains, rising dramatically from the surrounding landscape, with cascading waterfalls in the foreground enhancing its iconic silhouette. Located on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the southwest of the country, it's a few hours' drive from Reykjavik.

We arrived here in the late evening and stayed past midnight to watch the sun set behind the mountain on this mid-summer day. During Iceland's midnight sun period, daylight lingers endlessly – the sun barely dips below the horizon before rising again after a brief twilight. Staying up late rewards you with surreal golden light and, often, rare solitude even at the island's most visited spots. I had visited Kirkjufell once before in the winter, when snow and ice transformed the mountain and waterfalls into a serene, frozen landscape – an entirely different but equally beautiful scene.

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I wish I could say we had the place to ourselves, but that's unlikely at such a popular spot. Still, it was wonderful meeting fellow travellers and photographers experiencing it for the very first time, and seeing their awe at the beauty of this place.

Brúarfoss Waterfall

This waterfall is now relatively well known, but is some distance away from Iceland’s most travelled Ring Road. A parking lot was only recently built just steps from the falls, but on my first visit we had to walk nearly two kilometres through a wooded trail along the river, passing several smaller cascades before reaching the main attraction – Brúarfoss. If you have the time and energy, I'd still recommend this walk for the full experience.

I’ve been here three times now, once in winter and twice in summer. Each season offers a unique atmosphere. The turquoise glacial water is particularly striking in soft light – around sunrise, sunset, or under overcast skies. I took this photograph just after midnight in July, when the sun barely sets and twilight lingers throughout the night. At this late hour, we had the bridge – and the view of this spectacular waterfall – all to ourselves.

Reynisfjara Beach & Dyrhólaey

Reynisfjara, Iceland’s iconic black sand beach near Vík, is one of the country’s most dramatic coastal landscapes. It's known for its striking basalt columns, powerful Atlantic waves, and the towering sea stacks of Reynisdrangar. Most visitors explore the shoreline, but from the Dyrhólaey viewpoint you get a unique perspective – looking down on the beach and surrounding cliffs as waves crash onto the black shore below. Standing here, you can feel the raw power of the ocean and the dramatic scale of Iceland's south coast.

Arnardrangur, or Eagle Rock, rises from the volcanic sand, surrounded by shifting tides that carve ever-changing patterns around it – a perfect moment for any landscape photographer.

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The viewpoint offered a rare moment of calm to take in the vastness of the landscape. The cliffs at Dyrhólaey were alive with puffins – mingling on the grassy slopes and rocky edges, taking off toward the sea and returning from their fishing trips. I snapped a photo of one perched on a nearby cliff – a small, lively detail set against the immense, rugged scenery.

The soaring cliffs, dramatic sea stacks, and restless Atlantic waters were a vivid reminder of why Reynisfjara remains one of Iceland’s most photographed and captivating places.

Reykjanes Peninsula

Located in southwestern Iceland, the Reykjanes Peninsula is a landscape shaped by volcanic activity. Here, the Eurasian and North American plates meet and slowly drift apart, creating fissures, lava fields, and steaming geothermal areas that mark the boundary between two continents. The recent volcanic eruption is the latest dramatic event in a long chain of activity that continually reshapes the land, producing fresh lava fields and offering a rare chance to witness nature’s power in motion. I was fortunate to be here this past summer to witness the Sundhnúkur eruption firsthand – a reminder that this restless land is never truly dormant and will continue to evolve.

Amid this dramatic terrain, Reykjanes also reveals quieter, pastoral scenes. Icelandic horses graze across the rugged plains, their calm presence and flowing manes forming a striking contrast to the stark, shifting landscape. Perfectly adapted to this land of extremes, they embody resilience and grace in a constantly changing environment. The juxtaposition of molten rock and living creatures highlights the peninsula’s essence – a place where raw geological power and thriving nature coexist in harmony.

Edge of the Highlands

Beyond the well-travelled routes of southern Iceland lie the Highlands – a remote, sparsely populated region of volcanic plateaus, mountains, and rugged terrain.

Access is limited to F-roads – rough gravel tracks, sometimes with river crossings – that require a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle, making these areas feel truly wild and untouched. The Highlands remain some of the most dramatic and pristine landscapes in the country.

Háifoss, one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls, is about a two-hour drive from Reykjavik and sits near the edge of the Highlands. It’s still accessible with a regular SUV – at least on a dry summer day – though the final kilometres of the drive offer a glimpse of the rough and rocky roads that await further inland. Háifoss is the main attraction here, but the surrounding cliffs and river valley are lined with smaller cascades, creating a dramatic and otherworldly landscape.

We were lucky to catch soft golden light here on a clear summer evening – the setting sun really brought out the greens of the moss and subtle red tones of the cliffs.

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