The Official Tourist Guide - East Iceland

36
NATURE HIGHLIGTS
Folaldafoss, Öxi.
Þerribjörg.
The coastline shows great diversity, transforming from the broad bays
of Vopnafjörður and Héraðsflói in the north, into the rugged and sheer
eastern shore with its many jagged fjords isolated from each other
by towering mountain ranges. Most of the fjords have fine sheltered
natural harbours, while the coast farther south is more exposed and
prone to blocking by sand to create lagoons. There are five islands off
the coast: Bjarnarey, Seley, Skrúður, Andey and Papey.
The Geology is very Interesting. Basalt is the main rock type, but
rhyolite is common too. Minerals, semi-precious stones and fossils are
also found in many places. The bedrock is old (13 million years) and its
volcanoes are extinct, so there is little geothermal activity, apart form
in Kverkfjöll, but there are a few warm springs.
Rich flora typifies the valleys, but the steep mountains tend to be rather
bare. The plains include the largest forests in Iceland. The heathland
towards the interior is the natural habitat of Iceland’s wild reindeer.
The many lakes and rivers are the home of brown trout and arctic
char fishing is a common family sport. East Iceland boasts of some of
the best salmon fishing rivers.