Guide to the Gorgeous Tröllaskagi Peninsula, North Iceland

Have you heard of the Tröllaskagi Peninsula? This mountainous peninsula in North Iceland is perhaps the most beautiful detour from the Ring Road.

Tröllaskagi, which is Icelandic for Troll Peninsula, has long been a popular destination for Icelanders. But in the last few years, it’s become quite a treasure for travelers in the know.

Tröllaskagi was super-high on my list of priorities for my Iceland road trip. And I absolutely LOVED it here.

So why should you come to Tröllaskagi?

For starters, this part of Iceland is off the beaten path — you won’t even find crowds in high season.

Secondly, the scenery is utterly spellbinding. Tröllaskagi is home to Iceland’s tallest mountains outside the Highlands, tall and jagged and swooping over each other, forming deep valleys dotted with brightly colored cottages. It’s a scenic drive for the ages.

Finally, this peninsula is full of interesting gems. An incredible museum. A spectacularly set swimming pool. The oldest church in Iceland. Basalt columns. And gorgeous small towns with brightly painted cottages set against the snow-capped mountains.

Visiting Tröllaskagi isn’t challenging — the roads are paved and it only adds about an extra hour and a half of driving time.

So resist your dogmatic urge to stay on the Ring Road — and come detour around the Tröllaskagi Peninsula. You’re going to love it here.

Where is Tröllaskagi?

The Tröllaskagi Peninsula is one of the central peninsulas extending from Northern Iceland. It’s surrounded by a deep fjord on each side: Skagafjörður to the west and Eyjafjörður to the east. See the map above for the sites I mention.

The main roads on this route are Route 76, running from Varmalið to Ólafsfjörður, and Route 82, running from Ólafsfjörður to Akureyri.

The city of Akureyri, sometimes called the capital of the North, is in the southeast corner of the peninsula. Akureyri is almost always a stop for Iceland Ring Road travelers, which makes Tröllaskagi an easy detour to add.

Adding Tröllaskagi to an Iceland Ring Road Itinerary

If you are following the Ring Road exactly, you will drive straight from Varmalið to Akureyri (or vice versa) and miss Tröllaskagi in its entirety. Driving Route One straight between these two towns will take you…