Grímsey

Grímsey lies about 40 kilometres off Iceland's north coast and is the country's northernmost inhabited island. Its position on the Arctic Circle has made it one of North Iceland's most distinctive destinations, but the island offers much more than a geographic milestone. Steep sea cliffs provide nesting habitat for enormous numbers of seabirds. Puffins are especially visible during the breeding season, while the open landscape gives visitors long views across the North Atlantic and back toward the mountains of mainland Iceland. Around the summer solstice, Grímsey is also one of Iceland's best places to experience the midnight sun. The Arctic Circle itself is marked by Orbis et Globus, a large sphere installed in 2017 and periodically repositioned because the circle gradually moves with changes in Earth's axial tilt. The island can be reached by ferry from Dalvík or by air from Akureyri, with frequency varying by season. Most visitors explore on foot, combining the village, cliffs, lighthouse, birdlife and Arctic Circle marker. Because transport is weather-sensitive, Grímsey rewards travellers who leave some flexibility in their plans.