Akureyri is the rare port where you can tick off waterfalls, lava fields, steamy sulphur flats and a lagoon soak without sprinting. The trick is a tidy loop: east from the harbour to Goðafoss, onward to Lake Mývatn’s headline sights, lunch on geothermal “lava bread,” then a soak before the easy run back down Eyjafjörður.

The loop at a glance

• Total driving about 3 hours in normal conditions. Akureyri to Mývatn is roughly 83 km or about 1 hour 5 minutes each way; Goðafoss sits on Route 1 about 45–50 minutes from town, and from there it is about 30–40 minutes to the Mývatn area.
• Headline stops Goðafoss waterfall, Skútustaðagígar pseudo‑craters, Dimmuborgir lava formations, the Hverir/Námafjall geothermal area, Grjótagjá cave overlook, a lagoon swim.
• Swim options Mývatn Nature Baths near Hverir, or Forest Lagoon just outside Akureyri if you prefer to soak at the end.
• Lunch Vogafjós Cowshed Café, known for geyser‑baked rye bread from its underground bakery. 

Tip: Check your ship’s exact hours, then choose either an early swim at Mývatn or a last‑stop soak at Forest Lagoon to suit your timetable. Forest Lagoon’s late hours make it especially cruise friendly. 

Stop by stop

1) Goðafoss, the falls on the Ring Road

Leave Akureyri and follow Route 1 east. In about 45–50 minutes you reach Goðafoss, a broad, graceful horseshoe you can view from paths on both banks right beside the highway. It is one of North Iceland’s easiest marquee stops because it sits directly on the Ring Road with parking on each side. Allow 35–45 minutes for photos and a short stroll. 

2) Skútustaðagígar, the pseudo‑craters

Continue to Lake Mývatn and stretch your legs on the gentle loop trails around Skútustaðagígar. These are pseudo‑craters, formed when hot lava flowed over wetlands and trapped steam exploded upward. Even a 20–30 minute wander delivers views across the lake and its birdlife. 

3) Dimmuborgir, castles of lava

A five minute drive brings you to Dimmuborgir, a protected natural monument of fantastical lava towers created as an ancient lava lake drained and collapsed. Pick a short color‑coded path and keep an eye out for the arch nicknamed Kirkjan (the church). Allow 40 minutes if you are on a tight schedule.

4) Hverir and Námafjall, the sulphur flats

Drive over the pass to Hverir at the base of Námafjall. Here the ground hisses and bubbles with mud pots and fumaroles in a palette of rust and mustard. The area is about 89 km from Akureyri in total and sits close to both Mývatn and the Nature Baths, which keeps your loop efficient. Give it 20–30 minutes; stick to marked paths. 

5) Lunch on lava bread at Vogafjós

Circle back to Vogafjós Cowshed Café, where they serve geysir rye bread baked in an underground geothermal bakery. Order it warm with Icelandic butter and smoked fish, then peek through the café windows into the working cowshed. Budget 45–60 minutes. 

6) Your swim: Mývatn Nature Baths or Forest Lagoon

• Mývatn Nature Baths sit just above Hverir and are purpose‑built for exactly this kind of day. Check current opening hours and prebook a slot if you can. Even a 45–60 minute soak in the milky‑blue pools is restorative before the drive back.
• Forest Lagoon is the savvy alternative if your port time skews shorter. It is minutes from Akureyri in the Vaðlaskógur forest, with daily hours from 9:00 to midnight and fjord views from the infinity edge. Save your soak for last, then roll down to the pier. 

7) A quick cave peek, if time allows

On the way between Dimmuborgir and Hverir, the small Grjótagjá lava cave makes a fast photo stop. Bathing is not allowed today because geothermal activity in the late 1970s and early 1980s pushed the water temperature too high, but the blue pool makes a striking sight. Ten minutes is enough. 

Sample timetable for a 9‑to‑10 hour call

• 08:00 depart Akureyri
• 08:50 Goðafoss walk
• 09:35 drive to Mývatn
• 10:10 Skútustaðagígar stroll
• 10:45 Dimmuborgir short trail
• 11:30 Hverir boardwalks
• 12:15 lunch at Vogafjós (lava bread)
• 13:15 Mývatn Nature Baths soak
• 14:30 depart for Akureyri
• 15:40 Forest Lagoon option or town wander
• 16:40 back onboard

With less than 7 hours ashore, skip Grjótagjá and choose either Goðafoss plus Forest Lagoon or the Mývatn trio of Dimmuborgir, Hverir and Nature Baths.

Essentials that make the day run smoothly

• All‑weather roads The entire route rides Route 1 and paved local roads; you do not need mountain F‑roads for these stops. Goðafoss is right off the Ring Road, which keeps timing predictable.
• What to pack Swimsuit, quick‑dry layers, a small towel if you plan to save on rentals, and grippy shoes for damp boardwalks at Hverir.
• Etiquette Icelandic pools ask that you shower soap‑naked before entering. Nature Bath and Forest Lagoon facilities are set up for this.
• Plan B weather If wind or snow narrows your window, pair Goðafoss with a Forest Lagoon soak and a stroll in compact Akureyri rather than pushing east to Hverir. Port and spa staffs can update you on conditions.

Why the loop works

It strings together North Iceland’s greatest hits with almost no dead mileage, blends “wow” geology with a proper sit‑down lunch, and ends with warm water and a fjord view. In other words, the best kind of cruise‑day alchemy: memorable, manageable, and back at the gangway with time to spare.