Hengifosslodge

Set above the Lagarfljót in the Fljótsdalur valley, Hengifosslodge looks out over forest and water from a quiet spot off the main road. The lodge is built as a cluster of tiny houses and apartments rather than a single block, each one self-contained. It is a compact stay. The tiny houses run to 35 square metres, or 48 in the superior version, each with a private bathroom, a fireplace stocked with wood, and a small kitchen fitted with two ceramic hobs, a coffee machine, and a fridge. The two apartments, Himinn and Skógur, are each 31 square metres, non-smoking, with the same unobstructed lake and mountain views and a parking space at the door. Wi-Fi runs through every unit. Reindeer sometimes cross the ground below the windows, and on clear nights you can watch the northern lights directly from bed through a skylight in some of the tiny houses. Egilsstaðir, the nearest town, is a 30-minute drive. From the lodge, guests reach Hengifoss, Iceland's third-highest waterfall at 118 metres, along with canyon and geothermal-pool excursions further afield. The lodge is run directly by its owners, Steff and Isabelle Felix, which shows in the small, personal scale of the place rather than in any added polish. It works well as a base for slow days: a fire, a kitchen, and a view that does not need explaining.