Tjaldsvæðið á Ljósafossi

Ljósafoss sits at the school of the same name, inside the Golden Circle that links Reykjavík to the southern uplands. That's the whole pitch: you're camped among forest, mountains and rivers, with the region's headline stops all close. It's a genuine year-round site, with showers, a guest kitchen, laundry, free WiFi and electricity, plus cottages if you'd rather have walls. There's a playground and a golf course too. Distances are short. Þingvellir National Park and the town of Selfoss are each about twenty minutes off, the Great Geysir roughly forty-five, and Reykjavík around an hour by car. If you just want dinner out, Þrastalundur restaurant is about ten minutes away. Being open all year, it also works as a winter base for the Golden Circle when most sites have shut.

Book ahead in summer, especially near popular spots. Campsites fill up by late afternoon.