Mosskógar

Mosskógar is the quieter of the Mosfellsdalur options, sitting in a peaceful grove a short drive from Mosfellsbær. Trees ring the site and cut the wind, and there's a real spread of season here — it stays open from the start of March to the start of December. Inside you get several electricity plugs, a guest kitchenette, drinking water, showers and flushing toilets. The valley keeps you busy. There's horse rental, a golf course and walking paths close by, along with the museum to Halldór Laxness, Iceland's only Nobel Prize winner. One nice local touch: from early July there's a vegetable market every Saturday, running late morning into the afternoon. It's a calm, green base within easy reach of Reykjavík.

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