WEST Iceland offers anincredibly diverse rangeofhighlightswithinamanageabledistance. west activities, oradrenaline-pumping scenery, aglimpseofthebiggestmammals onearth of thelife andtimesofoneIceland’smostbeloved historians,SnorriSturluson. givesnating insightintothisperiod,andthemedievalstudycentre inReykholt aglimpse the remnants farmsstill visible. ofViking The SettlementCentre inBorgarnes offers afasci- its very ownicecap,Snæfellsjökull. jagged peaks,beautifulbeaches,steaming geothermal fields,excellentbird-watchingand though, istheSnæfellsnes peninsula,aruggedandmountainousfingeroflandboasting with impressive andincredible lavacaves. waterfalls WestIceland’smostmemorablefeature, peninsulas scattered withisolated fishingvillages. Inland,dramaticlavafieldsare dotted presencelow-key onthetouristradar,you’llgetmostofthesesightsentirely toyourself. glaciers, fjords,wildvolcaniclandscapesandsomeexcellentmuseums. Thanks totheregion’s long daysontheroadthatawaitsthosescreaming Rdandstillgettosee aroundtheRing trips.sible fromReykjavíkanditbecomesanidealdestinationforshorter Youcanavoidthe a microcosmofwhatisonoffer elsewhere thatit’seasilyacces- inthecountry.Addfact Little visited, underappreciated andyet scenic,westIcelandisinmanyways spectacularly Iceland West 150 © LonelyPlanetPublications Whether you’re insearchoftheinspirationbehindIceland’ssagas,wild andotherworldly linksareHistorical strong,withthe withalternating fjordsand striking Along thecoastglaciallandscapeisparticularly

„ „ TOP FIVE „ „ „

Step backintime andexperienceutter Drive throughtheremote andalien land- Getout onfoottoexplore thewildvolcanic Breathe inthe deep asyoutake Explore Iceland’s subterranean worldinthe island of tranquillity withavisittothe traditional scape ofthe western endof landscapes anddramatic icefloesatthe water of incongruous golden sandsandturquoise lava caves of Stefánshellir Skarðsvík beach Skarðsvík Flatey Kaldidalur valley Kaldidalur Viðgelmir ( p157) Snæfellsnes ( p161) , Surtshellir Surtshellir (p165) ( p158 ) (p158 ) and Laxdæla and Skarðsvík Egil’s Snæfellsnes Flatey Island sagas sproutingfromthisarea and Viðgelmir, Surtshellir & Stefánshellir Kaldidalur Sights chance of spottingwhalesfromtheshore. est waterfall. Insummerthere’s alsoagood ing andfishingishometoIceland’shigh- beneath itswaters. offers Thefjord goodhik- rather thanthe5.7km-longtunnelthatruns the 80kmscenicroute around Hvalfjörður If you’ve gotplentyof timeit’sworthtaking HVALFJÖRÐUR to ÓlafsvíkandHellissandur-Rif. andinsummer kishólmur, Grundarfjörður toStyk- Búðardalur, aswelldailybuses javík toAkranes, Borgarnes, and Reykholt fromReyk- connections, withregular services West Icelandalsohasgoodpublic-transport are paved anddrivingconditionsare good. reach westIceland.Mostroadsinthearea If drivingtake Rte 1westoutof Reykjavík to lonelyplanet.com and ascendsviathe850mspurKrehólakambur farm Esjuberg, site of Iceland’sfirst church, The trailtothesummitbeginsfromold isagreatthe fjord, spotforwildernesshiking. Dramatic GettingThere&Around See SnæfellsnesPeninsulaMap (pp160-1) Hellissandur (1446m) WEST ICELAND Snæfell ὄ 574 Ólafsvík Rif Snæfellsjökull Esja Hellnar Arnarstapi Kirkjufell (914m),onthesouthernsideof (463m)

Breiðafjördur

WESTICELAND••Hvalfjörður Búðir Grundarfjörður Höskuldsey Grundarfjörður Bjarnarhöfn Stykkishólmur Faxaflói 54 Flatey 56 Haffjörður Elliðaey Laugagerðiskóli Drápuhlíðarfjall Hrappsey Vegamót Kerlingarskarð (527m) Heggstaðir REYKJAVÍK Eldborg Álftanes (110m) Brokey Kolfingsnes

Hítardalur Hvammsfjörður Hlíðarvatn Staðarfell Borgarnes Á Hvalfjörður Borgarfjörður To Ísafjöður Krehólakambur (150km) ful stained-glass work.Builtinmemoryofful stained-glass local church isworthalookforitsbeauti- back intooperation. feared maysomedaycome thatthestation whaling lobbyinternationally (see p152 ), it’s west. Withincreasing supportforthepro- at Fertikkiskáli,Olís petrolstation 4kmfurther processing inoperationare ondisplayatthe today,grislypictures oflittle tosee whale there’smoratorium onwhaling.Although Iceland tofinallysubmittheinternational ing boatsandsabotaged theplant,forcing In 1989protesters twoof sank Iceland’swhal- once thesite of Iceland’smain NATOyou’ll passtheMiðsandur FuelDepot, underwhelming. snow-melt –inadryperioditcanbelittle fall isatitsmostdramaticafter heavy rainor short canyon,thewater- inadeep, (198m). Set to fjord up theBotnsdalurvalleyatheadof the just northof Mosfellsbær. and 830mKistufell. Toget here, turnoff Rte 1 Akrafjall 54 Borg áMýrum (572m) Hvammur Esjuberg As youjointhenorthshore of thefjord Just past the petrol station at Just pastthepetrolstation For amore leisurely walk,a5kmtrailruns Svignaskarð 590 Búðardalur 1 Hítarvatn Jafnaskarð Munaðarnes Hjarðarholt Hafnarfjall Grundartangi Hótel Glymur Saurbær (666m) Baulan Múlafjall Króksfjarðarnes Mosfell Hvanneyri Grábrók 1 Guesthouse Kiðafell Glymur Árblik Bifröst Efri-Brú Laugar (830m) Kistufell 36 50 (914m) Esja Höskulosstaðir Hvammsvík Varmaland 50 Laxá Reykholt Fertikkiskáli Stóra-Vatnshorn Hraunsnef

Hvítá , waterfall Iceland’shighest 30miles 50km 0 0

(934m) Laxárdalur Haukadalur Baula Eiríksstaðir 508 Miðsandur Desey Kleppjárnsreykir Deildartunguhver 586 36 Botnsdalur

Flókadalur  Ὀ ὄὄὄ Ὀ ὄὄ Hraunfossar Glymur Station Whaling 52 1 Brú Haukadalsá Fljótstunga Þingvallavatn Surtshellir &

Stefánshellir Hrútafjörður (1190m) Staðarskáli Húsafell Ok Barnafoss F550 whaling station Tvídægra Þórisjökull Saurbær Arnarvatnsheiði Hallmundarhraun Arnarvatnsheiði To Geysir(3km); Laugarvatn Kaldidalur Gulfoss (13km) Kal dá Viðgelmir Langjökull F338 1 To 37 (105km) F578 , the 151

. WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND 152 Greenpeace as thoughthebattle tosave thewhaleisrightback ontheagenda. the faceofsuchcompelling evidenceagainsttheresumption ofthe hunt.Regardless,itlooks tours.provided bywhale-watching togeneratesuggest thatcommercial whalingwouldbelikely onlyafifthoftheincome currently cantly contribute tothedepletionoffishstocks. Mostbewilderingofall,economicpredictions ofscientificevidencetoshow that whalessignifi- forwhalemeat,andtheremarket isadearth theirclaims. Recentopinionpollsshowthatthereto belittleevidencesupport islittleorno creation ofjobsandadverse affects onthe codstockasreasons toresume thehunt,there seems cite Whilepro-whalers the announcementthree cultural traditions, finwhaleshadbeenkilled. mercial hunters whalesandninefortheendangered –30forminke finwhale. Withinaweekof government announceditsplans toresume commercialwhaling, granting39licencestocom- the countrydecidedtofloutinternational banaltogether. totheFaeroes,exporting anarea notcovered by CITES.Itseemedonlyamatter oftimebefore Norway andJapan)hasconveniently exempted itselffromtheCITESrestrictions andhasbegun vention onInternational Trade inEndangered Species(CITES) agreement. Iceland(alongwith and theanti-whalinglobbywasdealt a seriousblow. the 75%majorityneededtooverturn the1986ban, theircampaigngainedseriousmomentum a return tocommercialwhaling. Althoughthe33-32vote membersfarfrom leftthepro-whaling fortheirpoliciestopushthrougharesolution they hadgarnered supporting support enoughextra and developing nationstojointheIWCandinvesting intheirfisheries industries. ByJune2006 nationsspentthefollowingyearsencouraging controloftheIWC,thesepro-whaling smalltaking auspices ofscientificresearch andNorwayignored thebanaltogether. Inthehopeofeventually area southofReykjavík. in themainwhale-watching occurred areas inSeptember, –thatwasuntilthefirstkill caught outsidewhale-watching right to protest. ToappeasethesituationIcelandicgovernment promisedthatallwhaleswouldbe for theIcelandiceconomy–farmore thancommercialwhalingever did. watching industrydrawing82,000visitorstothecountryannuallyandgenerating US$27million forthemagnificentcreaturesindustry. Iceland’snewimageasasanctuary had created awhale- protest, bymembersoftheinternational backed scientificcommunityandIceland’stourism theworldoverAugust were 2003.Conservationists stunnedandtheIWCitselfissuedaformal ‘feasibility study’toresearch theeffect ofwhalesonthemarineenvironment. ofaso-called proposal toslaughter whales,100finwhalesand50seiaspart 100minke backintotheorganisationIcelandic agendaandtheyslinked andattempted topushthrougha in1989.IcelandquittheIWCprotest.to itswhalingactivities By2002whalingwasback onthe and lubricatingoil–allofwhichhadcheapermore environmentallysoundsubstitutes. was soldtorestaurants inIcelandandJapan,thecarcasseswere madeintopetfood,vitamins years. Quite where thescientificresearch cameinwasnever fullyexplained,asthewhalemeat 90cetaceansinthefollowingthreeprogramme’ thecountry’strawlersheadedouttoseaandkilled whaling; Iceland,however, decidedtocontinuehunting. Undertheauspices ofa‘scientificresearch introducedaworldwidebanoncommercialIn 1986theInternational WhalingCommission(IWC) TO WHALE ORNOT TOWHALE? Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society Whale &Dolphin Conservation Ocean Alliance International WhalingCommission ETIEAD • oWaeo o oWae WEST ICELAND••ToWhaleorNot For thelatest on thiscontroversial issue,visitthefollowingwebsites: Few understandwhythe Icelandicgovernment hasgiven intosuchasmallinterest group in The swiftnessofIceland’sdecisionsurprisedmany,however. theIcelandic Bymid-October Three bannedbytheUN’sCon- months later exports Icelanddecidedtoresume whale-meat In spite ofinternational condemnation,IcelandandJapancontinued tohuntwhalesunderthe Despite fromallover this,thehuntresumed toIceland theworldflocked andconservationists NorwayandJapan,Icelandpassedthemotionbyonevote frompro-whaling in With support International pressure finallyforcedIcelandtocallahalt anddirect byconservationists action http://whales.greenpeace.org www.oceanalliance.org www.iwcoffice.org www.wdcs.org lonelyplanet.com evening meals(Ikr2000)andhorse riding(one evening in wood-panelledrooms.Breakfast (Ikr900), offeringfarmhouse Ikr2000/3500/6500) Ikr2500/4200/7900,Oct-Apr sb/s/dMay-Sep /kidafell; tours Ikr4500). (Ikr1000 perday)andkayaking(three-hour matic placeoffering anine-holegolfcourse at thefootof slope. asweeping It’sadra- ated recreation centre onthewater right set atthisbeautifullysitu- youcanstay the fjord tent Ikr500; Hvammsvík Sleeping &Eating skirkja, alsonamedafter thecomposer. more modestthanReykjavík’s Hallgrím- Passion Hymns land’s mostwidelyknownreligious work, Hallgrímur Ice- Pétursson, whocomposed Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com detour onthe tripwest. wooden buildings, the townis wortha brief adecent beach andsomelovelymuseum, old the main industries.Home toanexcellent fish processing andcement productionare 880 byagroupof Irish hermits, buttoday Landnámabók According tothe Icelandichistorytext the Hvalfjörðurseparating fromBorgarfjörður. Akranes liesatthetipof thepeninsula townof (572m),thepleasant Akrafjall undertheimposing concaveSet plateau pop 5900 AKRANES clists aren’t thetunnel. permitted touse rently Ikr1000/400percar/motorcycle. Cy- you take thetunnelonRte 1thetolliscur- 47 justbefore If thetunnelunderfjord. to get here. Coming fromReykjavík, take Rte Hvalfjörður, yourownvehicle soyou’ll need There isnopublictransportaround Getting There&Away looking outover thefjord. library andlounge andtwooutdoorhotpots offer, aswellahuge open-planrestaurant, a views, abstractartandswish bathroomsare on styled minisuites. Giantwindowswithgreat hotelthis sleek offers luxurious,contemporary- 18,900/25,400) Ikr16,900/23,900/30,400, Nov-AprIkr14,900/ s/d/tr May-Oct hour Ikr2300)are alsoavailable Guesthouse Kiðafell Hótel Glymur Hótel h ( % On thenorthernsideof thefjord, Jun-Aug) , the town was settled inaround , thetownwassettled 566 7023; www.hvammsvik.is; sitesper 566 7023;www.hvammsvik.is; , thechurch isonlyslightly For more comfort, ( %

pleasant accommodation pleasant On thesouthernsideof

430 3100;www.hotelglymur.is; ( % 566 6096;www.dagfinnur.is . WESTICELAND••Akranes

try this 50 h Háholt free washingmachine andtumbledryer. days. There are good washingfacilitiesanda views over toSnæfellsjökull the fjord onclear totheshore camp site is close andhassweeping site Camp Sleeping &Eating valley, which splitstheplateau intwo. be easilyclimbedinadayviathe Berjadalur walking,the 572m peak serious beach canfeel Forsomemore quite exposed. 9am-6pmSat&Sun) Mon-Fri, ( or wetdaysthetown’s walks orswimmingonawarmday. Onwindy beachlong sandy at on Skólabraut.Alsoworthavisitisthe1km- thecinemaandprettytween littlechurch Themostinterestingin use. runsbe- section a lookatthelovely oldwoodenbuildingsstill Akranes oldtowniswellworthawanderfor OTHER ATTRACTIONS east of thecentre, justoff Graðagrund. cutter at acollectionof fishingboats,includingthe andtake alook historichouses, and several restored adryingshed, boathouse, achurch and locallore. Outside,youcanexplore a ofrelics, fossils,tales sportingheroes crystals, 1-5pm mid-Sep–mid-May) under 16yrIkr500/free; Centre Museum The town’smainattractionistheengaging AKRANES MUSEUMCENTRE Sights &Activities with ATMs onKirkjubraut, themainstreet. banks andseveral You’ll findthepostoffice Sep–mid-May) akranes.is; The friendly Information ing up tofive people canalso berented for sleep- Summerhouses and excellent service. rooms out foritscomfortable worth seeking iswell town, this friendly,modern farmhouse bed Ikr2500/3500; costs Ikr700. offers made-upbeds incosyrooms.Breakfast town onaquiet street, B&B thispleasant

% Heimagisting Ólínu Heimagisting Móar mid-May–mid-Sep) 433 1100;adult/under14yrIkr200/free;

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% ( % 10am-5pm mid-May–mid-Sep, 1-5pmmid- 10am-5pm mid-May–mid-Sep, is based at the museum centre. atthemuseum is based 431 1389; [email protected]; sb/made-up 431 1389;[email protected]; sb/made-up 864 5510;sitespertent/personIkr400/300; tourist office tourist h ( % . The museum isabout1km . Themuseum Jun-Aug) The well-maintained town Thewell-maintained h 431 5566;www.museum.is;adult/ Langisandur

, which isfullof nautical ( % 10am-5pm mid-May–mid-Sep, 10am-5pm mid-May–mid-Sep, geothermal is abetter option,asthe Right inthecentreRight of Although 4km from Although 431 1408;[email protected]; ( % 431 5566;www.visit ,

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swimming pool h Akrafjall 6.15am-9pm

can 153 WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND Búð reasonably pricedmealthat’sastep upfrom ern butnondescriptplaceisagood betfora building close totheharbour.building close Themenuoffers lunch of isthispopulareatery inthebasement a h and burgers. of reliable favourites includingpizza, panini adecentselection the usualfastfood.Itserves h Akranesvegamót, 4kmeastof Akranes. Móarisjustoff RteIkr10,000 pernight. 1near 154 fashioned cinema in time witha visitto thewonderfully old- istogoback Your best betforentertainment Drinking &Entertainment centre, a are supermarkets alsoseveral nearthetown grill station well asexoticfare such asburritos. ofa goodselection fish,steak andvegetables as Stillholti 23;pizzasIkr1100-2250) Vesturflös 1 3 2 AKRANES Fortuna Fortuna Galito For fastfood,try the 11.30am-9pm Mon-Thu, to10pmFri-Sun) 11.30am-2.30pm Mon-Fri)

(Þjóðbraut 13) ETIEAD • ogre WEST ICELAND••Borgarnes Lambhúsasund

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% bakery bakery Víkur ( % AC Skútan 430 6767;Stillholt16-18;mainsIkr800-2100; Norðurflös 431 3737; Mánabraut 20; mains Ikr1000-2500; 431 3737;Mánabraut20;mainsIkr1000-2500; . (Kirkjubraut) 16 Krókalón

Bíóhöllin Lighthouse

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% Barugata 431 2061;Þjóðbraut9) Akranes’ best bet for Akranes’bestbetfor Hrói Höttur pizzeriaorthebus- andabranch of

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9 ὄὄ Stillholt

Skagabraut

Vogabraut Háholt Esjubraut 11

Kalmansbraut Kalmansvík

buildings portray avery different character. old town, where rambling streets and quaint kets onthe main roadandventure into the of cafeterias petrol stations, and supermar- what the townislike, leave behind thecluster Toget offascinating museums. areal sense and hometoone of Iceland’snewestandmost pointfortravellers buta bustlingservice fjord, fishing potential bystrongtidalcurrents inthe an unassumingtown, deprived of anyserious Borgarnes It’s has apretty setting. spectacular and thesteep slopesofgarfjörður Hafnarfjall, Looking outover thebrooding waters of Bor- pop 1800 BORGARNES utes andcostsIkr250. centre. Theentire journeytakes about 80min- fellsbær, fromwhere bus15runstothecity area; twohours bus27runsevery toMos- Akranes ispartof theReykjavik citytransport Getting There&Away 27) Café Mörk Café and followthemovie withadrinkatnearby Jarðarsbraut , which shows films several times weekly, timesweekly, , which showsfilmsseveral Dalbraut 12 7 13 Langisandur 17

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0 0 Innesvegur lonelyplanet.com

. Graðagrund D & Reykjavík(49km) Borgarnes (38km) Akrafjall (10km), To Móar(4km), Leynir 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 0.3 miles 500 m 9 6 C1 C1 C2 C2 B2 B2 A2 B2 recounting theadventures of andtales the ofand settlement theislandandother two exhibitions,onecovering thediscovery isdividedinto era.and thesaga Themuseum intothehistoryof sight Icelandicsettlement Wed-Mon mid-Sep–mid-May) Ikr1400/1000; 15; adult/under14yrforoneexhibitionIkr800/600,both Centre by theharbour,new inawonderfulrestoredHoused warehouse Sights with ATM andapostoffice onBrákarbraut. per 10minutes. There’s aSparisjoðurinn bank Internet accessisavailablestation. forIkr100 is intheHyrnancomplexbyEssopetrol Sep-Apr) 10am-4pmMon-Fri 10am-3pm Sat&SunMay-Aug, land forwestIceland, The maintouristoffice Information Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com a café and a TV lounge. The rooms are small a café andaTV cosy, well-equipped place with abasickitchen, members Ikr1950/2950/4900) Hamar Hostel Sleeping centre on Rte 1. www.gbborgarnes.net; green fees Ikr4000) at the18-hole and hotpots.Golf fanaticscantake inagame 9am-6pm Sat&Sun) gata; adult/under14yrIkr310/155; and indoor equipment. birdsandfarmhouse art, stuffed where thevery traditional exhibitsincludelocal h Museum equipment. alongwithVikingweaponsand can beseen, ther andsonof heroEgill saga Skallagrímsson (Skallagrímsgata) such site isthetownpark includes amapandguidetotheroute. One Saga have erected been atthemostimportant to placeyourIcelandicvisit. Iceland’s historyandafirmcontext inwhich formation andgives into awonderfulinsight it’s expensive, isawealthof themuseum in- man behind farmhouse abovefarmhouse agolf club, thishostel isa Also worthavisitisthewonderfuloutdoor As stonecairns partof efforts, themuseum’s For more history,headforthe 1-6pm dailyyear-round,plusto8pmTue &ThuJun-Aug) ( sites aroundtheregion. A free leaflet %

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( 437 2214;www.west.is; % h 437 1600; www.landnam.is; Brákarbraut 13- 437 1600;www.landnam.is;Brákarbraut

swimming pool ( 430 7200;Bjarnarbraut4-6;admissionfree; where theburialmoundof thefa- % Egil’s Saga 10am-7pm mid-May–mid-Sep, 11am-5pm 10am-7pm mid-May–mid-Sep, Golfklúbbur Borgarnes Golfklúbbur Borgarnes , which haswater slides,asauna 437 2000;www.gbborgarnes.net; sb/s/d offers afascinatingin- Set inalargeSet restored (see (see p156 Borgarnes Settlement Settlement Borgarnes

( h % h Skallagrímsgarður 7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 437 1444;Þorsteins- 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, north of the Borgarfjörður Borgarfjörður ) WESTICELAND••Borgarnes ( . Although . Although % 437 1663; Vestur- Egil’s

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Filipino andfastfood, thisbasicplaceonthe anunusual combinationof Icelandic, Serving Matstofan Eating hot potsforrelaxing. lamb andveal, andthere are three outdoor anexcellentchoice of fish, to Ikr5500)serves wi-fi access.Therestaurant (mainsIkr2800 dows andgreat views,private terraces and contemporary-styled roomswithlarge win- of intown,thisnew hotelto sleep has aseries 10,200; Ikr8200/ Ikr13,600/17,000,Oct-May Borgarnes; s/dJun-Sep by about40%. Ikr2900, andinwinter theroomrates drop rant offers two-course traditionalmealsfor less hotel inthecentre of town.Therestau- are available atthislarge andrathercharacter- tired roomswithtypicalbusiness-style décor .is; Egilsgata14;s/dIkr10,900/12,900) rates dropabout30%inwinter. pizza bar(mainsIkr1400toIkr1600).Room modest roomsandadecentrestaurant and of hasfunctional, thebridge acrossthefjord rather forlorn-lookingmotel onthefarside something outof theAmericanMidwest,this about 1kmnorthof thecentre, Rte justoff 1. four. apartmentsleeping self-catering Bjarg is kitchen, spotlessbathroomsandanadditional lamps over thebeds.There’s ashared guest radioandpersonal of littleextrassuch asTV, ful woodpanelling,crispwhite linens andlots haswarm,cosyroomswithtaste- ing thefjord overlook-town, thisattractive set farmhouse 4400/8800) plement tostay. on Rte 1.Nonmembers mustpayasmallsup- around. Thehostel isabout3kmnorthof town for food is this bright and airyrestaurantfor food isthis bright at 5pm Wed-Mon mid-Sep–mid-May) Ikr1400-2900; go down well. the steaming plates of tablecloths teamed with plasticplacemats), stylisticallychallengedthough (thinkgingham way totheharbour ispopularwithlocals.Al- and functional,butthey’re thecheapest sleep bathroom Ikr5300/6800,dwithIkr9300) Borgarnes; sitespertentIkr500,sbIkr2500,s/dwithout Hotel Hamar Hotel Venus Mótel Bjarg Búðarklettur Hótel Borgarnes Hótel i ( % ) One of in thenicestplacestostay ( Sleek, stylishandbyfarthebestspot Sleek, % h 437 1925;[email protected];sb/s/dIkr2000/ 437 2017; Brákarbraut 3;mainsIkr550-1350) 437 2017;Brákarbraut 10am-9pm daily mid-May–mid-Sep, 11am- 10am-9pm daily mid-May–mid-Sep,

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( % 437 2345;[email protected];311 437 1600; Brákarbraut 13; mains 437 1600;Brákarbraut 433 6600;www.icehotels.is; 310 437 1119;www.hotelborgarnes adobo Borgarnes’ best bet Big, bright but Big,bright (Filipino curry)

Like

155 WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND the HyrnuTorg bloodthirsty individualwhokilledhisfirst son, Egill Skallagrímsson,grew up tobea just happenedtobeatBorg. Skallagrímur’s family farmwherever itwashedashore –this overboardcoffin after he diedandbuildthe son, SkallagrímurKveldúlfsson, tothrowhis andinstructedon thejourneyhowever, his king of Norway.Kveldúlfur grew gravely ill ing the9thcenturyafter fallingoutwiththe Egill Skallagrímsson,whofledtoIcelanddur- Kveldúlfur, grandfather of thewarrior-poet in nificance forIcelanders asthecore location the farmitsname,site holds great sig- here exceptthelargesee rock there’sgarnes onRte 54.Although littleto (Rock intheMarshes), liesjustnorthof Bor- Iceland’s mostfamousfarm,Borg áMýrum Borg áMýrum AROUND BORGARNES approach toBorgarnes. the Atlanticcanfrequently thesouthern close Ikr1600. Inwinterwindsrollinginoff high complex. Theone-hourtriptoReykjavík costs Esso andShell attheHyrnan petrolstations andSnæfellsnesthe Westfjords stopnearthe Reykjavík between All buses andAkureyri, Getting There&Away (Borgarbraut 57) caterers should headforthe bars attheEssoandShell Self- petrol stations. pizza,youcouldalsotrythegrill and doughy snacks andcakes. dishesaswelllighter lamb, fish andpasta while themenufeatures atempting range of give itawonderfully contemporary style, stripped woodfloors andmodernfurniture Centre. the Settlement 156 Skallagrímsson. Egil’sthe Icelandic beer is named after Egill dur Sveinsson. you were Incase wondering, church andamodernist sculpture byÁsmun- the large a wooden stonemarker, youcan see and hemoved As inlandtoReykholt. well as briefly atBorg, butthemarriage broke down into thefamilyin 1197.Snorri(see p158 ) lived the historian Snorri Sturluson, whomarried ventures to have isbelieved written by been ofEngland. Thecomplex tale the family’sad- to carryoutnumerous raidsonthecoastof adversary attheage of andwenton seven For theusualarrayof burgers, friedchicken Egil’s Saga ETIEAD • rudBrans WEST ICELAND••AroundBorgarnes . There’s abranch of VínBúðin . The saga recounts. Thesaga of thetale

centre onthemainroad.

The large windows, Bónus supermarket (borg) thatgave

Further on,you’ll come to from2007. in Reykholt the National Museum findsfromthedig wouldbedisplayed by eval At thetime of writingitwasplanned thatmedi- covers thesite of arecent archaeological dig. rounding hills,and beyonditagrassyfield againstthesur-church outbrightly stands the annualclassical-music festival. ing inlate July,lookoutforinformation on in Reykjavíkinstalled cathedral. Ifyou’re visit- and a600-year-old organ thatwasoriginally also features anearlyLutheranbaptismalfont Thechurchlines fromearlyChristianpoetry. glasswovenful contemporary stained with harmonious structure somebeauti- contains newest churches. Builtin1996,the simplebut society. looks attheroleof womenin13th-century church, are alsohere, andanewexhibition totheoriginal ment, the12th-centurydeeds country’s goldenage. Iceland’soldestdocu- society andwayof Iceland,the life inmedieval The displayshere explainthelaws,literature, historianSnorri Sturluson. brated medieval sion Ikr500; centre the area, study visitthefascinatingmedieval inIceland. settlements medieval its bustlingpastasoneof themostimportant place thatonfirst glanceoffers few cluesto kindof isasleepy unassuming, Reykholt postcardprettyLaid-back, andincredibly Reykholt javík isIkr2400. Reykjavík andAkureyri; thefare fromReyk- disfigured bygravel extraction. windy. Nearby, surrounding lava flowbutcanbeextremely (173m), which offers great viewsover the lichen anddwarfbirch tothelipof themoss, well-worn trackleadsupthrough of walkingtrailscrisscrossing thearea, anda college complexatBifröst.There are plenty flat surroundingsjustbeyondthevillage and brókarfell, dramaticallyfromthe which rise year-old cinderconesof GrábrókandGrá- a large lava fieldbelched outbythe3000- Heading northalongRte 1you’llpassthrough Bifröst UPPER BORGARFJÖRÐUR Behind thecentre, aprettyBehind 19th-century To get intothesignificanceof someinsight The centre isalsohometooneof Iceland’s Bifröst liesonthemainbusroute between Snorrstofa h 10am-6pm Jun-Sep) ( Grábrókarfell Grábrókarfell % 435 1491; www.reykholt.is; admis- 435 1491;www.reykholt.is; , devoted tothecele- , devoted Snorralaug has been rather has been lonelyplanet.com (Snorri’s Grábrók

able, businesslike mythol- roomsandaNorse church, thiswell-equippedhotel hascomfort- inamodernblockbehindtheold Housed Ikr9300/13,700) s/d Jun-AugIkr10,700/17,900,Sep-May on Rte 50. is11kmdownthevalley and cheery farmhouse Ikr1800/3600/7200) bed/summerhouse made-up 50 about6kmwestof Reykholt. geothermal centre of Kleppjárnsreykir onRte nearest besidethetiny campinggroundisset site Camp SLEEPING &EATING Snorri Sturlusonwasmurdered. toleadthecellarwherepassage believed thepoolisa Snorri cametobathe. Behind thatthisiswhereoriginal, anditisbelieved ofspring. Thestonesatthebase thepoolare Pool), acircular,stone-linedpoolfed byahot Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com hraun, Húsafell is apopular outdoor retreat of thedesolate lava fieldsat Hallmundar- Tucked theriver between Kaldá andthe edge Húsafell for Reykholt. north of Kleppjárnsreykir, totheturn-off close rounding area. to heatingthegreenhouses thatdotthesur- to Borgarnes andAkranes.Any excessgoes while a64km-long pipelinetakes asupply provides theregion withitsboiling-hotwater, Theincrediblysecond. powerfulhotspring boiling water bubblesfromthegroundevery spews upbillowingcloudsof steam as180Lof biggest Europe’s DEILDARTUNGUHVER Around Reykholt at7.15pm. Reykholt hours). Intheopposite direction thebusleaves at 5pmonFridayandSunday(Ikr2200, two fromReykjavíkRte 518.Publicbuses leave is40km northeastofReykholt Borgarnes on THERE&AWAYGETTING bathrooms are alsoavailable. bath andsauna. Cheaperroomswithshared massage, aromatherapyandaJacuzzi steam to Ikr3000)andawellnesscentre offering hotel hasadecentrestaurant (mainsIkr2000 The Icelandic mythology,runesandsagas. ogy theme. oneach Exhibits floordelve into Fosshótel Reykholt Fosshótel Brennistaðir Deildartunguhver toRte 50,just isclose

( %

435 1182;sitesperpersonIkr500) ( % hot spring 435 1193;[email protected]; sb/

( % 435 1260;www.fosshotel.is; , Deildartunguhver WESTICELAND••UpperBorgarfjörður This bright Thisbright The

creating a dramaticrockarch andtwoforbid- of the cave totheentrancehas collapsed, close person Ikr1200/3500,minimum 4peopleover8yr) stunga tours arranged local guesthouse through andcan onlybyvisited onguided is preserved is the1.5km-long out bysomehellish giantworm. they’ve burrowed they lookasthough been molten lava asolidlava beneath crust,and long tunnel-like caves are formedbyflowsof scape dotted withgiganticlava tubes.These of Hallmundarhraun make land- upaneerie East of Húsafell thevast, barren lava flows HALLMUNDARHRAUN fall’s name–andthearch wasdestroyed. swept off ittotheirdeaths –hencethewater- to bearockarch here, buttwochildren were roars acauldronlike through gorge. There used (Children’s Waterfall), where theriver Hvítá here ashort trailleadsupstream toBarnafoss magic frombeneathanancientlava flow.From a ofseries trickling Four kilometres westof Húsafell isHraunfossar, HRAUNFOSSAR &BARNAFOSS Around Húsafell Húsafell. day tripstoKaldidalur ( p158 ) thatpassthrough companiesalsooffer p157).Several bus (see by youcangettwice aweek asfarReykholt golf course andapetrolstation. months), achildren’s playground,anine-hole shorter hoursdaily JunetoSeptember, other for adult/child under14,open10amto10pm door geothermal swimmingpool(Ikr400/250 Ikr1200 toIkr2200).There’s alsoalovely out- kitchen, alaundryandrestaurant (mains accommodation,aguest cabin andfarmhouse Ikr8500/9500) sites perpersonIkr750,sbIkr1400,s/dwithshared bathroom Ferðaþjónustan Húsafelli shellir doubles. bags/singles/ Ikr2000/2700/4000 forsleeping wood-panelled roomsat Fljótstunga costs tom of thecave. Accommodationinthecosy, on thelonger touryou’lldescend tothebot- weirdrock formations,and Inside you’llsee ding blackchasms descending intotheearth. for Reykjavík residents. Theleisure complex Closest toHúsafell, furtheralong RteClosest 518, There’s nopublictransporttoHúsafell, but Even more dramatic are the tubes of and

( % Stefánshellir isaone-stopshop,withcampsite, 435 1198;www.fljotstunga.is; 1-/3-hrtoursper

lava tube cascades , further tothe east.Here ( % 435 1550;www.husafell.is; thatemerge asifby Viðgelmir . Thecave . Theroof

Fljót- Surt- 157 WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND drive southinaprivate vehicle toÞingvellir. transport alongunsurfacedRte 550,youcan there’sand Þórisjökull.Although nopublic on finedaysthesnowsof Eiríksjökull, Okjökull incredible viewsof the icecapand Langjökull skirts theedge of of aseries glaciers andoffers Southeast of Húsafell, the Kaldidalur valley KALDIDALUR &LANGJÖKULL along Rte F578tothelakes of continue forabout8km. FljótstungaandHúsafell, and midway between to thecaves, roadF578, turnontomountain so don’tattempt thiswithoutatorch. Toget floor of thetube iscovered inslipperyboulders via acairnof stonesinthefirst chasm. The toward theroadalongtubefloor,exiting you canenter atthefarendandscrambleback the tuberoof inthree hascollapsed places,and 158 ding on Langjökull (Ikr6900). ding onLangjökull ing on theriver Hvítá (Ikr5900) anddogsled- include an hour’ssnowmobiling. Ikr9000 to Ikr20,900.More expensive tours and10hours eight take andcostfrom between Surtshellir, Kaldidalur and Þingvellir. Tours Húsafell,the following:Borgarnes, Reykholt, looping fromReykjavík someorallof through Eskimos .activity.is) .hopferd.is/engl/tours/daytours.htm) and ontoHvammstangi. Activity Group alsooffers whitewater raft- If you’ve gota4WD it’spossibletocontinue Many tour companiesincluding family history of Viking family historyofViking ofNorway).Snorriisalsowidelybelieved tobethehandbehind tory ofthekings including at Reykholt, crossroads ofmajorroutes acrossthecountry.Snorricomposed manyofhismostfamousworks tradecentre atthe washometo60,00080,000peopleandanimportant time Reykholt he abandonedhisfamilyatBorg andretreated At tothewealthychurch estate the atReykholt. Hella andlater marriedtheheirtofarmBorg nearBorgarnes. Forreasons notfullyrevealed, buthewasraisedandeducated atthetheological north), centre ofOddinearBúðardalur (further becausehewrote alotofitdownhimself.history –partly near Snorri wasbornatHvammur The chieftainandhistorian figures inmedievalNorseSnorri Sturlusonisoneofthemostimportant SNORRI STURLUSON of 23September thehistoriantodeathinbasementofhishome. 1241andhacked position ofgovernor ofIcelandinreturn. with70armedmenonthenight Hearrived inReykholt andpossiblysnagthe sawhischancetoimpress theking former son-in-lawGissurÞorvaldsson Hakonissuedawarrant forhiscaptureNorwegian – dead oralive. king Snorri’spoliticalrivaland private interests attheparliament.Instead Snorribusiedhimselfwithhis writingandtheunhappy parliament), butheendured heavypressure topromote fromtheNorwegian theking’s king NFLSE • Syksómr SNÆFELLSNES ••Stykkishólmur At theageof36Snorriwasappointed (www.eskimos.is) , Mountain Taxi offer tours of theregion

(www.mountaintaxi.is) Prose Edda skald , Activity Group Activity (court poet)Egill (see (court Skallagrímsson p156 ). Arnarvatnsheiði (a textbook tomedievalNorsepoetry)and TREX

(www (www and lögsögumaður matic basalt island.It’s apicturesque matic basalt placewith around anatural harbour protected by adra- gest onthe Snæfellsnes peninsula, isbuiltup The charming townof Stykkishólmur, thelar- pop 1240 STYKKISHÓLMUR protection.to environmental ment fortravel andtourismcommitted community, dedicated develop- tosustainable any outdooractivities. and bringyourraingear ifyou’re planning hammering fromtheweather,sobe prepared of thepeninsula. Thearea canget abit of a the nationalparkprotecting thewestern end northcoast,with rugged andmountainous compact region. tion of thebestIcelandhastooffer inavery ideal forashort break, offering acrosssec- mean thatit’saneasytripfromReykjavík and more accessible. Good roadsandregular buses to the Centreof the Earth inJulesVerne’smortalised tale fantasy is dominated bytheicecapSnæfellsjökull, im- 100km-long Snæfellsnes peninsula. Thearea the diverse andfascinatinglandscapeof the and Iceland’snewestnationalparkmake up goldenbeaches,sweeping aglistening icecap cliffs, volcanicpeaks,dramaticsea Lush fjords, SNÆFELLSNES Snæfellsnes isa Most of Snæfellsnes’ live inhabitants onthe (lawspeaker) oftheAlþing(Icelandic (lawspeaker) Green Globe Green Heimskringla , buttodayit’salot

(www.greenglobe.org) lonelyplanet.com Egil’s Saga (ahis- Journey , a

the cluster of woodenwarehouses, stores and Much of Stykkishólmur’scharm comesfrom Sights &Activities areoffice onAðalgata. h the minutes). Internet accessisalsoavailable at which alsohasinternet access (Ikr100for15 1450; Smiðjustíg3; Information Centre Tourist informationisavailable atthe Information forexploringthearea.excellent base and aferry it’san toFlatey andtheWestfjords, tion andrestaurants, goodpublictransport, centuries. Withagoodchoice of accommoda- town’s heydayinthelate 19thandearly20th coloured sincethe woodenbuildings,inuse a friendly,laid-back attitudeandlotsof brightly Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Sun) 14yr Ikr280/120; geothermal swimmingpool fromthe harbour.the stone causeway You canget totheislandbywalking across and offers grandviewsacrossBreiðafjörður. Súgandisey and Jesus sky. floatinginthenight and huge modernpaintingof theVirgin Mary known foritshundreds of suspended lights a giantship’s vent totherear. Theinterior is belltowerandwhatlookslikewith asweeping tic rounding landscape,Stykkishólmur’s futuris- Iceland. out of anupper-class homein19th-century thetypicallay- On the2ndflooryoucansee skis andothersalvaged items of localhistory. ter wooden machines, churns, saddles, sewing offully eclecticselection farmequipment,but- skilfully restoredbeen anddisplaysawonder- Jun-Aug) Hafnargata 5;adult/6-16yr&seniorIkr400/200; Húsið on thebuildings. brochure atthetouristoffice forinformation Pick upacopyof thefree ‘OldStykkishólmur’ back about150years andmanyare stillinuse. homes aroundthetown’sharbour. Mostdate trader Árni Þorlacius in 1832, the house has trader ÁrniÞorlaciusin1832,the house Also worth exploring is the basalt island ofAlso worthexploring isthebasalt There’s excellentswimming atthe town’s Looking decidedlyoutof placeinthesur- One of themostinteresting isthe Stykkishólmskirkja Stykkishólmskirkja 3-7pm Mon&Thu) , which has water slides and hotpots. library

(Norwegian House; , now the municipal museum. Builtby , nowthemunicipalmuseum. , which protects thetownharbour ( % h 438 1281; Bókhlöðustígur; 30minIkr200; 438 1281;Bókhlöðustígur; h 7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat& 7am-10pm Mon-Fri,

(Seatours InformationCentre; (Seatours 8am-8pm Jun-Aug, to5pmSep-May) . The KB Banki and post . TheKBBanki % is astrikingwhite church 438 1640;[email protected]; ( % 438 1372;adult/under SNÆFELLSNES••Stykkishólmur h 11am-5pm Sæferðir Norska Norska % 438 , some private rooms. twotofourpeople, andtheresleep are also simple roomsandadecentkitchen. Dorms est buildings,thisrenovated hostel hasclean, Ikr8900/10,900, Jun-AugIkr11,900/13,900; stykkisholmur.is; &Sep-Nov Borgarbraut6;s/dApr-May with modernfurniture andgoodviewsfrom this smallhotel offers spaciousrooms bright, Ikr7100/9200; the price. Bookinadvance. bay, andasumptuousbreakfast isincludedin There’s agardenandveranda overlooking the rooms andawonderfullywarm welcome. of hasaselection cosy this homeyguesthouse from thewaterfront inaresidential street, fax 4381245;Höfðagata11;s/dIkr3800/6500) 5000; .is; Höfðagata1;sbmembers/nonmembersIkr1650/2000,d pool, thesite hastoiletsandsinks. site Camp Sleeping Ikr600) tours lovely buildings,DaddaDagbjöstoffers the lowdownonhistoryof thetown andits 2-4hrIkr5500) http://seakayakiceland.com; arranged through the islandsof Breiðafjörður (see p161 ) canbe (Ikr1500 perday).Kayaking tours around some are year-round. Youcanalsohire bikes Most activitiesrunJunetoAugustonly,but watching tours fromÓlafsvík(see p164 ). angling trips(Ikr4150,2¼hours) and whale- andeagles(Ikr4400,2¼hours); sea- puffins of Breiðafjörður, seals, where youcansee popular nature-watching totheislands cruises Sep-May) Smiðjustígur 3; Sæferðir Tours style roomsare withplenty of simple enough, is now looking pretty dated. Thebusiness- this hotel wasoncethe topspotintown but outofSlightly thecentre onahill, and set and allthefittings are new. the balconies.The décorissimpleandneutral, ant.is; Aðalgata 8; s/d Jun-Aug Ikr8900/11,000, Sep-May ant.is; Aðalgata8;s/dJun-Aug Ikr8900/11,000,Sep-May cling and other activities, see Tours, cling andotheractivities,see below . Heimagisting María Bæringsdóttir María Heimagisting Hótel Breiðafjörður Hótel HI Hostel Sjónarhóll Hótel Stykkishólmur Hótel For informationonfishing, kayaking,cy-

h ( % of thetownforfive tosixpeople. runsavarietyof boattours, including May-Sep)

438 1121;Sjavalborg,Hafnargata4;1hrperperson ( (Seatours; (Seatours; %

i h 438 1750;sitesperpersonIkr600) ) 9am-8pm daily Jun-Aug, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri 9am-8pm dailyJun-Aug,8am-4pmMon-Fri Right inthecentre Right of town, Set in oneof thetown’sold- Set Seakayak Iceland Seakayak %

(

438 1450;www.seatours.is;

% ( ( % % 433 2200; www.prinsvali 433 2200;www.prinsvali 438 1417;www.hostel 430 2100;www.hotel . Ifyou’dlike

( ( % % Set back Set Nearthe pi 438 1258; 690 3877;

guided 159

)

WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND charming asNarfeyrarstofa (following), this 2800) balls’; friedballsof andraisins). dough cakes aswell and goodsandwiches fast orlunch. Itserves thisbakery isagoodchoiceseating, forbreak- On themainroadoutof town,withplentyof Bakery Eating traditional Icelandicfood. restaurant (mainsIkr1750toIkr3800)serving space andgoodviews,there’s atime-warp 160 station, andthere’sstation, a Bónus ofcafé with agoodselection cakes. adventurous. Duringtheday it’sawelcoming such delicaciesas blackguillemot forthemore with heavenly succulentburgers, sauces, and lection of excellentdishes.There’s plentyof fish upabumperse- this atmosphericplace serving Ikr1500-3700) dishes. pizzas, grillsand seafood place hasagoodrange of the more predictable Öndverðarnes SNÆFELLSNES PENINSULA A cheap grill canbe found atthepetrol o Fimm Fiskar Across theroadfromandnotquite so NFLSE • Syksómr SNÆFELLSNES ••Stykkishólmur Fálkí Djúpalónssandur

(Nesvegur 1; Skarðsvík Írskibrunnur Beruvík ὈὈ ὈὈὄὄ ὈὈ Narfeyrarstofa Stykkishólmur’s top spot for food is Stykkishólmur’stop spotforfoodis Dritvík Gufuskálar Hólahólar Saxhöll Neshraun ( 579 % Vatnsborg Purkhólar

574 Rauðhólar h Hellissandur Snæfellsjökull National Park Móðulækur

ástar-pungur Hólahólar 436 1600;Frúarstígur1;mainsIkr800-

Klukkufoss Forvaðinn 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pmSat) 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri,

Malariff Djúpalón Eysteinsdalur

( % Búrfell Ingjaldshóll Snæfellsjökull Sönghellir 438 1119; Aðalgata 3; mains 438 1119;Aðalgata3;mains Rif Stapafell ὄ ὄ Lóndrangar (1446m)

(526m) Snæfell supermarket near (literally ‘love F570 Rauðfeldsgjá Ólafsvík Hellnar

Breiðafjörður

Gatklettur Arnarstapi Fróðarheiði Breiðavík Búlandshöfði 54 ὄ Búðaklettur

Látravík (88m) Buðir Mælifell ing from Brjánslækur at noon and 6pm. On atnoon and6pm. On ing from Brjánslækur from Stykkishólmur at9am and 3pm, return- From June toAugustthere are daily departures (2¼ hours), slækur in theWestfjords via Flatey. Stykkishólmur andBrján- operates between The carferry FERRY the mainroad. on stopatthepetrolstation kishólmur, buses ferry InStyk- to andfromtheWestfjords. and don’talways linkwellwiththe fromVatnaleiðonce daily.Services are limited run aroundthetipof thepeninsula toHellnar and Hellissandur-Rif. also Insummer,buses Ólafsvík toGrundarfjörður, eið fortheservice Vatnaleið. tochange You’llalsoneed inVatnal- day), withachange toaconnecting busin hours) oncedaily(twiceonFridayandSun- runto/fromReykjavíkBuses (Ikr3300,2½ BUS Getting There&Away Norska Húsið. the hardware store Skípavík HF, behind the the swimmingpool.ThelocalVin Búðisat Grundarfjörður Búðavík Helgrindur Kirkjufell (986m) (463m)

Faxaflói Höskuldsey Grundarfjörður Langaholt/ Garðar Lýsuhóll Kverná Þorgeirsfell Baldur Ytri-Tunga Suður-Bár

(

% Kolgrafarfjörður

Hraunsfjarðarvatn fjörður

Hólsfjall Hrauns- Bjarnarhöfn 438 1450;www.seatours.is) Selvallavatn Berserkjahraun Hraun lonelyplanet.com

Baulárvallavatn Brjánslækur (30km) Hraunsvík To Flatey(18km); 54 Kerlingarfjall Solabakki Stakkhamar Vatnaleið (585m) Stykkishólmur 56 Drápuhlíðarfjall Skjöldur Vegamót

(527m) Baldur Kerlingarskarð

lonelyplanet.com battles in saga times. AChristian churchbattles insaga was toilet ablutions –this triggered bloody several Icelandic ated byworshippers of thegodÞór. Thefirst mountain About 5km southof Stykkishólmur isthe Helgafell AROUND STYKKISHÓLMUR and motorcyclescostIkr825. under 12).Vehicles upto5mlongcostIkr2190 1095/free forseniors/child 12to15/child Ikr2190 andIkr1530respectively (Ikr1250/ connect withthemorningferry. also atLátrabjarg. from Ísafjörður cliffs Buses morning ferry to the bird connectswithbuses whilethe toÍsafjörður, buses with Westfjord and Látrabjarg. Theafternoon ferry connects up ferry passengers togo toPatreksfjörður at 9.30amtoconnectwiththeferry andpick leaving connectfrom Isafjördur, August buses Monday, WednesdayandFridayfrom Juneto bers defiled thesacred withtheir mountain mem- after assembly promontory Þingvellir 9th century, butitwaslater moved totheflat Helgafell Miðhraun Haffjörður (73m) 54 Þingvellir

Adult fares andFlatey are toBrjánslækur Ljósufjöll Álftafjörður Ólafsey Laugagerðiskóli Helgafell (73m)that wasoncevener- Harfursfell (722km) Eldborg þing , or assembly, methere, orassembly, in the 0 0 SNÆFELLSNES••AroundStykkishólmur Oddastaðavatn Öxney Suðurey Brokey Breiðabólsstaður Eldborg Gullborgarhraun (110m) Gerðuberg Snorrastaðir Kolbeinsstaðir 55 Kolbeinsstaðafjall Hvammsfjörður Bíldhólsfell (302m) Hlíðarvatn To Borgarnes(35km); Reykjavík (107km) Heggstaðir Rauðamelsheiði Klifsandur To Búðardalur (679m) 16 km 10 miles Hítarvatn (30km) holy summerhouses withsharedsummerhouses kitchens, andat .is; s/dIkr13,900/16,900; pleasant able at dock. Insummeraccommodationis alsoavail- ðiþjónustan Grænigarður Sæferðir (see opposite ). Youcancampat Manni asthelocation ofwas used thefilm Icelandic artistBaltasar. More recently, Flatey and hasachurch withpaintingsbySpanish- tury, andtodayitisfullof historicalbuildings site of aliterary monastery inthe11thcen- little changed incenturies.Theisland wasthe colouredand thebrightly seem woodenhouses Flatey. Here, life slowerpace runsataneven thetriptolow-lyingislandofworth taking ofFor aglimpse Icelandicislandlife it’swell FLATEY seen here. andthebirdsthatcanbe onthefjord details inStykkishólmurin thetouristoffice gives low-lying skerries. Afree brochure available and eagles. are on alsocommonlyseen Seals fulmars, gulls,guillemots, cormorants puffins, low, rockyisletsare homeonlytokittiwakes, The onlyinhabited islandisFlatey; theother oftapestry greens andbluesacrossthewater. andBreiðafjörður createfjörður anidyllic that blockthewaterway Hvamms- between tion of birdlife, of thethousands tinyislands legend hasit–andnowhometoarich selec- Created –so bytrollsfromtheWestfjords Breiðafjörður views over theislandsof Breiðafjörður. on thehilltop,fromwhere you’llalsoget great theruinsofage. thechurch Youcanstillsee tir of the was where theconnivingGuðrunÓsvífursdót- Christianity, andthenearbyfarmatHelgafell Goði, aÞórworshipper whoconverted to after a tale fromthe after atale sidesis named backed mountain by sweeping the Stykkishólmur road.This lunarlandscape 54 about 15kmwest of the intersection with stretches Lava), inland fromRte(Berserks lavaThe sweeping field Berserkjahraun Berserkjahraun comfy roomsand great viewsover thefjord. Ikr600; built here inthelate 10thcenturybySnorri You cantake adaytriptoFlatey with h . Gisting Jónsdóttir mid-Jun–mid-Sep) Hotel Flatey Flatey Hotel Laxdæla Saga h Eyrbyggja Saga Eyrbyggja ( mid-Jun–mid-Sep) %

( , 300mfromtheferry ( % % spent herlonelyold 422 7610;www.hotelflatey 438 1451;sitesperperson 438 1476;sbIkr2200) – see –see p163 . , which has Nonni &

161 Fer- , in WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND lake eastof themountain fjall, pillar atthenorthwestern footof Kerlingar- witch ortrollwhowasturnedintothestone arskarð About 25kmsouthof Stykkishólmur, Kerlingarskarð 54 –callaheadtomake sure someoneisin. is attheendof adirttrack, signposted Rte off (putrid shark meat)beingproduced.Thefarm ( the area youcan detourtothefarm If you’re feeling peckish after awalkaround 162 (986m) andprotected by thestrik- fromthe sea steep slopesof the forbidding Helgrindur little town of isbacked Grundarfjörður bythe on adramaticbay, the friendly set Spectacularly pop 980 GRUNDARFJÖRÐUR tion withRte 56. that branches Rte off 54justeastof thejunc- isreachedbut thepass itself viaalong track Reykjavík andStykkishólmur pass thelake, of aNessie-style lake monster. between Buses % 1 3 2 STYKKISHÓLMUR 438 1581) Baulárvallavatn TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Sjónarhóll HIHostel...... Hótel Stykkishólmur...... Hótel Breiðafjörður...... Bæringsdóttir...... Camp Site...... Sæferðir...... (see 4) D2 Stykkishólmskirkja...... Sjavalborg...... Norska Húsið...... Geothermal SwimmingPool..... Tourist Office...... (see4) Sæferðir InformationCentre..... Post Office...... Library...... KB Banki...... Olis PetrolStation...... (see20) Bus Terminal...... Baldur FerryTerminal...... Vin Búð...... Narfeyrarstofa...... Grill...... (see 20) Fimm Fiskar...... Bónus Supermarket...... Bakery...... Heimagisting María NFLSE • Gudrjru SNÆFELLSNES ••Grundarfjörður

(Witch Pass) wasnamedafter afemale Landeyjarsund Neskinn

Áskinn to see theIcelandicdelicacy tosee AC

Sundabakki Ásklif

arás isreputed tobethehome

Lág

holt 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B3 C1 C2 C2 C2 C2 B3 C2 C3 C2 C2 B3 C1 C2 C3 C1 C2 C1 C2 thepass.Nearby

Nesvegur

14 Árnatún To Grundarfjörður(45km); 20 Borgarnes (93km)

Bjarnarhöfn Bjarnarhöfn Reitarvegur Silfurgata B Kerling- hákarl

Skólastígur Brjánslækur (31km) To Flatey(19km); Bökhlöðustígur

9 Höfðagata 5 10 principles and encourages sustainable devel- responsibility,mental thehostel runsongreen Spearheading thelocal campaignforenviron- of simple roomsandgood kitchen facilities. well equipped, thelocalhostel hasa range 1400, tw/sIkr2550/3150; Ikr1750/ Ikr1600/1950,Oct-Apr member/nonmember May-Sep Hostel Grundarfjörður Sleeping to relax in after yourbreathtaking descent. a great placeonawetdayandhas twohotpots Ikr200/100; summer. are screenings of Icelandicfilms each day in life inIcelandfrom1900to1950,andthere (admission Ikr400).Displayscentre onrural Ikr200 for10minutes) andlocal museum café,internetas touristoffice, point(access Centre landscape isjustaching tobediscovered. but thefacilitiesare goodandthesurrounding a typicalprefab Icelandicfishing community, ing peakof Kirkjufell is (463m).Thetownitself Aðalgata 15 Höfðagata

2 Hafnargata Stykkió The local The incredibly friendly View Disc Laufásvegur Þvervegur 13

( 1 % golf course

11 6 h Frú 18

16

7 438 1881;Grundargata35; arstígur Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Borgar 8.15am-9pm Mon-Fri, noon-5pmSat&Sun) 8.15am-9pm Mon-Fri, Súgandisey

swimming pool Smiðjustíg b 3

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12 Austurgata i ( % ) Causeway Friendly, central and Friendly, central and 562 6533; Hlíðarvegur; sb 562 6533;Hlíðarvegur; Madkavík Eyrbyggja Heritage Eyrbyggja Heritage 8 h

Garðaflöt Borgarflöt

(adult/under 14yr Tangagata

10am-6pm)

D Víkurflöt

Ægisgata 0.1 miles Vallarflöt

200 m Sjávarflöt acts is hour). (Ikr2500per with pleasantroomsandhorseriding guesthouse7kmeastoftown Ikr7900/11,200) Friendly s/d withbathroomIkr6500/9200,without tours. andwalking accommodation, horseriding cottage 7000) Cosyfarmjustoutsidetownoffering Suður-Bár Kverná tochangehotel wasset management. and horseriding.Atthetimeof writing,the variouslocaltoursise includingtownwalks (Ikr2800 toIkr3500),andthehotel canorgan- The restaurant offers dinner two-course aset characterless roomsinamodernbuilding. Ikr3500/5100/7500) May Nesvegur 8-10;sb/s/dJun-Aug Ikr4000/9000/11,5000,Sep- per day. and offers unlimited internet access forIkr300 local tours, hasbike hire (Ikr1200perday) opment intown.Itcanorganise avarietyof lonelyplanet.com lage serves up a good selection of upagoodselection fresh fish lage serves tial street towardsthewestern endof thevil- This cosyrestaurant hiddendownaresiden- town. road through a diner-style modernbuildingby themain upin burgers, served andbeer, sandwiches Krákan (following),thisistheplace forpizza, Sun) 59 Kaffi Eating 950; able, thishotel bythedockshasdecentbut Hótel Framnes Hótel Krákan Krákan Other accommodationoptions: of two large men. can stillbe seen,andagrave discovered there inrecent digs was foundtocontain theremains his daughter’s handinmarriage. The passage throughthe lavabetweenHraun andBjarnarhöfn ina sauna andthenmurderedfarmer trapped theberserkers them,later agreeing to give Snorri thanhonouring thepromise, aged toripapassage straightthroughthelavaflow.Rather through thetroublesome lavafield–surely impossible foranormalman. hisdaughter’spromise theamorous berserker handinmarriage ifhewasabletoclearapassage Thehimself andherecommended farmerdecidedto animpossibletask. settingthe berserker to thelocalchieftain, SnorriGoði,foradvice,but hadhiseyeonthefarmer’sdaughter tohisdaughter. tookaliking times–but tohisdismayoneoftheberserkers Viking Heturned – insanely violentfightershe broughtbacktwoberserkers whowere employedashired thugs in ragged flowstovisithisbrotheratthe farmBjarnarhöfn.ReturningfromavoyagetoNorway, byggja Saga wereThe namedafter wildlavaflowssouthwestofStykkishólmur anunusualtalefromthe GONE BERSERK Less formalandmore Less predictable than h To the horror of both Snorri and the farmer, the two berserkers settoworkandsoonman- To thehorrorofboth Snorriandthefarmer,twoberserkers ( % 9am-11pm Mon-Thu, &Sat,to10pm to1amFri ( % ( ( % % 438 6813; www.simnet.is/kverna; s/dIkr4000/ 438 6813;www.simnet.is/kverna; 438 6446;Grundargata59;mainsIkr700- 438 6999;Sæbol13;mainsIkr1000-1600) 438 6815;www.sudurbar.sveit.is; . Apparently, thefarmerofHraunwasfrustrated withhavingtowalk aroundthese SNÆFELLSNES •• Snæfellsjökull NationalPark SNÆFELLSNES••Snæfellsjökull ( % Comfybutfairlypredict- 438 6893;www.hotel-framnes.is;

the roadtowardsdocks. its ownmagmachamber, formingahuge into collapsed and thevolcanosubsequently when thevolcanobeneathicecap exploded Snæfell –thedramaticpeakwastornapart whyJulesVerneIt’s easytosee selected the followingadvice: guided bya16th-centuryIcelandictext with on anepicjourneyintothecrater of Snæfells, geologist andhisnephewembarkGerman ney tothe Centreof the Earth forhisfamous itasthesetting who used around theworld,courtesy of JulesVerne, newest nationalpark.Theicecapisfamous glacier,becameIceland’s including themighty In June 2001thetipof Snæfellsnes peninsula, SNÆFELLSJÖKULL NATIONALPARK p167). (see aroundtheheadof thepeninsula mer service javík (Ikr3800,2¾hours), andthere’s asum- There are toandfromReyk- dailybusserices Getting There&Away tion anda snacks such aslobster soup. and lambdishes aswelldeliciouslighter the centre of the earth.Ididit. dacious traveller, Andyouwillreach caresses, thekalends of Before July,au- WhichSneffels, theshade of Scartaris Descend intothecrater of Yoculof There’s theubiquitousgrillat Essosta- supermarket

( Arne Saknussemm h 9am-7pm) . Inthebooka justdown Eyr-

Jour-

163 WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND the visitorcentre atHellnar (see p166 ). Jun-Aug) Quiet, unassumingandwellkept, workaday pop 1010 ÓLAFSVÍK snow line,itwillcostyouIkr1300return. also available. Ifyoujustwantaliftasfarthe mum of suntours sixpeople).Midnight are a snowmobile tour(Ikr7000perperson, mini- the glaciercostIkr4000perperson, orthere’s at Arnarstapi. Insummer snowcattours of Ferðaþjónustan Snjófell Snowmobile tours ontheglacierare runby Tours rangers onthemountain. stay siderably longer andwillrequire anovernight to get down.Thewestern approach takes con- hours fortheascentandanotherthree hours either ÓlafsvíkorArnarstapi allowatleastfive some of thewayalongallof routes. From these pons andiceaxes. Witha4WDyou candrive want toreach cram- thesummityou’llneed water aswellamapandcompass.Ifyou pared forharsh weatherandcarryfood andthewaterfall Klukkufoss.of Rauðhólar Móðulækur river, passingthered scoriacraters ing route climbsthewestern slopealongthe toÓlafsvík.Alongerstapi andmore interest- which cutsacrossthepeninsulafromArnar- roadRte onmountain F570, The shortest start mer. There are routes tothesummit. several makes apopularhikingdestinationinsum- brooding presence. great ‘powercentres’, anditdefinitely hasa Snæfellsjökull isconsidered oneof theworld’s caldera. NewAge Among certain groups, 164 story of as atrading the town’s development well as aninteresting telling the folk museum 1543; Ólafsbraut; adult/under16yr Ikr300/free; The oldpacking house Sights &Activities ings survive. a modernplace,and few of itsoriginalbuild- granted atradinglicence in1687),Ólafsvíkis oldest tradingtown inthecountry(itwas lent whale-watching tours. it’sthe Although Ólafsvík isprimarilyworthavisitfor itsexcel- nationalpark; Klettsbud7,Hellissandur) For more the information,contact Today thecrater isfilled inwithiceand On anyof routes youshouldbepre- these NFLSE • Óasí SNÆFELLSNES ••Ólafsvík

ishome tothelocaltourist officeas ( % 436 6860;http://english.ust.is/Snaefellsjokull ( % Gamla Pakkhúsið Pakkhúsið Gamla 435 6783;www.snjofell.is) orpayacallto h 9am-7pm ( % park 436 good bakery opposite the hotel, and alarge the main street. alcohol shop ison Mýrarholt, uphill from supermarket by theharbour. TheVinBúð pizza andburgers. theusual main shopping centre andserves The localfast-food joint,thisplace isinthe h and burgers. Icelandicmealsaswellpizzas high-quality best placetoeatintownandoffers arange of (mains Ikr1830toIkr2300)isprobably the in anannexe nextdoor. Thehotel restaurant bathroom (Ik6700/8400forsingles/doubles) hotel alsooffers cheaper rooms withshared neutral décorandvery little character. The spacious, functionalroomswithtiled floors, step upfromcamping,thislarge hotel has Ólafsbraut 20;s/dfromIkr11,950/14,800; showers. basic site hashotandcold runningwater and site Camp Sleeping &Eating usually inlate JuneandearlyJuly. arespotted onmosttrips.Thebestsightings occasionally bluewhales;dolphinsare also orcas, minke whales,humpbackwhalesand three hours andoffer goodchances tosee from JunetoAugust.Thetripstake about adult/12-15yr Ikr4900/2450) by watching onthewestern coast.Tours are run Ólafsvík isoneof thebestlocationsforwhale Tours 14yr Ikr250/150) onto theicecap. crampons andiceaxes ifyouintend togoout 6pm) museum leading tradingfirm. family,whoownedÓlafsvík’s by theClausen centre. Thebuildingwasconstructed in1841 Situated bytheroad1kmeastof town,this hours toreach theedge of theice,andbring begins 1kmeastof thecampsite. Allowfive for hikes trail upSnæfellsjökull; thedifficult fleets. There’s a alsoagrill atthepetrolstation, Ólafsvík Hótel The local Prinsinn Prinsinn Down bytheharbour,smallmaritime Ólafsvík isalsoapotential point starting 10am-11.30pm Mon-Fri, 11.30am-11.30pmSat&Sun) 10am-11.30pm Mon-Fri, Sæferðir has displaysonlocalhistoryandfishing Sjávarsafnið Ólafsvík SjávarsafniðÓlafsvík

( % ( % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com (Seatours; (Seatours; swimming pool isonEnnisbraut. 436 1543;sitesperperson/tentIkr300/300) 436 1362;Ólafsbraut;

( %

% 436 1650; www.hotelolafsvik.is; 436 1650;www.hotelolafsvik.is; at 11amand3pmdaily 438 1450;www.seatours.is; ( % ( % 436 1199;adult/under 436 6961;

mains fromIkr300; i ) A mighty A mighty h 10am-

Ikr10,300/12,900; mannagarður post officeandanATM. harbour. Hellissandur a hasapetrolstation, of buildingsbuiltuparoundthenewtown fishing village, whileRifisamoderncluster dur (sometimescalledSandur)istheoriginal which toexplore thenationalpark.Hellissan- of Hellissandur and Rif are from goodbases Snæfellsnes peninsula,thetinytwintowns Perched outonthewesternmost tipof the pop 580 HELLISSANDUR-RIF details. for p167 sengers aroundthetipof thepeninsula;see inÓlafsvík. station andpickupatthepetrol dropoff The buses tinue ontoHellissandur (Ikr250,15minutes). Vegamót (Ikr4200,2¾hours). con- Allbuses Reykjavík toÓlafsvík,connectingthrough dailyto/from There are twotothree services Getting There&Away lonelyplanet.com hours. Ikr4400 and the journey takes about three Thefarepetrol station. fromReykjavík is tinue to Hellissandur, stoppingatthe Esso staples. of agoodselection Icelandic Ikr3000) serves rooms. Thehotel restaurant (mainsIkr2000to contemporary interiors and sparkling bath- run placeoffering modern rooms bright, Hótel ies atthepetrolstation. pretty windswept.Youcan get limited grocer- cilities includingsinksandtoilets but canbe 1543) inside. tombstones andpainted woodenaltarpieces someancient heraldic are openyoucansee church inIceland(built 1903).Ifthedoors the church at western edge of town. isbythe mainroadonthe men. Themuseum totestused thestrength of prospective fisher- ofrabilia, includingaset liftingstonesonce of oldphotoshere andplentyof localmemo- shanty. There sea are inaturf-roofed set lots 6pm Thu-Tue Jun-Aug) A summerround-glacier bustakes pas- If you’dlike thefree tostay, About 2kminlandfromHellissandur is The only artificial sight intheareaThe onlyartificialsight is All buses from ReykjavíkAll buses toÓlafsvík con- For farmore comfort,check intothe , opposite theEddahotel, hasbasicfa- ( % 444 4940;www.hoteledda.is; Klettsbúd; s/d ( % h Ingjaldshóll SNÆFELLSNES••Hellissandur-Rif 436 6784;admissionIkr300; , a small maritime museum , asmallmaritimemuseum mid-May–mid-Sep; mid-May–mid-Sep; , thefirst concrete camp site camp site i ) , a h ( %

well-

with Edda 9am- Sjó- 436 edge of thecape,where lazeonthesker- seals aroundthesouthern cliffs to thenearbysea crater across thelava flowstotheimposingvolcanic final resting place. desolate area wouldhave favoured been asa stunning spotinthemiddleof anotherwise here whythis inthe1960sandit’seasytosee AVikinggravelava cliffs. wasdiscovered lapped bybluewaters andhiddenbyblack pass the Öndverðarnes peninsula. Enroute you’ll west across anancientlava flowtothetipof cuts south,whileatinybumpytrack heads At the westernmost tipof Snæfellsnes, Rte 574 Öndverðarnes with red thehuts. postsleadsbetween Vikingfishermen. Atrailmarkedby medieval fiskbyrgi lava studdedwiththeruinsof hundreds of of Rte 574isavastlava field,Prestahraun –the before Ontheopposite side Norse settlement. skull asalintel andwasbuiltbyIrish monks Írskibrunnur structure inIceland.Nearbyisthesmallruined radar mastof isthetallest theUSLoranStation About 2kmwestof Hellissandur, thehuge Gufuskálar bays atBreiðavík andBúðavík. plain,passingthehuge southern coastal sandy formations, andcontinueseastalongthebroad surrounded byinteresting rock sea-sculpted villages of Arnarstapi and Hellnar, which are glacier theroadimproves the againandpasses the legends abouttrollscamefrom.Beyond whereamong thepeaks,youcaneasilysee scree and,onmistydays,whenthecloudsswirl views of spurs of lava the stickingupthrough as thisdesolate area offersForvaðinn, eerie ged western slopesof Snæfellsjökull. Known scenic butpotholedRte 574skirtstherug- Continuing southwestfromHellissandur, the SOUTHWEST SNÆFELLSNES track toSnæfellsjökull andalso theroadside of the start 4WD thesteep the road passes you’ll pass theabandoned stonewell yond Skarðsvík onthebumpy road.Enroute the capecanalso be reached bycontinuingbe- Atlantic breakers. The arches andcaves pounding of bytheconstant intodramaticsea areries andthecliffs carved From theparkingarea amarked trailleads Southwest of the Öndverðarnes turn-off Skarðsvík Vatnsborg (stone fish-drying sheds)constructed (IrishWell),which hasawhale , aperfect beach goldensandy , fromwhere further trailslead lighthouse at thetipof Fálkí

165 . WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND to thecarpark. as achurch. thatelves the lavaLocals say use formations up intotheairlike afrozen splash of lava. to therockpillars at fromwhere lariff, youcanwalkalongthecliffs down totherocket-shaped pools andtherockyarch was wrecked freshwater here in1948.Several fromtheEnglish trawler metal areThe blacksands covered inpiecesof rusted fromthe16th tothe19thcentury. stationed Dritvík, where around60fishing boatswere you’ll reach thesimilar black-sand ously, there nowappeartobefive stones. foralife Mysteri- unsuitable atsea. deemed hood, andanymanwhocouldn’theftitwas Hálfdrættingur marked thefrontierof wimp- largest, Fullsterker (FullyStrong),at154kg. Hálfsterkur at100kg,andthe (Half-Strong) followed byHálfdrættingur(Weak)at54kg, smallest stoneisAmloði(Bungler)at23kg, test the strength of aspiringfishermen. The on thebeach where fishing-boat crews would four‘liftingstones’ ocean. Youcanalsostillsee of emergingwith aseries rockystacks fromthe Djúpalónssandur beachleads downtothewildblack-sand at About 4kmfurtheralongRte 574adirtroad Djúpalón & Dritvík amphitheatre insidethecone. thelargest,of andintoanatural Berudalur, thewall of through theroad.Atrackpasses of About 5kmfurthersouth the volcaniccraters Hólahólar Neshraun lava flows. a few minutes forviewsnorthwestover the scoria crater 166 a dramatic ancient lava flow liescovered in edly the bathing pool of Bárður. of East here village andmainroad, a-block withnesting the birds while, between Down on theshore thecave fills theairandwhales are regularly sighted. fishing village where birds theshriekof sea rocky bay,ashishome. TodayHellnar isatiny Hellnar, apicturesque spotoverlooking a The guardianspirit of Snæfells, Bárður,chose Hellnar About 2kmsouthof Djúpalónatrackleads If youtrampupover headland thecraggy Hólahólar NFLSE • SuhetSæelns SNÆFELLSNES ••SouthwestSnæfellsnes are clustered about150mwest Saxhóll . It’sadramaticplacetowalk, , which canbeclimbedin Lóndrangar Bárðarlaug Gatklettur Baðstofa lighthouse , which surge Eding wassuppos- are close ischock- beach , which at Ma- at people, customsandwildlife of thearea and Hellnar, hasdisplaysonthegeology, history, snowcat tours on the glacier – see snowcat tours onthe glacier –see p164 . to Ikr2990). Snjófell alsoruns snowmobile and rooms and adecentrestaurant (mealsIkr690 Ikr2550/3400) bed 6783; www.snjofell.is; sites pertentIkr700,sb/made-up at theturf-roofed wallsfor quite adistance. thesheer between bottom of thegorge, andyoucanscramble up wall besidetheroad. Astream runsalongthe cleft thatdisappears mysteriously intothecliff off Rte 574to entrance alongtheridge. Bring atorch andlookforthesmallestcave moured toresound with thesongsof dwarfs. which isfullof andisru- 18th-centurygraffiti the mainroad.Thelargest cave is ofseries strange lava caves about 1.5kmfrom crater, which acollapsed hascreatedpasses a leads aroundStapafell towardstheglacierand rocks intheirhonour. roadF570 Mountain miniature gables painted onto house you’ll see hometo thelittlepeople,andsupposedly strange rocksculpture inhishonour. The legend of Bárðurcontinueshere witha shapes tothetinyfishing village of Arnarstapi. lava flowserodedintoweirdandwonderful pathleadspastrockarches2.5km coastal and Heading northeastfromHellnar ascenic Arnarstapi quiche, soup andcoffee. café thatserves Ikr200-1000) there are quite regular of sightings whales. lounge and viewsof withfantastic thesea, ganic produce. There’s alsoawonderfulguest (mains Ikr2000-3500; andminimalist,the clean, bright excellent retreat. h Ikr8400/10,700; &Sep .is; s/dJun-Aug Ikr9300/11,990,May white photographs of localpeople. has animpressive collectionof oldblack-and- 6pm Jun-Aug) an idyllicspottowhileawayacoupleof days. andgloriousviewsouttosea. mountains a velvet cloakof moss, backed bysweeping Overnight accommodation canbefound Overnight lunchFor alight o Gestastofa From Stapafell, asmalltrackbranches east thevillage, 526m-high Behind Hellnar isaremarkably peacefulplaceand May-Sep) , bytheharbour,isasmallbutgood , Iceland’sonlyeco-hotel, Hótel Hellnar Hótel , thenationalparkvisitorcentre in , a simple guesthouse with cosy , asimple guesthouse ( % Rauðfeldsgjá h

436 6888;admissionfree; The twin-bedded roomsare Ferðaþjónustan Snjófell 7-9pm May-Sep) 7-9pm May-Sep) Fjöruhúsið

( % ,

a steep and narrow a steep andnarrow 435 6820;www.hellnar

( lonelyplanet.com % uses 435 6844;snacks Stapafell Sönghellir

makes an restaurant restaurant

local or- h ( % 10am- 435 is ,

From thehotel awalkingtrailleadsacross home tooneof Iceland’sbestcountryhotels. abandoned fishing village of Búðirisnow fully peacefulplacestowalk.AtBúðavík the covered inyellow-grey and are sand wonder- windsweptbeachesand Búðavík. are These the edges of baysatBreiðavíkthe long sandy East of Hellnar andArnarstapi, Rte 574skirts Breiðavík &Búðavík Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com meitl suhat f h Snæfellsnes the cup–shapedpeninsula, the prominent egg of southeast Immediately Eldborg this isthe placetodoit. going tosplashout atanypointonyourtrip, off theabsolute luxuryof theplace. Ifyou’re top such delicaciesasveal, foiegrasandtruffles excellent restaurant offering amenurich in screen. Openfires, plentyof booksandan fromthe bedroombyawooden bath separated tobagNo23–afreestanding lucky enough DVD players andwi-fi accessand–ifyou’re with elegantfurnishings, flagstonebathrooms, romantic, Ikr18,600-36,700; with tasteful décorandgoodfacilities. sb Ikr2300,dIkr7300-9000) gaholt across totheicecap.Thelarge The veranda hasabarbecueandgreat views shared kitchen, livingroomandbathroom. ofhas aselection contemporary roomswith Ikr1000/2200/3600) Ikr2000/3500/6000,Oct-Apr d May-Sep to thecrater andback. Surtshellir. Ittakes aboutthree hours towalk gold andprecious stones,leadsallthewayto a lava tubebeneathBuðahraun,paved with crater Buðahraunlava fieldtothe the elf-infested tension. individuallydesigned rooms Expect quirkydesignandnotahint ofstated, pre- o Gistiheimilið Hof of theroute –andanotherIkr1600thefollowingdaytogorest oftheway). day(you’llpayIkr1600forthefirstday’stravelback tocivilisationthenext –aroundasection explore theruggedsouthwestern toget tipofthepeninsula,andyoucanusesameticket can getoffandreboard anywhere alongtheroute. It’sahandyoptionifyouwanttostopand totheDjúpalónbeachandbackHellissandur.north The entire circuitcostsIkr3200andyou here andwalkalongthesceniccliffs toHellnar,where thebuspicksupat1.45pm,before heading around theheadofpeninsula,stoppingatArnarstapiforanhour. Passengers candisembark From JunetoAugust bus leaves fromÓlafsvík aspecialround-glacier at11.15amdailyandloops THE ROUND-GLACIER BUS

( Búðaklettur %

435 6789; www.langaholt.is; sitespertentIkr500, 435 6789;www.langaholt.is; Hótel Búðir Hótel is a i

sleek, stylishhotelsleek, withunder- ) , windswept,lonelyandvery . Accordingtolocallegend ( % has bright, modernrooms hasbright,

( 435 6802;www.gistihof.is; sb/s/ % 435 6700;www.budir.is; d Gistiheimilið Lan- SNÆFELLSNES ••LaxdælaSagaCountry

modation andmade-upbedsinwooden cot- farmoffershorse basicsleeping-bag accom- away off themainroad,thisdown-to-earth at thejunctionon themainroad. Reykjavík andStykkishólmur can drop you between Eldborg butbuses orSnorrastaðir, There’s nopublictransporttoeitherHótel THERE & AWAYGETTING it’s signposted fromthemainroad. per hour. Thefarmis3km fromEldborg and tages. Horse ridesalongthebeach costIkr2200 per tentIkr1000,sb/6-personcabin2200/10,000) hotel (Ikr7000forthree tofourhours). the nearbybeach canbearranged fromthe thermal swimmingpool.Horse-riding tripsto (three-course mealsIkr3000)andatoastygeo- a bathroom,butthere’s adecentrestaurant 4km fromthemainroad.Allroomsshare able atthisschool complexonRte 567,about roomswithsimple furnishingsareBasic avail- person Ikr800,sbIkr2500,s/dIkr6900/8900; Eldborg Hótel SLEEPING columns. basalt a longescarpmentformedfromruler-straight borg adirtroadleadsnortheastto Almost opposite totheHótel theturn-off Eld- road fromBorgarnes toÓlafsvík(Rte 54). whichfrom Kolbeinsstaðir, liesonthemain desolate Eldborgarhraun plain.It’sa4kmwalk volcano and Bolli Þorleiksson. In afairly typicalsaga land, andthe foster brothers Kjartan Ólafsson tobethe most beautifulwoman inIce- said a love Guðrun Ósvífursdóttir, triangle between The storyrevolvesthe Icelandic sagas. around ting forthe The area around astheset- served Laxárdalur LAXDÆLA SAGA COUNTRY Snorrastaðir Eldborg over rises 100mabove the Laxdæla Saga

( %

( % 435 6602;www.hoteleldborg.is; sitesper 435 6628;www.snorrastadir.com; sites , themostpopular of h Jun-Aug; Gerðuberg Tucked 167 s

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WEST ICELAND ICELAND WEST WEST ICELAND fur Eiríksson, to bethefirst believed European of ( Eiríkur Rauðe Erik theRed),fatherof Lei- from Stóra-Vatnshorn’s church, wasthehome The farm acrosstheHaukadalsáEiríksstaðir, Eiríksstaðir Westfjords. inthe continuetoReykhólar day services Wednesday andSaturday.Tuesday andSun- dalur (Ikr3400,2½hours) dailyexcepton attached rooms andaninternet caféinsummer. The Dalbraut 2;s/dIkr4200/6900; guesthouse open alocalmuseum. and atthetimeof writingthere were plansto h anda petrol station river.mouth of theLaxá There’s abank, ition lookingoutover Hvammsfjörður, atthe pos- dairy farming,anditoccupiesapleasant onfishprocessingand town nowsurvives Founded asacargo times,the depotinsaga forexploringthearea.lur, it’sahandybase there’s inBúðarda- Although notalottosee pop 260 Búðardalur historic esteem. area inwhich thestorytookplaceingreat stories andcharacters byheartandholdthe Kjartan’s brothers. Most Icelanders knowthe the handsof Bolli,andBolliatthehandsof until bothof themwere dead–Kjartan at her littlefinger andschemed andconnived Guðrunhadbothmenwrappedaround tale, ing, and theatre. with atraditional market andgames, storytell- Greenland. In Julythere’s aViking festival on tofound thefirst in European settlement and tell thestoryof Erikthe Red,whowent tors around,bake bread, brandish weapons Enthusiastic period-dressed guidesshow visi- reconstruction of the originalfarmremains, an impressive to visitAmerica. onlyafaintoutline Although the toolsandmaterials available atthetime. 168 ( 6pm Sat&SunJun-Sep) adult/under 14yrIkr600/free; Ikr990) You canalsoget fastfood(mainsIkr300to grilledmeatandfish aswellpizza. serves % Buses run between Reykjavík runbetween Buses andBúðar- If you want to stay there’sIf youwanttostay afree 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 11am-6pmSat&SunJun-Aug) 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 434 1132) NFLSE • LxæaSg onr SNÆFELLSNES ••LaxdælaSagaCountry

at the Esso petrol station. at theEssopetrolstation. Villa Pizzarestaurant Villa behind theschool. Alternatively, Bjarg

of thefarm

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434 1118;www.leif.is; (mains Ikr1000-2500) ( % camp site 434 1410; here, country-style roomsand aguest kitchen. sb/s/d Ikr1800/2800/5600) at for adult/child under 12). a naturallyheated outdoorpool (Ikr250/130 restaurant (mainsIkr1750 toIkr3500)and The roomsare simple,butthere’s agood bathroom Ikr10,300/12,900, withoutbathroom5800/7200) www.hoteledda.is; sitesperperson,Ikr600,sbIkr2200,s/dwith mer, whenitbecomes an also overnight at the school during thesum- remains of farmsincontext. thesaga Youcan Aug) admission Ikr400; vífursdóttir. Asmall place of the geothermal village of in Copenhagen, wasbornatHvammur. most of fromthe1728fire theIcelandicsagas By coincidence,ÁrniMagnússon, whorescued fraidh, whohasabitpartinthe Minded, thewife of theIrishkingOlafGod- inaround895byAuðurtheDeep- was settled cluding SnorriSturlusonof duced awholelineof prominentIcelanders, in- remains today. 1100guests,butnotraceof it that couldseat intothewallsand a huge dining hall carved world,withscenesfromthesagas the Norse tobeoneoffarm wassaid thewonders of and hisfather,ÓlafurPeacock. TheirViking Hjarðarholt foster brotherKjartan from descendants of thefamilyinclude Bolliandhis who starred in gerður Longlegs,wife of Gunnarof Hlíðarendi, dalur, connection. acreativewill need imaginationtomake the many of thebest-loved you Icelandicsagas, theregiontimes, andalthough iscentralto Little remains of theoriginalfarmsfromsaga Saga Farms uptofive.tages sleeping cot- roomsandtwoself-catering comfortable 2800/5300) Ikr2000/ bed/summerhouse .is/storavatnshorn; sb/made-up at afriendly Farmhouse accommodation isalsoavailable About 1kmnorthof Hvammur onRte 1, Further north,thefarmat Across theriver is fromHöskuldsstaðir innearbyStóra-VatnshornYou canstay About river fromBúðar- 4kmuptheLaxá Þurranesi in theschool complexcanhelpputthe Höskuldsstaðir , which has a selection of, which hasaselection simplebut Laxdæla Saga , theone-timehomeof Kjartan ( % farmhouse h Njál’s Saga 434 1556;www.centrum.is/thurranes; 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, to2pmSun Jun- wasthebirthplaceof Hall- , where there are cosy, folk museum

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