Snæfellsnes

The Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland is often called a “miniature version of Iceland”. The reason behind this nickname is rather simple, literally, almost any natural formation could be found here, volcanoes, waterfalls, beautiful beaches, historic villages, local folklore just to name a few things.

The peninsula, which is 90 kilometers (56 miles) long stretches from the Reykjanes Peninsula to the Westfjords is often visible from Reykjavik on a sunny day. The biggest mountain range, the ice-capped Snæfellsjökull is towering over the area and made its appearance in classic science fiction literature as well, according to Jules Verne’s novel, “Journey to the Center of the Earth” the entrance to a subterranean realm lies underneath the mountain.

If you are starting your journey from the south, you will first arrive at the Eldborg crater which the memento of an eruption that happened more than 5000 years ago. Nature lovers can find their calling at the Ytri-Tunga beach, where a year-round seal colony lives.

The next stop, Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge is rather special as well, here one could climb into a huge cliff, however, you have to have sturdy shoes and reasonable fitness, since this sight can be rather slippery.

Once we reach the smallest national park of Iceland, the Snæfellsjökull National Park, it is highly recommended to visit Djúpalónssandur beach, which back in the days was a thriving fishing community, but these days it is abandoned. In another day and age, the local fishermen had to test their strength by lifting four different stones (ranging from 23kg to 155kg) and only the strongest could earn a place on the fishing vessels. During this test, they received titles, which are the following – useless, weakling, half-strong, and full-strong.

Continuing on the coastline you will arrive at the Berserkjahraun lava field near the Bjarnarhöfn (the bear’s port), an area that has a rather eerie vibe, full of deception and even murder, plus some Icelandic saga took place here too.

Not far from Berserkjahraun a local celebrity is to be found, the majestic Kirkjufell mountain, that played an important role on the popular “Game of Thrones” show. These days you will countless fellow travelers who visit Snæfellsnes in order to take a photo of this wonderful natural formation.

If you are a history buff, the peninsula will be perfect for you, just visit Arnarstapi, Hellnar, Búðir, Hellissandur, Ólafsvík, Grundarfjörður or Stykkishólmur and you will be able to learn about the past in no time. An interesting piece of trivia, Stykkishólmur serves as the capital of this region and it was an important filming location for the 2013 movie, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”. From this town, you can always take the ferry to the remote island of Flatey, which is located in the Breiðafjörður bay.

One last tip, if you are brave enough, try the Icelandic “delicacy” hákarl at the shark museum in Bjarnarhöfn.