This tour starts off from Reykjavík
at either 9 a.m. or 1 p.m., and first of all it will take us through the northern
suburbs of Reykjavík and the textile industrial centre of Mosfellsbær
and towards the majestic mount Esja (2998 ft) which dominates the landscape to
the north of the Icelandic capital city.
At the westernmost tip of the mountain,
we will pass through the newly inaugurated tunnel
under the bay of Hvalfjörður , emerging on the other side at the foothills
of mount Akrafjall (643 m) and arriving shortly thereafter in the picturesque
fishing village of Akranes.
Wheather permitting,
the best way to explore a colourful town such as Akranes is to do it on foot,
and thereafter we head for the local folk-museum at Garðar
which has a very important collection of objects and artifacts from the western
part of Iceland, which make this collection well worth a visit. Unfortunately,
there is no guidance or escort available at this museum (such as the one which
has made the museum at Skógar so popular) so here, we will have to find
our own way through the displays. One of the highlights of this museum are the
roughly 12.000 year old fossilized walrus and whalebones, which were discovered
high in the hills of mount Akrafjall during the construction of a roadway nearby.
Crossing to the north of the Akrafjall mountain,
we will get a good view over the beautiful Leirárvogur inlet, the Borgarfjörður
bay, and the high mountain peaks to the north, Hafnarfjall and Heiðarhorn,
the culminating point (1053 m) of the Skarðsheiði mountain range.
Passing through the Leirársveit county, which
is well known for having been , back in the 9th century, the place which had the
highest proportion of settlers of Irish and Celtic stock in Iceland , we will
enjoy a particularly serene and scenic landscape, littered with very good trout
fishing lakes.
Crossing over the Ferstikluháls
ridge, we will arrive back at the bay of whales, Hvalfjörður, and proceed
directly to the Rev.Hallgrímur Pétursson memorial church at Saurbær,
which is beautifully situated on the seaside with an impressive range of mountains
in the background.
At Bjarteyjarsandur, we may
go down to the beach and check on the birdlife and maybe look for some mussels,
and at Miðsandur we will come upon some strategic NATO fuel reserves stretching
way up the mountainside.
Þyrilsnes is the
place where the highest wind velocity in Icelandic history was recorded, but that
may be hard to imagine at nearby Hvalfjarðarbotn, which is one of the best
sheltered places in the country, and ideal for a little walk or a good picnic.
On our way back, we will cross over the Laxá
í Kjós salmon fishing river, where we can usually spot fishermen
busily chasing after that elusive species of fish in the summertime, or admire
it's ice locked waters in the wintertime. From there, we proceed directly back
to Reykjavík.
Duration of tour: 4 hours,
Departures:
Daily by request.
Pick-up: From hotels and guest houses in Reykjavík.
Tour Price:
Price per person, (for 4 passengers or
more):
Price per. person:
Conditions
of sale. (please read carefully)
Services included: Transportation
and guidance.
 |  |  |