Day 1:(Thursday afternoon or evening*)
We will start by fetching
you at the Keflavik International Airport as you disembark from your continental
Europe to Iceland flight, either in the afternoon ,from Copenhagen (Kastrup) or
late evening from London (Stansted) and whisk you off to Reykjavik (about 30 miles
from the airport). For those arriving early enough, we'll be stopping off on the
way at the renowned Blue-Lagoon geothermal power plant and bathing resort for
a quick swim and early taste of Iceland.
Overnight place of stay in Reykjavík
or close vicinity.
Day 2 (Friday)
We set out from Reykjavík on
a Friday morning, heading at a brisk pace to the north, around Hvalfjörður, the
Bay of Whales, where a derelict whaling station and World War II relics can be
seen, and across the Dragháls Pass into the beautiful valley of Skorradalur, where
we will get a spendid view of the peaks Skarðsheiði and further north, all the way up to the valley
of Reykholtsdalur where we will visit Iceland's most powerful hot spring at Deildartunga.
Reykholt
is one of the most important historic places in Iceland, and thereafter we will
head further inland, to the unique waterfalls Hraunfossar and Barnafossar. Thereafter, we head down the Hvítársíða valley,
across the Norðurá River, and back north again, in order to climb to the top of
Grábrók volcanic crater,
which produced a big lava-field in the valley almost 3000 years ago. Next, we'll
cross the Holtavörðuheiði high-plateau, and to the Brú roadside caféteria in Hrútafjörður
where we will stop for refreshments.
Driving again nonstop, past Borðeyri
hamlet and the fjords of Bitra, Kollafjörður and Steingrímsfjörður, we will arrive
at Hotel Laugarhóll at Klúka in the fjord of Bjarnarfjörður in the late afternoon
for dinner and an overnight stay.Operated in a disused schoolhouse, this hotel
sports a good swimming pool, a gym, a licensed restaurant and a few other amenities
which we can all make use of during our two day stay here.
Day 3:
(Saturday)
Setting off early the next morning, on a bumpy trail north along
the Balar coast, towards the deserted Kaldbaksvík and Veiðileysufjörður inlets,
we will have to drive slowly under the towering cliffs and
hillsides and thus have ample time to take in the atmosphere of this strange and
remote region.
The next sizable fjord on our route is Reykjarfjörður, where,
at a small inlet called Djúpavík, we will run into the ruins of a big herring
factory built here in the 1930s only to be abandoned a few years later.Halfway
up the hillside for most of the way on the northern shores of the Reykjarfjörður,
our trail finally descends towards Gjögur, a tiny fishing hamlet which also sports
the local airport close by. But the most fascinating find in Gjögur is a cozy
natural pool of warm water right on the edge of the sea where bathing "with the
fish" is a distinct possibility!
Close by, at the farm of Stóra-Ávík, is the
famous granite stone of Greenland origin, which was brought here by the pack-ice
sometimes during the last ice age. Piled up all along the coast, we can see heaps
of driftwood which has been brought here by the ocean currents, seals are basking
on almost every skerry, the bird life is varied and it is not an uncommon occurrence
to see an arctic fox or a mink jutting among rocks and boulders.
At the bottom
of Norðurfjörður, our attention will be drawn to the very colourful mountaintops
in the area, which to a trained geologist usually indicates that we are here in
the core of an ancient volcano.But with the Cooperative shop, the tiny harbour
and the fish curing factory, we are also in the nerve centre of this now depopulated
region, which in spite of countless adversities still continues to survive.
From Norðurfjörður, there are two possibilities to travel further to the north:
One is around the Krossnes peninsula to the newly abandoned farm of Fell which
also has a few hot water wells on the seaside, with one of them having been tapped
and used to heat a swimming pool by the sea; the other road leads towards
the farm of Munaðarnes in Ingólfsfjörður, which offers a beautiful view towards
the jagged peaks of Drangaskörð.
Several herring curing stations and a big
processing factory were also built in Ingólfjörður just before and during the
Second World War, only to be abandoned shortly afterwards when the erratic herring
disappeared from these waters.
Since there is no possibility of a round tour
in these parts, we will have no choice but to turn back to Hotel Laugarhóll the
same way, for a second overnight stay.
Day 4: (Sunday)
We set
off early from Laugarhóll, heading around the Drangsnes peninsula, and getting
a good view of the island of Grímsey on the way, which is a renowned bird sanctuary.At
the farm of Hella, we will have the opportunity to go for early morning trout
fishing, or to go horseback riding, or simply to go and watch the dozen or so
seals basking on the skerries offshore.
After a tiresome crossing of the
high plateaus of Steingrímsfjarðarheiði and Þorskafjarðarheiði, we will be relieved
to arrive at Kollabúðir við Músará where we can stretch our legs and start looking
for the pair of Icelandic white tailed eagles which have elected this fjord of
Þorskafjörður to be their permanent abode.
The roadside restaurant of Bjarkarlundur
is only open seasonally for business so lunch may have to be delayed until we
reach Reykhólar, which in former times was one of the wealthiest places in Iceland,
when eiderdown was collected in big quantities from the countless islands which
belonged to it. Today, it is still quite well to do, but nowadays it's wealth
is mostly derived from the seaweed processing factory, which uses the abundant
geothermal energy resources of Reykhólar to dry the seaweed and prepares it for
export.
Crossing to the south of the bay of Gilsfjörður, via the new causeway,
we will be exploring the Skarðströnd and Fellsströnd coastlines which are renowned
for their natural beauty as well as for their many places of historic interest.
First, in the Saurbær area, we will be passing the farm of Staðarhóll where
the historian Sturla Þórðarson lived and probably compiled his monumental work
Sturlunga Saga in which the feats of the Age of Sturlungar in the early 13th century
are related.
Second, we will visit the farm of Skarð á Skarðsströnd, whose
church adorns some remarkable 15th and 16th century pieces, but the place is best
known in Iceland for having remained in the possession of the same family ever
since the settlement of Iceland in the 10th century!
South of the Klofningur
pass, as we enter the Fellsströnd coast, our attention will immediately be drawn
to the sharp contrast in vegetation between the two coasts, from the barren grass-and
moss lands of Skarðsströnd to the lush birch tree grown Fellströnd, which is permanently
sheltered from the cold northerly winds by a continuous mountain range.
At
the bottom of Fellsströnd, we will lastly be passing by another historic place,
Hvammur í Dölum, where the dean of the Sturlunga clan, Hvamm-Sturla, used to live
and where the most famous member of this clan, the historian Snorri Sturluson was
born.
Laugar í Sælingsdal is yet another one of these numerous places in Iceland
where the advantages of bountiful hot water can be enjoyed, and it also has a
unique folk museum which is well worth a visit.
Finally, we will wind up this
tour by driving briskly southwards again, past the village of Búðardalur, over
the Brattabrekka mountain pass, and having rejoined the circular highway #1 again,
we will follow it all the way to Reykjavík where we will be arriving in the late
afternoon.
Duration of tour: 3 days, 3 nights
Minimum number of passengers: 3 persons Max: 10. (Bigger private groups can be accommodated)
Departures: Thursdays by-weekly or by request, in Summer and autumn only.
|
The Norður- Strandir Tour only: Reykjavík- Norður-Strandir -Reykjavík | Season: |
Validity: |
Price: |
| Autumn |
(Sept-Oct.) | ||
| Summer |
( June-August) |
Deposit amount at reservation: 20% ;Single room supplement: +16%
Scheduled departures for 2011 : See schedules.Services included: Four-wheel drive transportation* and guidance, accommodation in double rooms with en suite facilities,
Meals: Full-board (breakfast, lunch & dinner), starting dinner on day 1, and ending with lunch on day 3 .
*(4x4) Vehicles:
1 > 4 Passengers : Toyota Landcruiser ; 5 > 10: Ford Econoline,
Necessary gear: Good outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear. Also bring your swimsuit.
: 1 June - 30 September. Outside this period if North-Strandir and Þorskafjörður roads are open.
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