Leaving early for a leisurely
drive through western Iceland, via Hvalfjörður, (the Bay of Whales),
with it's majestic scenery and World War II relics, we will arrive in the middle
of the morning at the regional capital Borgarnes
which is splendidly situated on bay of Faxaflói. Pursuing
our trip northwards through the county of Mýrar which adorns one of the
country's most beautifully shaped volcanic craters, the Eldborg, we will continue
our journey through lava
fields on southern side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, to Gerðuberg
which is an impressive cliff of basaltic columns about a mile long. Ölduhryggur
ridge marks an ancient sea level for many miles in this area, and between it and
the mountains lie countless lakes and ponds giving sanctuary to dozens of species
of birds, some of which are quite rare. At the
farms of Ölkelda and Lýsuhóll we can taste some delicious,
sparkling mineral water, which flows freely from their wells. Nearby, the landmarks
of Bjarnafoss, Búðir with it's lava-field and
sandy beaches are an endless source of inspiration to creative photographers. Another such place is Arnarstapi, where the view to mount Stapafell, with the
famous Snæfellsjökull
glacier in the background, irresistibly draws the attention of the visitor. There,
on top of the cliffs, we set off on a hike along seaside, among the thousands of kittiwakes, cormorants
and seagulls which make those cliffs their home. A late afternoon walk along the
cliffs and seaside before turning in for dinner and overnight at Arnarstapi or
the nearby village of Hellnar.
Day 2:
Reaching the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula,
we find the eerie rocks at Malarrif, the lava caves at Purkhólar and then
we will walk down to the seaside at Djúpalónssandur and examine
the wreck of the British trawler Epine, which ran aground here in 1948. At
Gufuskálar, we can see the tallest structure in Iceland,(which for decades
was also Europe's tallest) and a further on, at the edge of the lava field behind
the village of Hellissandur, lie the oldest remains of a fishing industry in this
country, the stockfish drying sheds which have been dated back to the early 13th
century. A small folk-museum in the village, dedicated to ancient fisheries ,
is well worth a visit. The town of Ólafsvík,
on the northern side of the peninsula, is ideal for stopping over and getting
refreshments, as well as to watch a busy fishing village in action. Heading
back eastwards along the northern shores of the peninsula, we will first arrive
at the impressive Búlandshöfði mull, which is geologically renowned
for being one of the most important finding places of fossilized plants in Iceland
and from the high passing road , we will get a splendid view of the northern coastline. The
town of Grundarfjörður and it's vicinity are justly reputed for splendid
scenery: waterfalls and especially the conic shaped Kirkjufell mountain.
Shortly
thereafter, we arrive at the picturesque fishing village of Stykkishólmur,
situated on the northern shores of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. In the summertime,
there is a possibility to go on a boat trip among the innumerable islands in the
Bay of Breiðafjörður, otherwise we will have to be content with admiring
the architecture of the lovingly restored old houses of Stykkishólmur.
Overnight at Hotel Laugar in Sælingsdalur, in the Dalir region, (with it's
own outdoor swimming-pool) or at the Stóra-Vatnshorn farm accommodation.
Day
3:
The Dalir Region is first
and foremost an historical area: we find ourselves here following in the footsteps
of Erik the Red, the warrior Viking, discoverer of Greenland and father of Leif,
the discoverer of Vinland i.e. the North American continent. Erik's homestead,
Eiríksstaðir,
in the valley of Haukadalur has recently been excavated, and once the archeological
investigations terminated, an hypothetical reconstruction of his farm was erected
nearby, which is well worth a visit. Heading back
southwards, we head over the mountain pass of Brattabrekka (Steep Hill), and find
ourselves in the Norðurárdalur valley, with it's generous salmon fishing
river, and nearby the spectacular volcanic craters of Grábrók,
which we will climb and admire from the top the extended lava-flow which took
place here roughly 2500 years ago. Thereafter, heading inland, we will arrive
in another historically important area, namely the valleys of Borgarfjörður.
First, we will admire Iceland's most powerful hot-spring at Deildartunga, before
proceeding on to Reykholt, the fief of the chieftain-historian Snorri
Sturluson in the 12th century. Nearby, we will visit the spectacular waterfalls
of Hraunfossar, and
then push further south, either over the highland trail of Kaldidalur if it is
open to traffic, otherwise via the Kjósarskarðsvegur, to Þingvellir.
Dinner and overnight in stay in a country hotel or farm accommodation in the Þingvellir
area.
Day 4:
Having
explored Þingvellir in the early morning, both the historical remains of
the old Althing, the world's oldest parliament, as well as the the spectacular
Almannagjá rift,
where the effects of the tectonic movements of the earth's crust can be observed
at close quarters, we will head eastwards, in direction of the lake Laugarvatn,
and further inland the geothermal area of Geysir, with it's "geysers"
in action once every few minutes, we will drive a few miles up the road to the
splendid Gullfoss waterfall, which never fails to profoundly impress
the visitor. Heading back through the Biskupstungur
region, we can often see big herds of Icelandic horses, and large gatherings of
wild geese or swans, especially in the spring-and autumn times. At the old
bishopric Skálholt, which was the prime religious and spiritual centre
of Iceland for centuries, we will visit the new cathedral, which is renowned for
it's architectural splendour and acoustic excellence. Next,
heading in a northeasterly direction, we will follow Iceland's longest river,
the Þjórsá inland, until we reach the Þjórsárdalur
valley which was devastated in the year 1104 by a huge eruption in Iceland 's
most famous volcano, the Hekla,
which is only a few miles from here, but alas out of sight for the moment. In that valley, we can start by admiring the beautiful
Hjálparfoss
waterfall,and then visit the excavated ruins of a viking age homestead at Stöng
and thereafter visit a reconstructed version of it built on top of a hill near
the Búrfell hydroelectric power-station. To
the north of the Búrfell high dam, we will encounter scores of workers
and engineers with heavy equipment which are busy building a new extension to
the existing power installations in the area, and shortly thereafter we will cross
eastwards over Iceland 's longest river, the Þjórsá and from
there hopefully catch our first panoramic view of the impressive volcano Hekla. Crossing alongside the mountain over vast stretches
of pumice and lava fields, we will try and get a glimpse of one of the newest
lava-flows in the area at Skjólkvíar (1970), before heading south
for dinner and an overnight stay at a very comfortable farm accommodation.
Day
5:
Starting the day by visiting
the country's oldest construction, the Saga Age farm of Keldur, we will proceed
through the village of Hvolsvöllur, on towards the Eyjafjallajökull
glacier, and the peculiar Seljalandsfoss,
a much admired waterfall. The district on the
southern side of the Eyjafjalla -and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers, being
extremely well sheltered from the northern winds,enjoys a micro climate all of
it's own, as attested by the numerous wheat and barley fields which have been
planted there in recent years. But suddenly, another spectacular waterfall springs
into view: the magnificent 180 ft high Skógafoss. We
will arrive at the picturesque village of Vík í Mýrdal,which
is situated on the southernmost tip of the Icelandic coastline, with the impressive
cape Dyrhólaey
and Reynisdrangar rocks
nearby, around lunchtime and after refreshments, we will drive further east, across
the vast expanses of the Mýrdalssandur sandy desert and the tremendous
Eldhraun lava-field which is the country 's biggest one in historical times. The scenic little village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur
now has a permanent exhibition,covering both the many important geological events
which have taken place in this region and it 's historical importance. The curious
rock formation "kirkjugólf" ,church floor, nearby is also well worth
a visit. Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Kirkjubæjarklaustur or nearby
country hotels.
Day 6
Shortly after setting out the next morning, we
will come upon an interesting rock formation i.e. basaltic columns, which
can be found near the farm of Foss á Síðu, and we can also visit
the tiny 18th century chapel at Núpsstaður just before reaching the vast expanses
of the Skeiðarársandur area, where a gigantic flood, due to a volcanic
eruption underneath the Vatnajökull glacier , played havoc for three days,
in the first week of November 1996. The effects
of this flood (washed out roads and wrecked bridges) have now all been repaired,
so we will cross happily over the rest of the sandy desert of Skeiðarársandur
, before arriving for lunch in the Skaftafell national park itself. After
a stroll up to the edge of the Skaftafellsjökull
glacier, we set off en route for the
Jökulsár Glaciallagoon 35 miles to
the east of Skaftafell .Of course, on the way, we will be observing the usual
spectacular features of the Öræfi region 's landscape i.e. the sandy
deserts, the numerous cascading glaciers, and hopefully also Iceland 's highest
peak, the Öræfajökull. The renowned
boat trips on the Glacial lagoon are only operated during the summer season, but
out of season, the floating icebergs can just as well be observed from the shoreline,
and a stroll down along Iceland 's shortest glacial river(less than a mile!) to
it 's outlet into the sea, where seals can often be spotted, is also very rewarding. Another possibility for taking an adventurous trip
this morning is, weather permitting, to go on the hay-wagon tour to Cape Ingólfshöfði,operated
by a father and son team in the Öræfasveit county. This trip is especially
rewarding during the puffin breeding season, from early spring onwards..
Arriving
in the late afternoon at the colourful fishing village of Höfn, will give
us just about enough time to have a look around the harbour, and the impressive
coastline, before heading back towards the local airport, and a comfortable one
hour flight to Reykjavík. Transfer to hotel, for freshening up. Final
night dinner in a good Reykjavík restaurant, and transfer back to hotel.
Duration
of tour: 6 days, 6 nights. Mileage: 1000 miles, 1600 kilometers Minimum number of passengers: 2 persons. Departures: Mondays
by-weekly or by request, all year round.
The
Iceland West and South Tour
Season:
Validity:
Price:
Winter
October-> April
Summer
May->September
Deposit amount at reservation:
20% ; Single room supplement: +16% Trade enquiries welcome. Scheduled departures in 2010: see Schedules
Services included: (4x4) transportation*
and guidance. Small comfortable hotels, farm accommodation or similar, in double
rooms, generally with "en suite" facilities. All meals,(big breakfast,
quick lunch, three course dinner), starting with lunch on first day and ending
with lunch on the last day.Drinks/minibars not included. *The (4x4) Vehicles
generally used: (however, we reserve right to change vehicles if necessary) 1
> 4 Passengers : Toyota
Landcruiser ; 5 > 10: Ford
Econoline, 10>19 passengers: Mercedes
Benz minibus. 20>35: Mercedes
Benz full size Necessary gear: Good outdoor clothing and sturdy
footwear. Also bring your swimsuit. Operated: All year round. Note:
During the wintertime (or indeed exceptionally in other seasons as well) , the
tour may come momentarily to a halt for reasons of bad weather, snow, flooded
roads or other such unforseeable "force majeure" causes. Valferšir ehf
will not accept any responsibility for inconvenience or extra-cost incurred because
of such events.
