Basically, we had started this trip exploring the South Coast; this leg was to be to the north along the middle western coast.
While there, we visited some places we had been before and some new spots.
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| The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is circled; Map: Google Maps |
This time, we opted to stay in Hellissandur at the Adventure Hotel Hellissandur, a relatively modest hotel that boasted views of Snæfellsjökull and an onsite restaurant, which we felt was important on the sparsely populated peninsula so late in the season.
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| Our hotel (I am not sure what "adventure" it offered) |
The hotel was fine, but the restaurant was closed the first night (training, repairs or something) and it appeared the upgrade for a mountain-facing room was wasted. Fortunately, on our last day on the Peninsula, the weather cleared enough to give us a partial view of the gigantic glacier atop the peninsula’s central peak.
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| Snæfellsjökull finally showing its face |
We never made it to the restaurant for dinner, but did have a fairly standard buffet breakfast there each morning.
The most striking thing about this excursion was that, while we were in Greenland, fall had arrived in Iceland.
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| A different world |
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| The tundra covering the lava fields was predominantly gold and orange |
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| Close-up of the changing ground cover |
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| Even with some remaining green plants and trees, it was an autumnal palette |
We also noticed a surfeit of waterfalls, many more than I have ever noticed in Snæfellsnes before (and that is saying a LOT!). It rained quite a bit prior to our departure for Greenland and we learned that it hadn’t abated while we were gone. It was still rainy during this foray.
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| As a result, water was pouring down all the cliffs |
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| And there were rainbows everywhere |
I am going to split this blog into a couple of sections, starting with our brief visits to places we had been before. I won’t do this chronologically because, as serial car-travelers, we crisscrossed the Peninsula multiple time, both driving around and across.
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| The view from highway 54, which bisects the peninsula |
HellissandurWhere better to begin than around our hotel in Hellissandur?
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| An old stone wall |
The village itself is a located near the northwestern tip of Snæfellsnes and has less than 500 inhabitants.
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| The town has more than 30 murals |
Once an important fishing post tracing back to the 16th century, Hellissandur has recently woken up to tourism. It has a maritime museum, which we tried to visit, but it was closed. Had we gone, we would have seen examples of turf houses, marine engines and Iceland's oldest surviving rowing boat hailing from 1826.
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| Photo: Regina Hrönn, Guide to Iceland |
Nearby is the 1,352 foot-tall Gufuskálar radio mast, the tallest structure in Western Europe. Also close by are the Svörtuloft and Öndverðarnesviti Lighthouses.
I already mentioned Snæfellsjökull, which was made famous by Jules Verne in his science fiction novel Journey to the Center of the Earth. The mountain's western and southern sides are within Snæfellsjökull National Park; the northern entrance (unmanned, just marked by a sign) to the Park is just south of Hellissandur.
West and South Coast
The Atlantic coast of Snæfellsnes is worth the drive.
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| The dramatic Atlantic coast south of where we stayed |
The peninsula is, like much of Iceland, rugged barren lava fields, some stark black, some rusty-colored and some covered in tundra. There main highway follows the coast and, then, closer to the ocean, there are a number of rough gravel roads. We drove the entirety of the coast, taking occasional trips down the minor tracks often right to the edge of the island. We stopped in multiple places to admire ...
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| Baðstofa Cave |
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| Lóndrangar sea stacks with a lighthouse nearby |
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| Old sheep paddocks |
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| And an angry ocean pounding the rocks |
Just like we had noticed in Jökulsárlón, many improvements had been made to walking paths, with grids laid over rocks to aid in walking across scree and (in winter) ice and snow.
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| Safety first! |
Plus, in some places, simple rope fencing had been erected to attempt to keep wandering tourists from tramping the delicate ground cover and/or falling off the cliffs into the decidedly sharp lava formations below. It shouldn’t have been a problem when we were there because we saw very few other people.
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| Lonely ocean |
ArtWe saw a couple of new (at least new to us) art installations along the west coast.
The Frelsisleid (translation: Know Yourself) sculpture was created by artist Jo Kley and is dedicated to Voyage to the Center of the Earth. Carved into 60 tons of basalt, its miniature stairs and pathways represent, according to the sculptor, "the twists and turns of life."
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| Although more straightforward, it reminded me of an Eicher drawing |
I found it utterly charming.
We also stumbled upon a more literal sculpture in the parking lot of Trod Park, a local park with sports facilities and some lovely trails.
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| Trod Park |
This one was a giant Peregrine Falcon and its Arctic Tern prey crafted from fence pickets.
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| I found it equally charming (in a predator/prey sort of way) |
It was in this same area during a summertime visit that we encountered thousands of noisy and extremely aggressive nesting Arctic Terns. This day, the only Tern in sight was the picket-fence version gripped in the giant Falcon’s talons.
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| The Park did produce a lone Redwing |
ÓlafsvíkHellissandur is not far from Ólafsvík, where we have stayed and from where we have taken Whale watching trips in the past.
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| Black-headed Gulls and a Great Black-backed Gull in Ólafsvík |
On this trip, we ate there several times (with slightly more than double Hellissandur’s population, Ólafsvík has more restaurants, gas stations and services), but didn’t spend a lot of time otherwise except to do a little exploring along the road and at the docks.
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| Scott photographed an old boat ... |
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| ... and I shot a Great Cormorant, European Starling and Great Black-backed Gull |
Ingjaldshóllkirkja
Sitting at the base of Snæfellsjökul, Ingjaldshóllkirkja is a former parsonage and estate. Built in 1903, it is among the oldest concrete churches in the country.
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It was abandoned in 1966 and is now property of the Icelandic government |
The area is named after early Icelandic settler Ingjaldur Alfarinsson who, according to Iceland’s historic Sagas, is said to have had a dispute with the giantess Hetta, who lived inside a nearby mountain, after he caught her stealing some of his sheep. Their rivalry escalated and, in one of many attempts to kill Ingjaldur, she told him about some rich fishing grounds and then used sorcery to create a storm to drown him while he was fishing there. Ingjaldur’s friend, Bárður Snaefellsas, after whom the peninsula is named, rescued him from certain death.
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| Left: Sagas are stories of Iceland's past; Right: Bárður Monument, photographed in 2015 |
Another Saga mentions a predecessor church at Ingjaldshóll in 1317. At that time, the powerful and wealthy Sturlunga Clan controlled the peninsula and the parsonage. Ingjaldshóll came into the possession of the monastery at Helgafell from 1350-1550. Ingjaldshóllkirkja developed a large congregation and, until the 19th century, was the 3rd-largest church in Iceland.
Christopher Columbus is alleged to have stayed at Ingjaldshóll during the winter of 1477-78.
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| This painting of Columbus hangs in the Ingjaldshóllkirkja parish house |
It is rumored that he was seeking information from Icelanders about Leif the Lucky’s voyages to what is now America. Later, Columbus would lay claim to discovering the area.
The church itself is pretty typical for an Icelandic church.
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| Standard white exterior, red roof and steeple |
But, the church's location, sitting on a slight rise in the shadow of a mighty glacier, makes it particularly photogenic.
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| Despite clouds, you can see the glacier |
We had a great time getting photos from multiple angles.
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| A very, very wide shot |
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| Scott returns from the church |
Friendly Horses
Also in the general vicinity of Ingjaldshóllkirkja are some picturesque farms.
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| Former farm |
When we stopped to photograph some abandoned structures, we were greeted by some friendly – very friendly – Icelandic Horses pastured across the street.
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| He practically got in the car! |
I have written about Icelandic Horses before and have photographed them many times. I even think I had either photographed these Horses or their forebears on past trips.
From their behavior, I suspect other tourists had offered them apples and carrots. As a matter of principle, I don’t feed animals that I don’t own.
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| I think they were disappointed |
I mentioned earlier that we didn’t see as many Icelandic Horses in this trip as in earlier trips.
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| So, it was nice to spend a little time with this beauty |
Grundarfjörður
As I said, we crisscrossed the peninsula a couple of times, doing what we typically do: sightseeing by car.
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| A view from the car |
We spent a little bit of time driving through and around Grundarfjörður, which sits on a deep bay on the northeastern part of Snæfellsnes.
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| On the other side from our base in Hellissandur |
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| A very pretty place |
It's a medium-sized town -- about halfway between Hellissandur and Ólafsvík in size. The main part of town looks fairly settled, with schools, grocery stores and some good restaurants. The surrounding area is decidedly agrarian.
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| Grundarfjörður farm |
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| A tiny historic church |
One of Grundarfjörður's claims to fame is Kirkjufell, the triangular mountain known as Arrowhead Mountain in Game of Thrones.
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| Scott captured it from the top of Kirkjufoss |
While we didn’t do much beside eat and drive around, we did see some spectacular weather, including ...
And, although, we didn’t see much in the way of wildlife (except Icelandic Horses, which are arguably NOT wild), Grundarfjörður did yield ...
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| A couple of Whooper Swans |
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| More Common Eiders than I have ever seen in one place |
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| Of course, lots of domestic Sheep; in Iceland, Sheep are a given |
I have a lot of fondness for Grundarfjörður because it was one of Caty's and my main destinations in our winter trip to Iceland in 2015. Our goal was Whales and despite a very chilly Whale watching trip, we didn't see any.
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| Our 2015 adventur |
But, we found the place enchanting, helped by an unexpected upgrade from Booking.com from a room with a shared bath to a full three-bedroom house with a garage across from Kirkjufell.
Búðir
On the south side of the peninsula, we briefly swung by the Búðakirkja in the “town” of Búðir. I used quotation marks because I have never really found a town, just the church, a hotel (where Caty and I stayed and saw magnificent aurora back in 2015) and an assortment of farms.
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| Aurora from the Hotel Búðir parking lot, 2015 |
We generally stop to photograph Búðakirkja.
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| Búðakirkja and a facing cliff |
This iconic black and white church is featured in many photos of Iceland and might just be the poster child for Icelandic churches even though most churches are white with red roofs rather than black. But, it was soooooo crowded when we stopped that we just took a few shots and moved on. It was quite different from my first time there in January 2015 when Caty and I had it to ourselves.
Stykkishólmur
One day we drove up to the far northeastern edge of the Snæfellsnes peninsula to Stykkishólmur, a cute little harbor town that we had visited before.
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Stykkishólmur harbor
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We had sailed from here to Vestfirðir (the Westfjords) when we drove the Þjóðvegur (Ring Road) back in 2021.
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Looking north toward Vestfirðir
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Despite cold wind, we found the weather there more accommodating than it had been closer to our hotel, so the drive was worth it.
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| Another gorgeous rainbow |
We didn't do a lot while there. We stopped for pastries at Nesbrauð ehf, a shop we had visited (and loved) the last time we were there. Iceland is pretty good at pastries!
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| Nesbrauð ehf did not disappoint |
Then we walked around the harbor area, which was quiet because there were no ferries or ships coming in or going out. In late September, a lot of the tourist ferries were no longer running.
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| Left: Viking longship sculpture; Right: harbor from above |
The we climbed up Stykkishólmur's iconic basalt formation, the island of Súgandisey right by the harbor. It is so close, it doesn't even appear to be a separate island, but it is.
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| Súgandisey is connected to the mainland by a short causeway |
The vertical hexagonal volcanic rock columns were formed of cooling lava, creating dramatic cliffs.
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| The island's nickname is the "Bookshelves of God" |
At the top is Súgandisey Light, a squat orange lighthouse that looks more like a phone booth than a lighthouse.
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| Scott braved the wind for a close view |
I also braved the cold wind to photograph seabirds, including a large group of Northern Gannets that were diving for fish out in the rather rough and very, very blue ocean just outside the harbor.
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| Northern Gannets |
Gannets are world-class divers, often begining their dives as high as 150 feet and hitting the water at speeds up 62 mph. They tuck their wings before impact, using both gravity and a last-second thrust to reach depths of up to 70 feet in pursuit of fish.
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| So fun to watch; so hard to photograph |
The views from Súgandisey were stunning, with the blue sky, even bluer ocean and striking golden fall grasses.
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| Plus, throw in another lighthouse and another rainbow |
Back down at sea level, I found a few more birds to photograph ...
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| A Northern Wheatear and a Common Redshank |
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| Common Eiders |
That's it for old favorites. But, we also made a few new stops on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Svöðufoss
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| Another cool waterfall |
Very close to Ingjaldshóllkirkja is Svöðufoss, beautiful waterfall reached by driving past the iconic church and then walking down a metal-grid trail with a few bridges spanning the river fed by the waterfall. I had seen these falls before from a distance, but had never gotten this close.
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| The river along the path |
Because the falls are tucked around a corner, you could easily miss them. The trail and bridges looked relatively new, so I suspect that access was tricky in the past. It is allegedly an easy walk to the top of the waterfall, but it was rainy when we visited, so we didn’t go farther than the viewing area in from of the roaring falls.
I read that on a clear day you can see the glacier behind the waterfall. We could see a little on this foggy, rainy afternoon.
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| It would be rough going without the metal-grid path |
Svöðufoss tumbles 32 feet down an imposing basalt cliff before joining the Laxa River, also known as Holmkelsa. Because it is fed by Snæfellsjökul, this broad waterfall has water all year-round.
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| With the recent (and current) rain, it was particularly full |
Bjarnarfoss
Another spot that I had seen from the road, but never stopped at (or don’t recall stopping at) was Bjarnarfoss, which I think was also the beneficiary of improved parking and trails.
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| Near Búðir, it’s one of the first sights you see when driving from Reykjavik |
This beautiful two-tiered waterfall on the River Hvítá flows out of the Hallmundarhraun lava field, splitting into two branches as it drops 262 feet down volcanic basalt columns. On windy days, like many narrow Icelandic waterfalls, Bjarnarfoss’ upper tier may slow to a trickle or even blow upwards.
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| Two angles |
Many local legends are attached to the waterfall. One tells of a rich farmer named Bjarni, who turned away a passing stranger who came to him for shelter. The stranger cursed Bjarni and his farm, which resulted in his livestock and crops dying. This caused Bjarni to lose his mind and throw all his money into the waterfall's pool, where some say it remains.
Another story claims that the Lady of the Mountain, Fjallkonan, stands at the waterfall's base, with the water crashing upon her shoulders. The Lady of the Mountain is a national symbol of Iceland and is often referred to as the female personification of the country.
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| The Lady and the foss; Left painting: Johann Baptist Zwecker |
And yet another tells of two boys from a nearby farm who defied their parents’ orders to stay at home while the parents went with their ploughmen to a church. The boys decided to follow their parents, but took a shortcut that crossed a natural stone bridge above the waterfall. They felt dizzy and fell into the water and drowned. When their mother found out what had happened, she put a spell on the bridge, saying that nobody could ever cross it without drowning. A little while later, the bridge was demolished in an earthquake.
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| Lovely. Just lovely! |
We hiked up the gentle path to the base of the falls where there is a non-skid boardwalk and a bridge that provides a good view of Bjarnarfoss. We did not fall in and drown.
Raudfeldsgja
Our final “new experience” on Snæfellsnes was Raudfeldsgja Gorge, also called the Red-Cloak Rift, on Botnsfjall Mountain. From the highway it looks like it might be a waterfall, but it is actually a mossy canyon carved by a small stream running along the canyon floor.
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| You can see the canyon opening at the top |
We walked up the short (and a bit muddy) trail to the entrance, but not inside. The gorge's dramatic opening is a narrow fissure in the cliffside.
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| A nice hike |
Inside, there are steep moss-covered walls and a small waterfall cascading down the inner wall.
You can go inside, but that’s a big nope for me because the “the deeper parts can be moderately challenging and require walking through cold water and climbing past tiny waterfalls; the terrain becomes increasingly slick and uneven, and you may need to scramble or use your hands for balance.”
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| Inside; Photo: Smartzippers |
Yeah, no! I was happy just to peek a little.
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| Views from the trail |
Of course, Rauðfeldsgjá has its own legend: a tragic feud erupted between a half-troll named Bárður and his nephews, Rauðfeldur and Sölvi, when the boys pushed Bárður's daughter, Helga, onto an iceberg that drifted to Greenland. Enraged, Bárður killed both nephews. He threw Rauðfeldur into the deep gorge now named Rauðfeldsgjá and threw Sölvi off a nearby cliff called Sölvahamar. Following the murders, a guilt-ridden Bárður vanished into Snæfellsjökull.
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| Bárður remains inside the mountain as its guardian spirit |
Almost every Icelandic legend is either violent or involves a troll who forgot that he will turn to stone if the sun hits him. I don’t think trolls are very bright.
And, on that note, I’ll stop.
Next up are a few more stops in Iceland.
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| And more fall! |
Trip dates September 5 – 30, 2025
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