The Wonderful Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Join us for an amazing tour around the spectacular Snæfellsnes Peninsula on the Icelandic West Coast. This tour will take us around the full peninsula in a day, a day packed with beautiful sights; coastlines, mountains, waterfalls, rock formations, and more.
Along the road, we will visit places like Mount Kirkjufell (Arrowhead Mountain in the Game of Thrones) and its beautiful neighbor, the Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall. Both count as some of the most photographed places in Iceland and framing them together in one picture is a „must-do“ for many photographers.
Another stop you just can’t miss is Saxholl Crater, an old volcanic crater within the Snæfellsnes National Park. An easy to climb path has been made up to the top so it is quite easy to get up there. On a clear day, the view is amazing over the lava field and up the Snæfellsjökull Glacier which dominates the national park and the western tip of the peninsula. And as if this is not enough, just a few kilometers further we will actually drive into an old, eroded crater.
Another spectacular stop is the bay at Djupalonssandur with beautiful black sands, rock formations, and remains of old stranded fishing trawlers. Once home to over 60 fishing boats and the most prolific fishing village in the peninsula the bay is now uninhabited and hardly any remains left of its long history of fishing. But all of its natural beauty is still there unrivaled and intact for us to enjoy and explore.
Next up are the Londrangar rock formations, old volcanic plugs made out of basalt remains of an eroded volcanic crater.
Short hike anyone?
Just a few minutes off Londrangar we will come to the two small towns of Hellnar and Arnarstapi. Calling these small hamlets towns might even be generous. But doing the 2 km hike along the coastline from one town to the next is nothing but spectacular. Rock formations, lava fields, and birds (in summer) are all in abundance. It’s an easy hike on a flat and well-signposted path. And your driver will wait for you at the other end. Imagine the view, on one hand, the Atlantic Ocean and on the other the mountains and the mighty Snæfellsjökull Glacier.
As we start heading eastwards on the peninsula we will even have a couple of more stops, like at the beach at Ytri-Tunga farm where we will have a good chance of seeing seals resting on the rocks taking their sunbath. These peaceful animals always manage to put a smile on our faces.
Furthermore, we will stop at Ölkelda, a natural spring with carbonated water, rich in minerals and, according to the locals, the key to their long life and fertility.
From here we will start heading back to Reykjavik, making a quick stop in Borgarnes for restrooms and coffee.
Optional Stops
Note that there are even some optional stops along the way. One is a visit to Vatnshellir Cave inside the National Park. Another possibility is to drive to Stykkisholmur for a cruise in Breidafjordur Bay where you could opt for the Viking Sushi tour where the ferry actually catches fresh shellfish which they serve raw to the passengers. Absolutely delicious!! And the favorite optional stop is the Shark Museum at Bjarnahöfn but there you can learn about shark hunting and the ancient art of fermented sharkmeat. Bjarnarhöfn is actually the only place in Iceland still producing this delicacy commercially.
Tour length: 9-10 hours
Included: Vehicle with qualified driver-guide
What to bring: Good shoes, warm clothes, a camera, a water bottle
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