Snaefellnes Peninsula a.k.a. "Iceland in Miniature"
Saturday, Day 9
After the North West, we wanted to dedicate two days for the Snaefellnes peninsula because the area was said to be one of the best in Iceland. At this point we didn't know how it could get any better since it seemed like everywhere we had been the views were just spectacular. First we stopped by at a fishing town called Stykkisholmur where you can also do a lot of different kinds of tours, or just enjoy the views at the harbour. We just decided to eat our lunch outside a local tourist office and enjoy the sunny day for a while. After that we continued our way towards the iconic Kirkjufell mountain.
Kirkjufell (the church mountain)
This is one of the sites that many tourists look forward to when going on trip around Iceland. It's a known site from many photos, posters and even movies and it doesn't disappoint in real life either. The mountain is about 463 meters above sea level and what make the view even better are the small waterfalls next to the mountain. Apparently it is also possible to climb up to the mountain and this should take about 1,5 hours but we didn't see anyone climbing it while we were there. Once we got there the weather was quite cloudy but I can just imagine what this place would look like during sunset or sunrise.
Lighthouses and killer whales
After Kirkjufell we drove to Öndverdarnes Lighthouse which was one of the local sites in the area. The lighthouse is quite small but you can walk along the shore and see old lava fields and rock formations in the area too. Afterwards I also found out that this is a good place for spotting killer whales too. I almost took the car and started to drive back when I heard this, but then I also read that the best time to spot them is in February or March. So maybe we didn't miss anything.
Dritvik & Djupalonssandur
There are some really beautiful beaches in Iceland but not so many close to the ring road. That's why I wanted to check out Dritvik and Djupalonssandur which is one of the beach areas and it was also easily accessible from the ring road. There were many trails you could walk on this area and if we would have had more time, it would have been the perfect place to make a longer hike, pack a lunch and eat it while enjoying the spectacular views. This area (also) reminded us both of Scotland a little bit with its steep cliffs and green moors with the ocean on the background. The beach itself is not exactly a mediterranean beach with light colored sand, but it was impressive in its own way.
Snaefellsjökull and Hellnar
We were getting closer to the Snaefellsjökull National Park and it was our next stop after Dritvik. There is a smaller glacier in this area, and that's where the name (jökull = glacier) comes from. We first stopped by at Hellnar, which is an ancient fishing village with old houses and a wooden church. When you walk down to the shore, you can also see some very interesting rock formations that look like art in this area. The water is so clear and blue that if it wouldn't have been so cold, I would have
jumped in! Probably a lot of people would have wanted to do the same.
These places are so unreal that I'm expecting dwarfs or elves to jump out of the bushes at anytime. It looks like a place for hobbits and magical beings from fairytales and some ancient mystical legends.
I know I've mentioned this before but the whole country is like a movie set.
Olafsvik campsite
We ended the day with staying at a campsite in Olafsvik. To be honest it was a little too crowded in the end and quite noisy with people arriving after 12 Pm to set up their tents. There is also a fish processing factory next to it which can cause a nice smell in the area. However there was a pretty big kitchen, free wifi, many sinks for washing dishes and showers. But when even earplugs don't cover the noise of other campers, it makes you wish you chose a smaller campsite.
After the North West, we wanted to dedicate two days for the Snaefellnes peninsula because the area was said to be one of the best in Iceland. At this point we didn't know how it could get any better since it seemed like everywhere we had been the views were just spectacular. First we stopped by at a fishing town called Stykkisholmur where you can also do a lot of different kinds of tours, or just enjoy the views at the harbour. We just decided to eat our lunch outside a local tourist office and enjoy the sunny day for a while. After that we continued our way towards the iconic Kirkjufell mountain.
Kirkjufell (the church mountain)
This is one of the sites that many tourists look forward to when going on trip around Iceland. It's a known site from many photos, posters and even movies and it doesn't disappoint in real life either. The mountain is about 463 meters above sea level and what make the view even better are the small waterfalls next to the mountain. Apparently it is also possible to climb up to the mountain and this should take about 1,5 hours but we didn't see anyone climbing it while we were there. Once we got there the weather was quite cloudy but I can just imagine what this place would look like during sunset or sunrise.
Lighthouses and killer whales
After Kirkjufell we drove to Öndverdarnes Lighthouse which was one of the local sites in the area. The lighthouse is quite small but you can walk along the shore and see old lava fields and rock formations in the area too. Afterwards I also found out that this is a good place for spotting killer whales too. I almost took the car and started to drive back when I heard this, but then I also read that the best time to spot them is in February or March. So maybe we didn't miss anything.Dritvik & Djupalonssandur
There are some really beautiful beaches in Iceland but not so many close to the ring road. That's why I wanted to check out Dritvik and Djupalonssandur which is one of the beach areas and it was also easily accessible from the ring road. There were many trails you could walk on this area and if we would have had more time, it would have been the perfect place to make a longer hike, pack a lunch and eat it while enjoying the spectacular views. This area (also) reminded us both of Scotland a little bit with its steep cliffs and green moors with the ocean on the background. The beach itself is not exactly a mediterranean beach with light colored sand, but it was impressive in its own way.Snaefellsjökull and Hellnar
We were getting closer to the Snaefellsjökull National Park and it was our next stop after Dritvik. There is a smaller glacier in this area, and that's where the name (jökull = glacier) comes from. We first stopped by at Hellnar, which is an ancient fishing village with old houses and a wooden church. When you walk down to the shore, you can also see some very interesting rock formations that look like art in this area. The water is so clear and blue that if it wouldn't have been so cold, I would have jumped in! Probably a lot of people would have wanted to do the same.
These places are so unreal that I'm expecting dwarfs or elves to jump out of the bushes at anytime. It looks like a place for hobbits and magical beings from fairytales and some ancient mystical legends.
I know I've mentioned this before but the whole country is like a movie set.
We ended the day with staying at a campsite in Olafsvik. To be honest it was a little too crowded in the end and quite noisy with people arriving after 12 Pm to set up their tents. There is also a fish processing factory next to it which can cause a nice smell in the area. However there was a pretty big kitchen, free wifi, many sinks for washing dishes and showers. But when even earplugs don't cover the noise of other campers, it makes you wish you chose a smaller campsite.
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