Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
though you're looking at 30,000kr for diving, 13,000kr to
snorkel, with all equipment, guides and transport provided.
Divers must be certified, and diver dry-suit experience is
recommended. Operators include Arctic Adventures (
T
562
7000,
W
adventures.is) and Dive Iceland (
T
663 2858,
W
dive.is).
ACCOMMODATION
Camping
Of Þingvellir's five campgrounds (three of which
are by the lakeshore), the main one is right next to the
National Park Information Centre, and has toilets, showers,
an open-sided shelter shed with sinks and benches, and
plenty
of flat,
grassy space. Pay next to the Information
Centre.
1000kr
2
Laugarvatn
Some 20km east of Þingvellir on Route 37, roughly halfway to Geysir, the lakeside
village of
LAUGARVATN
sits below the steep heights of Laugarvatnfjall. Home to
Iceland's National School for Sports, it also has accommodation, a natural hot spa and
a decent swimming pool, making it a useful place to break your journey overnight or
for a couple of hours.
Fontana
Hverabraut 1 • mid-May to Sept 30 11am-9.30pm • Oct to mid-May 2-8.30pm • 2500kr •
W
fontana.is
Built over a natural hot spring right on the lakeshore (turn at the N1 roadhouse and
follow the signs), the neatly finished
Fontana
spa features three steam rooms, a sauna,
hot pot, small swimming pool and a long, shallow pool for wallowing around in,
perhaps enjoying a low-strength beer from the bar. The views over the lake are fantastic,
the modern building innovative (the turf roof is a nice touch) but overall it's expensive
for what you get - though the steam rooms are an experience, as you can hear the hot
spring coughing and churning around below the floor, spewing out completely
unpredictable quantities of heat and vapour.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
LAUGARVATN
Buses
Laugarvatn's bus stop is at the N1 roadhouse; some
services also stop at Fontana.
Destinations
Geysir (2 daily; 30min); Gullfoss (2 daily;
2hr 30min); Reykjavík (2 daily; 2hr); Þingvellir (2 daily;
20min).
Roadhouse
The N1 roadhouse, on the main road, has fuel
pumps and a Samkaup supermarket (Mon-Fri 9am-10pm,
Sat & Sun 10am-10pm).
Swimming pool
Laugarvatn's swimming pool (Mon-Fri
9am-9pm, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm) is diagonally opposite
Fontana spa, and while not as modern offers hot tubs, sauna
and a proper swimming pool for a fraction of the price.
ACCOMMODATION
Dalsel IYHA
Dalbraut 10
T
899 5409,
W
hostel.is.
On the
main road near the N1 roadhouse, this hostel has everything
you'd expect, including a kitchen and laundry - though at
busy times extra guests are housed in alternative b
uildings
.
Payment is cash-only, and internet costs extra. Dorms
3800kr
Edda ML Laugarvatn
T
448 4810,
W
hoteledda.is.
Larger of Laugarvatn's two summer-only Edda hotels on a
hillock overlooking the lake, with comfortable rooms, full
conference facilit
ies and a
spacious restaurant. Breakfast is
an extra 1500kr.
18,800kr
Skálholt
The region of small lakes and streams above the middle Hvítá is known as
Biskupstungur
(Bishop's Tongue), a name which probably came into being after the
foundation of the church at
SKÁLHOLT
, just east of Route 35 - it's halfway between
Selfoss and Geysir, though a bit of a detour on back roads from Laugarvatn. It's easy to
overdose on churches in Iceland, but Skálholt's definitely warrants a stop: seat of a
bishopric as early as 1056 AD, Skálholt's huge wooden
cathedral
developed into a
religious school and by the early thirteenth century there were two hundred people
living here, making it the country's largest settlement. Surviving the Reformation,
Skálholt became, along with Hólar in northern Iceland, a major seat of learning, and
