Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The rest of the island
Beyond the Lundaberg cliffs, the footpath continues towards the eastern part of the
island, which has been declared a
nature reserve
, marked by the odd sign or two and
closed to the public during the breeding season (May 15 to July 20); the birds migrate
south in late August or early September. It's possible, though, to pass round the edge of
the reserve, following the marked wooden posts, to Flatey's south coast (also closed
May 15 to July 20) where you'll be bombarded by arctic tern who show no mercy for
man nor beast - even the island's sheep are subject to regular divebombing raids. If you
don't mind this (keeping still seems to deter the birds a little), there are some secluded
pebbly coves here, home to the odd wrecked fishing boat, with excellent views on a
clear day across to Snæfellsjökull.
The church
Flatey's
church,
with its dramatic roof, is easily reached by a footpath from the
village's main street. Inside, you'll see paintings of island life - and puffins — by the
Catalan painter
Baltasar Samper
. Quite the entrepreneur, while visiting the island in
the 1960s he suggested painting the church in return for free accommodation; his
picture behind the altar shows Christ, unconventionally wearing a traditional
Icelandic woolly sweater, standing alongside two local sheep farmers. After much
hard work, the yellow building behind the church has been restored to its former
glory and proudly claims the title of the oldest and smallest library in Iceland,
established in 1864.
3
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
FLATEY
By ferry
The car ferry between Stykkishólmur and
Brjánslækur calls in at Flatey once daily in each direction
from September to May and twice daily from June to
August; schedules are at
W
saeferdir.is, and return fares to
Flatey are 6760kr from Stykkishólmur and 5630kr from
Brjánslækur.
Destinations
Brjánslækur (1hr 15min); Stykkishólmur (1hr
45min).
ACCOMMODATION, EATING AND DRINKING
Ì
Flatey
T
422 7610,
W
hotelflatey.is.
Oozing rustic
charm, this is one of Iceland's most appealing hotels. Set in
two former warehouses which date from the island's
heyday in the 1800s, the thirteen snug rooms share
facilities, and have wood-panelled interiors that perfectly
complement the sturdy timber buildings. The restaurant
functions as a small café during the day with home-made
cakes, a tasty fish soup for lunch at 1900kr and more
substantial evening dishes such as fresh mussels from
Breiðafjörður (2400kr). Below the restaurant, the
atmospheric
Saltkjallarinn
pub, replete with sturdy stone
walls, is a great place for a cold beer after a day's exploring.
Closed Sept-May; restau
rant open
daily 11am-late;
pub open daily 6pm-late.
21,900kr
Berserkjahraun
Just after Vatnaleið (the junction with Route 56), Route 54 crosses
Berserkjahraun
, a
4000-year-old lavafield named after the two
Berserkers
who cleared a route through it
in 982 AD. Periodically mentioned in the sagas, Berserkers were formidable warriors,
able to go into a trance that made them impervious to wounds; though much valued as
fighters they were given a wide berth socially, since they were considered to be very
dangerous. Here, as related in the
Eyrbyggja Saga
, local man Víga-Styr gave the two this
odd task because one of the Berserkers had fallen in love with his daughter, and
completing this well-nigh impossible task was a condition Víga-Styr had set for their
marriage. However, with help from the tale's arch-schemer Snorri Þórgrímsson, he later
killed the Berserkers and married his daughter to Snorri. Just east of the junction with
Route 56, there's a rough but usually navigable 5km
vehicle track
(Route 558) heading
inland of the main road, which loops west across the centre of the lavafield to rejoin
Route 57; look carefully and you'll see the path the men cut, known as Berserkjagata,
beside which is their burial mound.
