The West Fjords - The Rough Guide to Iceland - page 192

Alternatively, one of the most beautiful beaches in the West Fjords, Ingjaldssandur
(the settlement here is known as Sæból , the name used on most maps) is located at the
mouth of Önundarfjörður, across the water from Flateyri at the tip of the mountainous
finger of land that separates the fjord from its southern neighbour, Dýrafjörður.
Bordered to the west and east by tall, craggy mountains and backed by lush green
fields, the beach's grassy foreshore is an idyllic place from which to watch the huge
Atlantic breakers crash onto the sand and pebbles below. In summer this is a good
place to spot arctic tern and various species of waders; oystercatchers are particularly
common here. Ingjaldssandur is only accessible with your own transport and entails a
circuitous drive of 44km from Flateyri, heading first south down Route 60 towards
Þingeyri, before taking the unsurfaced and rough Route 624 back northwest to the
Önundarjörður coast.

ACCOMMODATION ÖNUNDARFJÖRÐUR

Alviðra T 895 0080, E [e-mail]. This remote
working farm, 20km before Sæból on the shores of
Önundarfjörður, is hard to beat for splendid isolation: there's
just one studio apartment with cooking fa cilities. The re are
discounts for stays of two nights and more. 15,000kr

Korpudalur Youth Hostel Kirkjuból T 456 7808,
W korpudalur.is. Located in a converted farmhouse, this
hostel has bags of charm, and has a self-catering kitchen,
small campsite and bik e rental . Closed Sept to mid-May.
Dorms 3500kr ; doubles 9200kr

Þingeyri
One of the more attractive settlements in the West Fjords, ÞINGEYRI , 48km southwest
of Ísafjörður along Route 60, is also one of the oldest. The village takes its name from
the ancient þing (assembly) mentioned in Gísla Saga , and the ruins, nothing more than
a couple of grassy mounds, can be seen behind the church in the centre of the village.
Over the centuries Þingeyri developed into a significant fishing centre thanks to its
sheltered location near the head of Dýrafjörður, and even attracted the interest of the
French who applied, unsuccessfully, to establish a base here to service their fishing
vessels operating in the region.
Today life is centred on the one main street, Aðalstræti , where you'll find all the
town's services. If you've time to kill, head up Sandafell (367m), which stands guard
behind the village. This is a favourite place for locals to watch the sun go down as
it offers fantastic views out over the fjord and of the mountain ridge, topped by the
highest peak in the West Fjords, Kaldbakur (998m), which separates Dyrafjörður
from the much larger and multi-fingered Arnarfjörður to the south. Although
steep, Sandafell can be climbed from the village - several clear paths lead up the
mountainside - and a four-wheel-drive track there heads southwest off Route 60,
just 1km south of town.

4

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION ÞINGEYRI

By bus The filling station on the main road also functions
as the terminus for buses. The only year-round service goes
to Ísafjörður (times are at W isafjordur.is/thjonusta
/straetisvagnar) whilst from June to Aug the service from
Ísafjörður to Látrabjarg calls here (see W bsi.is for times).

Tourist information There's limited information about
the town and the surrounding area available at the tourist
o ce, Hafnarstræti 6 (June-Aug daily 11am-6pm; T 456
8304, E [e-mail]) which also sells woollen
sweaters and souvenirs.

ACTIVITIES IN ÞINGEYRI
Þingeyri makes a marvellous place to get out in the great outdoors. Belgian-Danish couple,
Wouter and Janne, who run the Simbahöllin café at Fjarðargata 5 ( T 899 6659), rent out
top-quality mountain bikes (10,000kr per 24hr) as well as running horseriding tours into
neighbouring Sandadalur (8500kr for 2hr 30min). If you're stuck for transport to Þingeyri, they
can usually arrange to pick you up from Ísafjörður.