Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION
BJARKALUNDUR
Bjarkalundur T 434 7762, W bjarkalundur.is. Roadside
hotel offering comfortable wood-panelled accommodation,
which is best used to break a long journey rather than as
a destination in itself. The clean but plain double rooms
have shared or private bathrooms, and there's also a
campsit e with toilet an d shower facilities. Camping
1200kr ; doubles 15,900kr
Djúpidalur T 434 7853, E djupadal@simnet.is. This
remote place, 35km before Bjarkalundur at the head of the
narrow Djúpidalur fjord, has great views out over the water
and is a real country retreat. There are just five snug double
rooms a nd a geot hermal swimming pool - n othing else.
Doubles 10,000kr , with sleeping bag 3000kr
Reykhólar
From Bjarkalundur, Route 607 runs 15km southwest to REYKHÓLAR , a farming
settlement home to just 120 people with attractive views out over Breiðafjörður to
the Reykjanes peninsula. Although Reykhólar's history can be traced back to the time
of the sagas, there's little reminder today of the village's wealthy past, when it was
considered to have some of the best farmland in all of Iceland; the village once made
a handsome profit from selling the wheat grown on the three hundred or so offshore
islands hereabouts and the surrounding areas on the mainland. It is one of the few
places in the West Fjords to have a ready supply of geothermal energy , which today
has been harnessed and provides the village with its main source of activity - the ugly
Þörungaverksmiðja algae plant, located a couple of kilometres south of the village,
that extracts minerals from seaweed to make toothpaste, soap and handcream. There's
little to do in the village except enjoy a relaxing dip in the warm waters of the
outdoor swimming pool, l (Mon-Fri noon-10pm, Sat & Sun noon-8pm), which also
has two hot pots.
4
INFORMATION
REYKHÓLAR
Tourist information There's an o ce (June-Aug
Mon-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat & Sun 11am-6pm; T 434 7830),
on Maríutröð, between the guesthouse and the filling
station.
ACCOMMODATION
Álftaland Youth Hostel Hellisbraut T 434 7878,
W alftaland.is. Functioning as both guesthouse and HI
hostel, this is the only alternative to Reykhóla's campsite
and offers bo th slee ping-bag dorms an d regular double
rooms. Dorms 5400k r; doubles 13,900kr
Campsite Reykjabraut 12 T 434 7738. The town's
campsite can be found at the opposite end of the village to
the guesthouse, next to the swimming pool, and has
toilets, running water and showers. Closed Sept-May.
1000kr
Hólmavík and the Strandir coast
From Brú in the south to Norðurfjörður in the north, the lonely 220km of the Strandir
coast form the West Fjords' easternmost extremities and one of the least-visited corners
of Iceland - if you're looking to get of the beaten track, this is the place to come. The
main entry point, and the region's only substantial settlement, is Hólmavík , accessed
along Route 61 from either Ísafjörður or the Ringroad at Brú - buses run this route
three times a week in summer. North of here, the land is rugged, with snowcapped
mountains and deeply indented fjords, the setting for some of the country's most
isolated communities, dependent on fishing and sheep farming for their existence. The
only thoroughfare, the 80km Route 643 , is always in poor condition, prone to landslips
and impassable from autumn's first snows until road maintenance crews break through
again in late spring. There's no public transport , but it's worth making every effort to
drive this earth road to really experience the wild and pioneering spirit of Iceland,
notably at Djúpavík , a former herring-fishing village that's now all but abandoned, and
is home to one of the West Fjords' most welcoming hotels. Beyond here, the road
 
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search