Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Around Húnaflói bay
The 230km stretch of the Ringroad between
Brú
(a filling station at the junction of
Routes 1 and 61) and Akureyri is one of its least interesting, and many travellers speed
through it as quickly as possible. But while the Ringroad itself holds few attractions, it
is worth detouring of it: highlights include the
Vatnsnes peninsula
, north of the
workaday vilage of Hvammstangi, where there's a good chance of seeing seals; the
north's great historical sites of
Þingeyrar
and
Hólar í Hjaltadal
; and two fine examples of
small-town Iceland,
Sauðárkrókur
and
Siglufjörður.
.
The Vatnsnes peninsula
From Hvammstangi, you'll need your own transport to follow Route 711 as it heads
northeast around the
Vatnsnes
peninsula
, a wild and uninhabited finger of land on
the eastern side of Húnaflói known for its superb views out over the bay towards
the needle-sharp peaks of the Strandir coast in the West Fjords. While ascending
tiers of craggy, inaccessible hills form the spine of the peninsula, the land closer to
the shore is surprisingly green and is given over to grazing land for horses; you'll
also spot flocks of
greylag geese
, and seals on the beach at
Ósar
. Around 20km
from Hvammstangi, the café at the tiny settlement of
Geitafell
offers a welcome
opportunity to break your journey.
Ósar
On the promontory's more sheltered eastern coast, 29km north of the Ringroad
along Route 711 and 18km east of Geitafell, there's a
seal-breeding ground
at the
the farm settlement of
Ósar
, where adult seals and their young can be spotted lolling
idly on the black volcanic sands during June and July - a rare opportunity to see
these appealing creatures at close quarters. A short path leads down to the sands
from the friendly youth hostel. Ósar is also the location of the 15m-high
Hvítserkur
rock formation, a striking landmark just offshore. Sculpted by the tremendous
force of the sea, this craggy rock looks like a forbidding sea monster rearing up
from the waves.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
VATNSNES PENINSULA
Ì
Ósar Youth Hostel
Ósar
T
862 2778,
W
hostel.is.
A self-catering hostel set in the peaceful surroundings of a
farm. There are snug log cabins sleeping up to six as well as
regular dorms; both enjoy undisturbed views of the rugged
coast
line of t
he Ska
gi peninsu
la. Closed Nov-April. Dorm
bed
s
3700kr
; cabins
16,000kr
Geitafell Café
Geitafell
T
861 2503.
Just around the
head of the promontory from Ósar in Geitafell, this winning
café is set in a converted barn and run by Sigrún and Róbert,
who grow their own produce and serve a wonderful fish
soup (2700kr), a filling bean soup (2000kr), and a range of
home-made cakes.
Daily June-Aug 11am-10pm.
Viðidalur
As it heads southwards down the eastern shore of Vatnsnes, Route 711 rejoins the
Ringroad in
Víðidalur
. One of the area's most populated valleys, it's dotted with some
beautifully located farms, most notably
Auðunarstaðir
(between the junctions of
Routes 711 and 716 with the Ringroad), named after the evidently well-endowed
settler Auðun Skökull (Auðun the horse penis), to whom the British royals can
apparently trace their family line. The breathtaking backdrop of the brown and green
hues of Víðidalsfjall mountain (993m) forms the eastern side of the valley through
which one of the northwest's best salmon rivers, the lengthy Víðidalsá, flows from its
source at Stórisandur in the Interior.
