Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
SEYÐISFJÖRÐUR
By bus
Egilsstaðir-Seyðisfjörður buses (
T
472 1515) run
year-round Mon-Fri; in summer there's a weekend service
too and extra buses on Thurs to cope with passengers using
the
Norröna
ferry. The bus stop is at the ferry terminal.
Destination
Egilsstaðir (2 daily; 25min).
By ferry
The ferry terminal (
T
472 1111,
W
smyril-line
.com) is at the harbour. The ferry operates year-round but the
schedules vary; check the website for the current timetable.
Destinations
Hanstholm, Denmark (2 days); Tórshavn,
Faroe Islands (16hr).
Tourist information
The tourist o
ce is at the harbour
(summer Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 1-5pm;
T
470 2300,
W
sfk.is).
Services
The Samkaup supermarket is at the edge of
town by the bridge, just on the Egilsstaðir road. The bank
(with ATM), post office and ORKAN fuel pump are
opposite the ferry terminal on Hafnargata. The
swimming pool
(Mon-Fri 6.30-8.30am & 5-9pm, Sat
11am-4pm) is just around the corner from the
supermarket on Suðurgata.
ACCOMMODATION
Campsite
T
472 1521.
Not much more than a patch of
scrub by the roadside, north over the riv
er near
the church,
though it does have showers and toilets.
750kr
Ì
Hafaldan Youth Hostel
Ránargata
T
472 1450,
W
hostel.is.
A short way north of town overlooking the
harbour and with great views over the fjord, this is a
friendly place with a well-equipped kitchen and warm,
wood-panelled rooms. Their second building, south behind
the supermarket in th
e old hos
pital, ha
s charact
er but none
of the scenery. Dorms
3500kr
; double
s
9200kr
Ì
Hótel Aldan
Norðurgata 2
T
472 1277,
W
hotelaldan.com.
A heritage-listed gem, one of
Seyðisfjörður's original Norwegian wooden kit-homes
that housed the town's bank for
almost a
century and
oozes stylish old-fashioned charm.
25,900kr
Hótel Snæfell
Austurvegur 3
T
472 1460,
W
hotelaldan.com.
Run by the
Aldan
management, this is
another nice old wooden building close to the water, which
once served as the local post o
ce. Rooms are spacious and
clean, but
furnishi
ngs are fairly dated. Rate includes
breakfast.
21,900kr
Ì
Skálanes
T
690 6966,
W
skalanes.com.
About
15km east of town along the south side of the fjord, this
private nature reserve has four-bed shared rooms right by
the sea inside a modernized 1920s farmhouse, surrounded
by open fellsides, cliffs and wild landscape. Breakfast is
included; they can collect from town for an extra fee (the
road in cros
ses sever
al rivers, fordable in a four-wheel-drive
only). Beds
6700kr
7
EATING
Restaurant Aldan
T
472 1277.
Set in an old open-
plan warehouse diagonally across from the supermarket,
with a terrace out the front, this is an unexpectedly
sophisticated but laid-back café-restaurant. Amongst the
usual seafood and lamb grills are local game meats -
reindeer, duck and even seabirds - plus wild mushrooms
in season and even some vegetarian options; mains start
at 3500kr.
Daily 11am-9pm; the café closes at 5pm.
Skaftafell Bistro
T
692 8711.
Arty café, gallery and -
by default, after the popular Ka
Lára burned down in
2012 - the town bar; a friendly place to relax over a beer,
use the wi-fi and try their home-made pizzas (from
1650kr). It's south from the ferry terminal off Hafnargata.
Daily 11am-9pm.
Mjóijörður
It's hard to believe that the tiny hamlet of
MJÓIFJÖRÐUR
once hosted the world's largest
whaling station, which in 1900 employed two hundred people - nowadays almost
nobody lives here. Some 45km southeast from Egilsstaðir via Route 953, Mjóifjörður
has some basic accommodation, and the road continues a further 20km past the
church through gorgeous coastal scenery to
Dalatangi
, a lighthouse at the headland
between here and Seyðisfjörður, the fjord immediately north.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
MJÓIFJÖRÐUR
By bus
There's no bus service to Mjóifjörður, but it's a
straightforward drive from Egilsstaðir along a gravel road.
You can also hike here - though it's quite a tough trail -
over the ridges from Seyðisfjörður (see p.284).
By ferry
At the time of writing the twice-weekly ferry
service (
T
476 0011 or
T
849 4797) to Neskaupstaður in
the next fjord south, was suspended, and it's uncertain
when - or if - services will resume.
