Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Ì
Café Margret
T
475 6625,
E
cafemargret
@simnet.is.
About 3km from town on Route 96, this chalet-
like building with brilliant views has just four rooms, two of
which overlook the fjord. The café makes a great place to
break a long drive and stare out the windows over a coffee
and home-made German cake, though
they also
rustle up
substantial meals from 2900kr. Doubles
19,500kr
Hótel Bláfell
Sólvellir 14
T
475 6770,
W
hotelblafell
.is.
A recent facelift has given this trusty standby a “log
cabin” exterior; inside the comfortable new en suite rooms
are pine-panelled with chintzy bedcovers a
nd curtain
s.
Breakfast, wi-fi and use of the sauna included.
20,800kr
Kaupfélagið Café
Sólvellir (no phone).
Nice, spacious
café next to the old storehouse, with internet, ice cream,
cakes and fast food, including lunchtime soup specials,
burgers, onion rings and chips - a 16” pizza with the works
costs 3200kr.
Mon-Thurs & Sun 10.30am-5pm, Fri & Sat
10.30am-9pm.
Berujörður
Berujörður
, the inlet south of Breiðdalsvík, is narrow but long; Djúpivogur looks close
enough to touch across its mouth, but is actually a 30min drive away via the head of
the fjord. Part-way along Berufjörður's north side,
Gautavík
is the bay where the fiery
Norwegian evangelist Þangbrand (see p.293) landed in Iceland in the late tenth century
to convert the country to Christianity.
7
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
BERUFJÖRÐUR
By bus
Sterna (
W
sterna.is) delivers to
Berunes
hostel in
Berufjörður on their summer-only services between
Egilsstaðir and Höfn.
Destinations
Breiðdalsvík (1 daily; 30min); Djúpivogur
(1 daily; 30min); Egilsstaðir (1 daily; 1hr 30min);
Fáskrúðsfjörður (1 daily; 1hr 20min); Höfn (1 daily; 2hr);
Reyðarfjörður (1 daily; 1hr 40min); Stöðvarfjörður (1 daily;
50min).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Ì
Berunes IYHA hostel
T
478 8988,
W
hostel.is.
Hospitable operation on former farm, with a wind-
screened campsite as well as dorms and doubles with
shared bathrooms; the best rooms are in the old wooden
farmstead, spotlessly clean and cosy and with original
fittings. There are also self-catering kitchens plu
s a café
.
Breakf
ast buffe
t with pa
ncakes i
is 1500kr. Camping
1000kr
;
dorm
s
3600kr
; double
s
9000kr
Djúpivogur
Set slightly of the main road, at the southern tip of Berufjörður,
DJÚPIVOGUR
is the
southernmost of the East Fjord settlements. Though Djúpivogur is little more than a
couple of streets between the church and harbour, the area has signs of long
occupation: one of Iceland's few known
Roman coins
was found over the headland at
Hamarsfjörður, while offshore
Papey
- Monks' Island - is believed to have been a
retreat for Christian fathers in pre-Viking times. Djúpivogur itself was founded by
German traders in 1589, and the tiny, pretty harbourside village is - assuming the
seabird population has recovered - worth a stopover for the half-day trip over to Papey.
Langabúð
Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri & Sat 10am-11.30pm • 800kr •
W
rikardssafn.is
A long, wooden harbourside building,
Langabúð
has variously served as a store,
warehouse, slaughterhouse, managers' residence and meeting hall since its construction
in 1850. It currently houses a well-presented but unexciting
folk museum
featuring
household goods, stuffed birds, a mineral collection and a section devoted to local
sculptor
Ríkarður Jónsson
(1888-1977).
Papey
Boats from Djúpivogur June 1 to Sept 15 daily at 1pm • 4hr • 6000kr •
T
478 8119 or
T
854 4438
Green, hummocky and somewhat boggy, the island of
Papey
covers just two square
kilometres, its 58m apex topped by a lighthouse. According to tradition, Papey was
