West Iceland - Iceland - page 377

As the road winds through charcoal lava cliffs you'll pass Skarðsvík , a golden beach
with basalt cubes alongside. A Viking grave was discovered here in the 1960s and it's easy
to understand why this stunning spot would have been a favoured final resting place.
After Skarðsvík the track gets much bumpier (still manageable for a 2WD). Park at the
turn-off (left side) to walk through craggy lava flows to the imposing volcanic crater
Vatnsborg , or continue driving straight on until you reach a T-intersection. To the left lie
the dramatic Svörtuloft bird cliffs (Saxhólsbjarg) and a tall, orange lighthouse . To the
right, the bumpy track runs parallel to the sea to a squat, orange lighthouse . From its park-
ing area, you can walk to the very tip of the peninsula, for whale watching , or walk 200m
northeast to Fálkí , an ancient stone well which was thought to have three waters: fresh,
holy and ale!
Saxhöll Crater
Southwest of the Öndverðarnes area, on Rte 574, follow the marked turn-off to the road-
side scoria crater Saxhöll, which was responsible for some of the lava in the area. There's
a drivable track leading to the base, from where it's an uneven 300m climb for magnificent
views over the enormous Neshraun lava flows.
Djúpalón Beach & Dritvík
On the southwest coast, Rte 572 leads off of Rte 574 to the wild black-sand beach
Djúpalónssandur . It's a dramatic place to walk with rock formations (an elf church! and
kerling , a troll woman), two brackish pools (for which the beach was named), and the
rock-arch Gatklettur . An asphalt car park and public toilets allow tour bus access, and
crowds.
Down on the beach you can still see four lifting stones where fishing-boat crews would
test the strength of aspiring fishermen. The smallest stone is Amloði (Bungler) at 23kg,
followed by Hálfdrættingur (Weak) at 54kg, Hálfsterkur (Half-Strong) at 100kg, and the
largest, Fullsterker (Fully Strong), at 154kg. Hálfdrættingur marked the frontier of wimp-
hood, and any man who couldn't heft it was deemed unsuitable for a life at sea. Alongside,
the black sands are covered in pieces of rusted metal from the English trawler Eding,
which was shipwrecked here in 1948.
A series of rocky sea stacks , some of which are thought to be a troll church, emerge
from the ocean up the coast, as you tramp north over the craggy headland to reach the