Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ikr1600-3800; 8am-9pm Jun-Aug, by appt Sep-May)
serves a super array of fish on its 2nd-
storey verandah overlooking the fjord.
There's a petrol pump in Drangsnes.
Bjarnarfjörður & Kaldbaksvík
North of Drangsnes, a rough road winds around a series of gorgeous crumbling escarp-
ments and tiny driftwood-filled bays. There are no services on this route, but if you've got
your own vehicle, the utter tranquility, incredible views and sheer sense of isolation are
truly remarkable. For those interested in the sagas, you'll be keen to know that
Njál's Saga
starts here.
Hótel Laugarhóll
( 451 3380;
www.laugarholl.is
;
d with/without bath incl breakfast
Ikr20,600/16,000; )
, at Bjarnarfjörður, is run by friendly former school teachers - in
fact they once taught in this very building, which has now been turned into a welcoming
hotel. Crisp white duvets lie neatly folded on every bed, some with original artwork
hanging just above. There's a yummy restaurant serving soups at lunch (Ikr1200) and an
elaborate buffet at dinner (Ikr5900; 6.30pm to 8.30pm). Peruse the small
art gallery
, or
take a dip in their beautifully situated
geothermal pool
(admission Ikr400; 8am-10pm
Jun-Aug, 24hr Sep-May)
and hot-pot.
Hótel Laugarhóll's pool is fed by
Gvenderlaug
, a landmark 42°C miracle-producing
pool (no bathing!) that was blessed by the bishop Gvendur the Good in the 13th century
and is now a national monument; find it signposted behind the hotel.
Also signposted behind the hotel is the turf-roofed
Sorcerer's Cottage
( 8am-10pm
Jun-Aug)
, part of the
witchcraft museum
in Hólmavík, which shows what living conditions
were like for the purported sorcerers.
North of Bjarnarfjörður the scenery becomes more rugged and there are fine views
across to the Skagi Peninsula in north Iceland. This road often closes with the first snows
in autumn and may not reopen until spring; ask locally for information on conditions.
At
Kaldbaksvík
the steep sides of a broad fjord sweep down to a small fishing lake that
serenely reflects the surrounding mountains. Just beyond the lake, a 4km trail runs up to
the summit of craggy
Lambatindur
(854m). You'll notice copious amounts of enormous
driftwood piled up along the shore on this coast - most of it has arrived from Siberia
across the Arctic Ocean.
