North Iceland - Iceland - page 534

Möðrudalur & Around
This area has always been a difficult place to eke out a living, and farms here are few and
far between. Isolated Möðrudalur, an oasis in the desert, is the highest farm in Iceland at
469m (it's 8km south of the Ring Road on Rte 901, with the turn-off about 63km east of
Reykjahlíð).
At Möðrudalur you'll find a popular mini-village, bustling in summer. Fjalladýrð (
471 1858; www.fjalladyrd.is ; sites per person Ikr1150, d without bathroom Ikr13,500, cottage excl linen
Ikr19,900) is the name of the tourist service, with an array of good accommodation spread
over various buildings: camping, guesthouse rooms, button-cute turf-roofed cottages,
family-sized suites.
It's worth spending the night if you're interested in tackling some of Iceland's interior -
Elisabet, the farm's co-owner, is a former highland ranger and Fjalladýrð runs excellent
super-Jeep trips to Askja, Herðubreið and Kverkfjöll. Folks simply passing through should
try the farm-fresh lamb dishes at Fjallakaffi (mains Ikr1690-5500) . Petrol is available here
(from what may be Iceland's cutest petrol station).
After visiting Möðrudalur, most travellers head 8km north to rejoin the Ring Road, but
if you're looking for another diversion, consider taking gravel Rte 901 east (this is the old
Rte 1, and in summer is rough but passable in a 2WD).
The remote, reconstructed turf farmhouse Sænautasel ( 471 1086;admission Ikr500;
10am-10pm Jun-mid-Sep) , dating from 1843, is signposted 5km south of Rte 901, on Rte
907. It really brings the past to life…plus it sells pancakes and coffee (Ikr1200). The farm-
house is in a lovely lakeside spot, and has a basic camping area. This area was the source
of inspiration for Independent People, the masterwork from Nobel Prize-winning writer
Halldór Laxness.
HÚSAVÍK & AROUND
Húsavík
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