Southeast Iceland - Iceland - page 677

WORTH A TRIP
VIKING CAFE
Viking Cafe CAFE
( www.vikingcafe-iceland.com ; 9am-7pm Jun-mid-Sep)
About 7km east of the Höfn turn-off, just before the Ring Road enters a tunnel through
the Almannaskarð pass, take the signposted road heading south to Stokksnes radar sta-
tion. After 4.5km, in a wild setting under moodily gothic Litla Horn mountain, you'll find a
cool little outpost: the Viking Cafe, where coffee, waffles and cake are served.
The farm-owner runs the cafe, and charges visitors Ikr600 to explore his incredible prop-
erty, including a photogenic Viking village filmset and miles of black-sand beaches.
Note that the filmset (built in 2009 by Icelandic film director Baltasar Kormakúr) may
finally see action soon, when Baltasar directs Vikings,a long-gestating film project he
started writing more than a decade ago. The set will hopefully remain in place after its
film duties are done.
You can camp in the area (with permission from the farm-owner; per person Ikr1000).
Stafafell
In the middle of nowhere, Stafafell is a lonely farm, lost under the mountains. It's a good
hiking base for exploring Lónsöræfi. The website www.stafafell.is is rich in local informa-
tion.
A trio of brothers own the farm: one operates a guesthouse and has a few simple cot-
tages for rent; another brother runs a basic campsite in summer. No food is on offer - you
need to bring supplies from Höfn (35km away) or Djúpivogur (70km).
There are a number of day hikes in the hills and valleys north of Stafafell. Perhaps the
best day hike is a well-marked, 14.3km (four- or five-hour) return walk from Stafafell to
Hvannagil , a colourful rhyolite canyon on the eastern bank of the river Jökulsá í Lóni.
Pick up a route description from the farmhouse.
Buses between Höfn and Egilsstaðir pass Stafafell and will stop on request.
Sleeping