Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.06.2011, Qupperneq 59

Travel in Iceland on
your own terms!
Flexible predefined
day tours or your way
Mixing activities with
seeing the best sites
Do you want to get up
and go your own way in
Iceland?
Visit your guide online at:
solstice.is or contact us
through email:
info@solstice.is
Tel: +354 898 7356
Get up and go!
GEYSIR ATV TOURS
“Like driving on the moon”
1,5 km from Geysir Center
Experience the 4x4 fourwheeler rides
around the amazing geysir area
Gardner Huges, 56 year old client from Utah.
Geysir ATV Tours
Tel: + 354 869 4474
atvtours@atvtours.is
www.atvtours.is
Open all year
Daly trips in June, July and August
every two hours from 10:00 – 18:00.
The next time you hear someone say
that they “really want to get away
from it all”, you can now recom-
mend to them the ideal location: Hó-
tel Breiðavík at Látrabjarg. Located
on the westernmost point of Europe
(although technically on the North
American continental plate, we're
not going to get pedantic about it
or anything), getting there involves
first getting to the Westfjords town
of Patreksfjörður, which is in itself
an out-of-the-way location, even by
Icelandic standards.
From there, your drive will take you
from paved roads by the sea to unpaved
roads over the mountains, but don't
fear—our Toyota Yaris was able to make
the trip without a problem, and as the
hotel is only open in the summer any-
way, getting there should be a snap for
most rental vehicles.
Descending from the Mars terrain of
the mountaintops to Látrabjarg was re-
ally something. I think I audibly gasped
as I saw the view: an idyllic farm by
the sea, with a beach of sand-coloured
sand (black sand is far more ubiquitous
in Iceland, but we would discover that
sands a colour most non-Icelanders are
used to is a common sight in the West-
fjords), surrounded in a semi-circle by
steep mountains. Parking and getting
out of the car, the sight was accompa-
nied by sound—the faint hiss of waves,
sheep bleating, our own footsteps on
the gravel driveway, but otherwise, total
silence. In addition, it should be noted
that there was absolutely no mobile
phone reception out here. This was iso-
lation.
Our room had a homey, grand-
mother's guest room feel to it, and right
outside the window, sheep were graz-
ing (don't worry; they take them in at
night, so you won't be kept up listening
to bleating). For those worried about a
complete and total Shining-esque iso-
lation, you can buy access to WiFi for
1.000 ISK per day. Not that you'll want
it—right nearby are some truly stun-
ning cliffs that offer all kinds of birdlife,
especially puffins. Watching puffins f ly
is pretty comical, too, so if the stun-
ning beauty of the locale isn't enough,
the comedy value of the puffins should
more than make up for it.
In all, a fantastic place to finish
working on that novel, or to otherwise
take a break from everyday contact with
the rest of the world in an idyllic setting.
Breiðavík: When You Really,
Really Need To Get Away
From It All
Distance from Reykjavík: ca. 450 km Distance from Reykjavík: ca. 170 km
A trip to the capital of the Westfjords,
Ísafjörður, is a worthwhile journey as the
town and its surroundings offer plenty
of activities for travellers. The town is
renowned for being a mix of a thriving
fishing and music community and is for
example home to the annual music fes-
tival Aldrei fór ég suður, growing in size
and popularity every year. The nearby
mountains and valleys boast many sce-
nic hiking trips, after which you can relax
at a downtown café with a drink in hand
and chat with friendly locals.
The small village of Stykkishólmur is
considered one of the more magi-
cal municipalities in the country. Sur-
rounded by historical sites and natural
beauty, the town is located on the north
shore of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The
small and colourful houses are built
around the harbour where fishing boats
are docked alongside cruise ships and
ferries. The town is the gateway to the
Breiðarfjörður islands and several com-
panies organise daily sight-seeing trips
among the thousands of small islands
where one can spot wild birds flying
around the boat while tasting freshly
caught scallops.
Ísafjörður Stykkishólmur
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