Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.05.2018, Page 26

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Iceland 2018
26
From Sea To Sky
Twenty-four hours of Icelandic
wonders
Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photos: Art Bicnick
Snæfellsnes is oft called the
“Iceland in miniature,” a name
that refers to the fact that a day
trip there affords visitors most
of the natural phenomena that
Iceland is famous for. There are
black sand beaches, geothermal
hot pools, a glacier, a volcano
beneath said glacier, as well as
sprawling valleys, vast grass-
lands, picturesque fishing vil-
lages, and rugged lava fields. It’s
pretty much a stopover travel-
lers dream but doesn’t have the
same overwhelming concentra-
tion of tourists like the Golden
Circle. In Snæfellsnes, yours will
often be the only car on a moun-
tain road, and you might get
some privacy while you dip your
toes into the Atlantic at one of
the peninsula’s many beaches. It
harkens back to a simpler time,
before cheap airfares.
Our trip there began with
another facet of the mini-Ice-
land experience. The weather
was balmy when we set out from
Reykjavík, but as we reached the
halfway point of Borgarnes, the
heavens opened, and we were
quickly enveloped by a snow-
storm. It was exciting, and
vaguely terrifying, but we cau-
tiously continued on our way,
marvelling at how the whole
environment can change from
moment to moment. The black
lava fields turned into white
badlands until we abruptly left
the snowy area, and they resur-
faced through a murky fog.
A feast for Frigg
Nevertheless, we arrived at the
seaside town of Stykkishólmur
right on time, scrambling on
board the infamous “Viking Su-
shi” pleasure boat. After casting
off from Stykkishólmur’s se-
cluded harbour, the ship mean-
dered around the Breiðafjörður
bay, stopping every so often to
Distance from
Reykjavík:
150km
How to get there:
Take Route One north then
Routes 54, 55, and Route 54
Car provider: gocarrental.is
Hotel: hotelbudir.is
One of the most beautiful places in Iceland,
just two hours drive from Reykjavik.
A charming atmosphere, and a restaurant
known for its exquisite cuisine.
REMOTE LUXURY
hotelbudirhotelbudirhotelbudir.is budir@budir.is +354 435 6700
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