Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.02.2018, Qupperneq 49

4.8
4.9

Hað Bláa
The Blue Sea
restaurant with a view
483-1000 • hafidblaa.is
5 minutes from Eyrarbakki
at the Ölfusá bridge
483-3330 • raudahusid.is
10 minutes from Selfoss
and Highway 1 in Eyrarbakki
open daily 11:30-22:00
Traveling the south coast or Golden Circle?
Reykjavík
Eyrarbakki
Keavík
International
Airport
Vík

Island Life
Hot news from the Icelandic countryside
Words: Alice Demurtas
Picks: Best Of Iceland
A selection of winners from our Best Of Iceland travel magazine
East: Best Road Trip
Lagarfljót
Lagarfljot is a lake surrounded
by interesting features. You can
hike to the Hengifoss waterfall,,
and visit the historical Skriðuk-
laustur museum and the Vallanes
farm; Guttormslundur is a grove
of trees that are unusually tall
for Iceland. Across the water
l ies the countr y ’s largest for-
est of Hallormstaður, which has
walking trails, great views, and
the Atlav í k campi ng g round.
South: Best Hotel
(Luxury Pick) - Rangá

Many country hotels are rela-
tively plain, but Rangá boasts a
4-star rating. “They have grand
rooms,” said the panel, “and they
were about fifteen years ahead of
their time.” As with all fancy ho-
tels, it’s pricey, but the beautiful
surroundings, fancy restaurant,
affordable bistro menu and next-
level service are worth it.
North: Best Pool
Hofsós Pool
The pool at Hofsós is situated just
at the edge of a cliff at the edge of
town; there’s no fence, and the views
extend out to the island Drangey
and beyond, all the way to the cliffs
on the far shores of Skagafjörður.
An infinity pool, North Iceland
style. “I’d drive hours to get there,
especially at sunrise or sunset,” one
of our panellists said; the others
murmured approvingly.
West: Best Hotel
(Luxury Pick) -
Hotel Búðir,
Snæfellsnes

Hotel Búðir’s environs will take
your breath away, from the historic
church to the opportunity for sand
dune walks, coastal hikes and sea-
swimming. It has a vintage feel with
taxidermied raptors, and a telescope
overlooking the bay. The rooms are
cosy, and the restaurant is a destina-
tion in itself.
The Icelandic
government
recently set up
a council to found
a new National Park in
the Highlands. The park
would include the area of Vatna-
jökull, and is set to open in 2020.
This is great news for the environ-
ment but may disappoint entrepreneurs.
In fact, talks of building a new highway right
through the Highlands have been ongoing for a
year. The committee will soon pinpoint the boundaries of the park, as
well as the conservation areas that will be included. Minister for the
Environment and Natural Resources Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson
called the Highlands National Park Iceland’s “greatest contribution to
nature conservation so far.”
Prolific cows have brought joy to North and East Iceland. A 2017 report on milk production notes
the cows that produced the most milk are located in Brúsastaðir in Vatnsdal, in the north. Gróa
and Sigurður, who own the farm in question, were “happy and proud” of their bountiful beasts.
The prize for the most fruitful single animal, however, went to cow number 851 in Breiðdal, in the
east, who produced 14,199kg of milk in a year. Farmer Gunnlaugur Ingólfsson wasn’t surprised:
“851 showed potential
from day one when
it produced 37 Kg of
milk.” 851 is currently
resting because of
mastitis, but we
wish it a speedy
recovery!
Every time we
think we’ve
heard it all
when it
comes
to tourist
misbehaviour,
a new story pops
up. This time, a
group visit-
ing Gullfoss
waterfall
decided to ignore a
sign that said “Area Closed!
Unsafe Conditions.” The
area was closed to
visitors because of a
large, unstable block
of ice that had formed
on the path. Nonetheless,
in a video that was leaked to visir.
is by a tour guide, tourists are seen
climbing over the sign. Nobody was
hurt but as always, we advise visi-
tors to engage their brains when
the situation calls for it.
49 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 02 — 2018