Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Day 3: Þingvellir to Arnarstapi
The Snæfellsnes peninsula is often referred to as 'Iceland in miniature'. Starting our trip here gave us an idea of what we were going to encounter on the rest of the island: lava fields, black sand beaches, waterfalls, valcanoes and glaciers.
Specific sights on the peninsula include:
Eldborg crater
Gerðuberg basalt columns
Kirkjufell mountain
Snæfellsjökull National Park
Djúpalónssandur & Dritvik black sand beaches
Arnarstapi & Hellnar fishing villages
Eat
Stay
Westfjords
Day 4: Arnarstapi to Patreksfjörður
The Westfjords is one of the most remote locations in an already remote country. There are two ways to get to the Westfjords from the Snæfellsnes peninsula; ferry or drive. The ferry only crosses once daily outside of the summer months and the timing did not work for us. We also thought we would see more of the landscape by driving. The drive turned out to be one of the most exhilarating that we have ever been on. The roads are steep and winding, not to mention you are driving on gravel a lot of the time. As we drove up and down the coastline of each fjord, we couldn't help pulling over frequently to take in the amazing views.
Eat & STAY
Day 5: Patreksfjörður to Heydalur
To do a full circle of the Westfjords, you have to take mountain roads between Þingeyri and Flókalundur on Route 60, which are closed most of winter. Thankfully the snow hadn't arrived yet and we were able to continue up north past Ísafjörður, the largest town in the Westfjords.
Eat & Stay
There are not many places to stay past Ísafjörður but we wanted to keep driving. After some research, we found Country Hotel Heydalur, a guesthouse on a farm. You have to get off the main road, Route 61, and take a gravel road until you reach the end of the fjord.
