Snæfellsnes

Snæfellsnes is a long peninsula in West Iceland between Faxaflói to the south and Breiðafjörður to the north. A mountain ridge stretches along the peninsula. Highest is the 1,446 m high conical volcano Snæfellsjökull. 

The northern tip of the peninsula is home to the fishing villages Stykkishólmur, Grundarfjörður, Ólafsvík, Ríf and Hellissandur. To the south there are two villages Arnarstapi and Hellnar. And to the west lie the remains of the villages Dritvík and Beruvík that were abandoned decades ago.
 
Snæfellsnes is 90 km long and right in the middle between Reykjanes and the West Fjords. Along the moountain ridge lie both active and dormant volcanoes – and Snæfellsjökull is also a volcano at the very tip of the peninsula. 
 
Read on about six selected locations near Snæfellsnes: 
 
Eldborg 
On the south side you first reach Eldborg, beautiful little volcano where hundreds of aphyric basalt columns rise from the landscape. Further out on the peninsula the sands of Ytri Tunga beach are home to large seal colonies. 
 
Rauðfeldsgjá 
Then you reach the stunning Rauðfellgjá gorge with its magnificent cliffs. You can walk into the gorge and, if you dare, jump into the currents!
 
After Rauðfeldsgjá you reach the Lóndrangar basalt pinnacles, which are the remains of a volcanic vent. Thousands of marine birds nest there. 

Snæfellsjökull National Park
Then head on to Snæfellsjökull National Park, the smallest of the three national parks in the country. There is plenty to see and experience here.
 
The best known area is Djúpalónssandur with its dark volcanic matter. It is most famous for the four boulders people have competed to lift over the centuries. Seafarers used the boulders to display strength and toughen up for life at sea. 

The National Park also features two eruptive rock caves, which are accessible in summer. Songhelli is named for its echo. The other cave, Vatnshellið, is easily accessible and colourful. Visitors are charged a small fee. There is no access without a travel guide. 
 
Snæfellsjökull 
The highlight is without a doubt Snæfellsjökull. The adventures in Jules Verne’s ‘A Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ start here. It is often reread in the lesser known book ‘Under the Glacier’ published by Nobel prize winner Halldór Laxness in 1968. 

Berserkjareyn 
To the north on the peninsula is Berserkjahreyn, a lava field near Bjarnarhöfn. The most remarkable part is the mountain, Kirkjufell. It is often said to be the most photographed mountain in Iceland. It is the arrow-shaped mountain in the hit HBO TV series Game of Thrones. 
 
Traditional villages
There are also several picturesque villages in Snæfellsnes. Most are located to the north. These are great places for fishing. The villages are: Arnarstapi, Hellnar, Búðir, Hellissandur, Ólafsvík, Grundarfjörður and Stykkishólmur
 
Stykkishólmur is popular for its volcanic museum. Visitors also catch the ferry, Baldur, here to visit Flatey Island with its deep roots in history. 
 
Other notable village museums are located in Ólafsvík. 
 
Last, but not least, we should mention the hákall museum in Bjarnarhöfn. Here you can sample the Icelandic delicatessen well fermented Greenland shark.