They say the most beautiful and wild part of Iceland are the Westfjords. Unfortunately, we didn´t visit them (so we have to come back), but we were charmed by the North with its beautiful fjords, super clear glacier rivers, hot tubs on every corner, nice people and laid back atmosphere.
Before getting to the gems of nature, I would like to mention one landmark, though. And that is the Þingeyrarklausturskirkja church. Even though you probably can´t pronounce it, it is worth the small detour from the ring road. It is a stone church from the 19th century build on a site of a monastery, with beautiful painted decorations and an altar which was brought there from England.
Further to the east, there is a natural bath called Grettislaug. There are two outdoor pools and a little lobby where you pay the entrance fee. One of the pools is slightly hotter than the other and both of them provide great relaxation. Beware wandering off to the adjacent meadow as you might get attacked by the arctic tern, as we did. They lay tiny green eggs there and would stop at nothing to protect them.
South from here, at the end of the fjord, is the town of Sauðárkrókur. Climb the small hill above the town to enjoy spectacular views. Once you get down, you can get a lunch at Ólafhús, very good restaurant in a nice blue house. They offer a lunch buffet for a very reasonable price, with soup, meat, pizza, salad and dessert, all you can eat. In the town, there is also find a fish tannery factory which organises tours and sells various products made from fish skin. It is called the Gestastofa Sútarans and if you would be interested in visiting, check their website for times of the tour. If you have a Dior fish skin wallet, the material probably comes from here.
If you take the route 76, you will arrive at Hofsós, a small town where local women were disappointed with the fact that they have nowhere to swim, so they organised the construction of Hofsós Sundlaug, a swimming pool located just above the fjord. It is not an infinity pool, but almost, and you can get beautiful views of the fjord here as well as enjoy a swim in a 25m heated pool.
Further north you will pass by a beautiful lagoon and eventually also by Guesthouse Gimbur. This guesthouse has one of the most beautifull views of the midnight sun we have seen. Plus you can watch it from a hot tub 🙂 Just next to the guesthouse, you can come near a steaming hot spring coming from the adjacent hill.
A little bit more to the east is the Langhus farm. The Swedish owners have a herd of beautiful Icelandic horses and organise tours for experienced riders as well as for people who never sat atop a horse´s back. If this is your case, as it was for us, they will explain you everything, you will try to ride your horse in the ring, and then off you go for about 2,5 hours lasting tour through the valley. They offer different tours as well, so you can choose what suits you the best. It is a completely different experience of the nature than any other means of transport and I highly recommend you try it.
