DAY 08, 09, 10 // as we started to explore the North Western side of Iceland – the weather got increasingly worse each day. It was extremely windy, rainy, and cold for most of the day and then for few seconds the sun would shine. Typical Iceland weather! After leaving the Mývatn, we headed towards Akureyri.
Akureyri is Iceland’s 2nd largest urban area outside of Reykjavik. It is also known as the capital of the North. Here we stocked up on groceries and spent time strolling around downtown. Once we decided on a popular location for tourists, we drove to get some afternoon coffee. Once we arrived, we walked through the beautiful botanical garden and spotted Cafe Laut. Such a pretty building! Before we headed out, we went to the visitor center to plan for the next location. Y and I were debating if we should spend a day in the Westfjords or head to the Western peninsula before heading back to Reykjavik.
The Westfjords is a bit more difficult to travel to only because the roads require a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Most of the road conditions are not paved and very limited. However, there are certain paths you would be allowed to drive through with a 2 wheel drive, but those are limited as well. For us, we decided we would save the Westfjords for our next visit and continue towards the West on the Ring Road. One of the locals suggested we visit the town’s swimming pool in Hofsos swimming pool, which was one of the most beautiful and scenic outdoor pools we visited. It has views for miles while it overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. It was extremely cold and windy but we braved the weather for a moment before we jumped into the heated pool. Overall, it was a lovely experience and I highly recommend going if you pass by!
On the way out west to the peninsula you’ll pass Gerouberg, a wall of beautiful basalt columns, forming geometric patterns in the cliffs. Hop out and explore a little – you can climb to the top like Y did or hang out below. From here continue west towards the Snæfellsjökull Peninsula.
The weather was nasty here – we basically sat in the car till the rain stopped. We wandered around the area and walked down to the black beach. The little black church is in village of Buðir.
My favorite spot on this end of the Snæfellsjökull National Park was this location in Djúpalónssandur. It literally felt like I was in a troll world. We walked down to the beach path from this area. Definitely hope to go back here when the weather is better so we can explore further.
