Pixiq

So far in this ongoing series, we've looked at the Reykjanes peninsula and the south coast of Iceland. In this third installment, I'm going to take you on a short trip from Reykjavík up to the Snæfellsnes peninsula.  As you can see on the map below, this outcrop is bypassed when travelling along Þjóðvegur 1 (National Road #1), shown in yellow. This is also called the "circle road", as it traces a rough circle all the way around Iceland.   Snæfellsnes is definitely worth checking out though, so it makes a perfect destination if you're short on time and can only fit in a day or overnight trip by car from the Reykjavík area.

Hvalfjörður

Also bypassed by this main road is Hvalfjörður ("Whale Fjord") ,  thanks to the Hvalfjarðargöng tunnel which opened 10 years or so back.  Before then, anyone on their way up north had to either take the tedious and often treacherous road through Hvalfjörður, or take a ferry from Reykjavík to Akranes and continue on from there.   The tunnel cuts about 45 minutes of travel time and is obviously a good choice if you're in a hurry. 
I have to confess I'm not a fan of undersea tunnels as I'm rather claustrophobic, and never feel at ease driving through.  Using the tunnel costs roughly the same as the gas spent driving through the fjord, so I tend to opt for the longer route if I have time.  Hvalfjörður is also a great place for spotting and photographing horses and sometimes cows.  The following images are all taken in this area.

Three of these images are available in print

Glymur

Hidden away in Hvalfjörður and easily overlooked is Iceland's highest waterfall, Glymur. I attempted to make the hike up there last October, and it turned out to be a little trickier than I'd anticipated.  I'll  swallow my pride here and admit that I turned back before actually reaching the waterfall. Lame as it sounds,  I forgot to bring my hiking poles (please don't laugh, although my boyfriend did before agreeing to turn around.)  In my opinion these are better to have along when attempting to clamber up and down incredibly steep inclines covered with loose gravel with nothing to hold on to. Unless you enjoy tempting fate, in which case I have only one thing to say: 127 hours.  Seriously though, people have died or been seriously injured from falling while making this hike, so caution is advised.  The area is incredibly beautiful, and I'm definitely going back soon to do this properly.

Borgarnes

Shortly after leaving Hvalfjörður, you'll reach the town of Borgarnes.   There's a really nice park here, Skallagrímsgarður,  that not everyone is aware of, great for a picnic if the weather is nice.  I recommend checking that out after making a pit stop at Hyrnan, a rest stop/grocery store/restaurant you can't miss when passing through.

On to Snæfellsnes

When driving out of Borgarnes, instead of continuing along Rd #1, you'll make a left to continue on to Snæfellsnes.  (I believe the sign says "Stykkishólmur" but I may be wrong).
 Shortly after making this turn, you'll pass by a rather lovely waterfall which I can't remember the name of:

Obviously I can't mention every single spot worth looking at, so instead I'll take a detailed look at a couple of places that really stand out for me.

Hótel Búðir

This is one of Icelands finest hotels, and probably boasts the most spectacular location.  I had the pleasure of staying here twice while on assignment,  and I like the place and the staff so much I can't help but recommend it if you can afford it.  The food here is exceptional.

There's a church as well, so you might want to have this place in mind if you're planning on getting married in Iceland, as did this Swiss/German couple I photographed in 2009.

The nearby beach is quite unique, with black lava formations contrasting against the pale sand, which is rare in Iceland.  Just an amazing place. Period.

Image on the right is available in print

Djúpalónssandur

This is an unusual beach right at the tip of the peninsula.  Unlike the beach at Búðir, this one , contrary to the "sand" at the end of its name, is a broad expanse of small, smooth stones.  In order to reach the beach you first pass through a mossy area profuse with berries. (Remember to bring some empty containers if you're here in berry season) 

Trivia: When you reach the beach itself, you'll come across four very large stones.  These were, as the story goes, used by fishermen to test their strength.

More trivia: Scattered here and there along the beach are what at first glance appear to be large random chunks of rusty metal, but are in fact the remains of a British ship that met its end off the coast back in the 40's, and washed ashore.  (Why this wasn't cleaned up when it happened is a mystery to me.)  Anyway, if you're in the area, check this place out, it's special.

I'll end this by only briefly mentioning Snæfellsjökull,  a glacier topped mountain visible from most anywhere on the peninsula, and all the way from Reykjavík on clear days.  If you saw the movie Journey to the center of the earth,  you may remember that this was the mountain into which they climbed.   I'm planning on hiking up it soon, and will write about that when I have pictures of it. 

A few places you might want to look up, for possible accomodation or just sightseeing:

Langaholt (I've camped there once)
Lýsuhóll (I've heard there's a greenish thermal pool here that's rather popular)
Hellnar   (I blogged about this place a couple years back, it's nice)
Arnarstapi
Grundarfjörður
Hellissandur
Stykkishólmur

Happy travels..