Since the severe weather is still raging in South Iceland, with major roads on our proposed route being closed due to flooded rivers we decided to head North with our new rental car, retracing our route on the bikes but this time with the freedom to take all the side roads. We arrived in Borgarnes around 1pm to check out their local craft market and stock up on groceries, then used the rest of our daylight to make a short side trip down Road 52 to the east. We planned to follow the dirt road all the way to the border of Western and Southern Iceland, and search for a hidden hot spring along the way. One of the things we were looking forward to the most on this trip was all of the geothermal activity and the numerous hot pools hidden all over the country.
About 1/3 of the way down the road there was a little pull off, and a short trail through some trees led us to Krosslaug hot pool, a small hot spring feeding a stone depression big enough for maybe four people (if they knew eachother well). We had it all to ourselves, and it was late enough in the day and far enough off the beaten path that we didn't expect any company. After a short soak we followed the dirt road all the way to the boundary line on top of a knoll with a gorgeous view, then drove back to Borgarnes to camp for the night.
The next morning we drove north out of town to spend the day on the Snaefellsjokull Penninsula. Our first thought was to look for the Landbrotalaug hot spring but when we found it there were several cars there, and as its only large enough for two people we decided to pass. We did explore an abandoned farm house on the same road that had some amazing grafitti art inside, so the detour was still worth it.
The next morning we drove north out of town to spend the day on the Snaefellsjokull Penninsula. Our first thought was to look for the Landbrotalaug hot spring but when we found it there were several cars there, and as its only large enough for two people we decided to pass. We did explore an abandoned farm house on the same road that had some amazing grafitti art inside, so the detour was still worth it.
| Our next stop was Gerduberg cliffs where we hiked along the bottom of the long line of basalt columns and enjoyed a few handfuls of bilberries, closely related to blueberries, that turned our tongues bright blue. We then turned onto Route 54 which runs along the southern coast of the peninsula with the ocean to our left and huge cliffs with waterfalls to our right. We caught a few glimpses of the snowy peak of Snaefellsjokull glacier before the road climbed into the mountains and cut across the peninsula to the North. When we got to the other side we turned left onto road 574 to make the loop around the end of the peninsula and circling the glacier. We stopped for the night in Olafsvik where we set up our tent next to some fantastic lava formations with a great view of the ocean. | |
The next morning we continued around the road, driving through intermittent rain and clouds so low we couldn't see the glacier. We stopped at Saxholl, a 109 meter tall crater that last erupted 3,000 years ago and took a short hike up the steps wrapping around the crater to enjoy the view from the top. When we arrived back on the South coast we stopped at the National Park Visitor Center that had some great information about the surrounding environment and the culture and lifestyle of the people that first settled the area. We took a nice walk along the beach towards some towering rock formations in the distance and then took a few turns on the playground zipline before getting back in the car to finish the loop. When we joined back up with road 54 we crossed back North over the mountains and this time turned right to head back East towards the mainland. We stopped to hike to Raudfeldar canyon, a giant fissure in the cliff wall with a stream running out of it, and we hiked in and up the stream as far as we could go without getting wet.
| Our next stop was the Bjarnhofn shark museum to learn about how they make fermented shark. They no longer hunt sharks for food in Iceland, instead they purchase sharks that are accidentally caught in the nets of fishing vessels. Ironically, they only use the Greenland shark, whose meat is so poisonous it would kill you to eat it raw. The sharks have very small kidneys, so the meat is full of ammonia and also another substance that acts as antifreeze, since they live in such cold waters and don't have a fat layer to keep them warm. The meat must be buried underground and allowed to ferment which takes care of the antifreeze and draws the ammonia out of the meat, and then it is hung to dry in open air sheds so the ammonia can evaporate off. | |
The end product is a white meat with the consistency and smell of the sort of fancy cheese that no one likes to smell. We got to sample a few pieces of the fermented meat, which is usually eaten as a snack or delicacy, not as a full meal. Surprisingly we both liked the taste, although we were careful not to breath too deeply when eating it because the ammonia smell can still make your eyes water.
We left the peninsula and finished out the day with a visit to the Gudrunarlaug hot pool, located on a beautiful hillside with a nice view of the valley, a waterfall nearby and a little turf building to change in. We had company, but the pool was big enough to share and we stayed until nearly sunset before driving North to Holmavik to spend the night
We left the peninsula and finished out the day with a visit to the Gudrunarlaug hot pool, located on a beautiful hillside with a nice view of the valley, a waterfall nearby and a little turf building to change in. We had company, but the pool was big enough to share and we stayed until nearly sunset before driving North to Holmavik to spend the night
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