Touring Iceland from cities to farms
Iceland, the “Land of Fire and Ice”, is best known for its wild natural beauty with volcanoes and glaciers, snow-covered mountains, waterfalls, rugged coast, and fjords. We wrote about these aspects in our previous posts about Iceland’s natural beauty and outdoor adventure excursions. But our Collette Best of Iceland small group explorations tour also gave us a chance to learn about the country’s heritage and culture, and enjoy Icelandic cuisine. We visited cities and villages, traveled through vast areas of pastoral countryside, and met local families on their sheep, horse, and goat farms.
Reykjavik and picturesque towns
Older district of Reykjavik city center
Reykjavik
Our tour of Iceland began and ended in Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital city. Our time there was well-spent, beginning with a great walking tour with an engaging local guide. Rainbow Street (also known as by its official name Skólavörðustígur Street), is lined with shops and restaurants and leads to Hallgrimskirkja church at the top and Laugavegur, a main shopping street, at the bottom. It was first painted for a Pride festival several years ago and has remained as a “sign of joy and support for diversity”.
Local guide on Rainbow Street
Hallgrimskirkja is an iconic landmark of Reykjavik and is open to the public when there are no services or events. From the a viewing area on the 8th floor of the tower (accessible by a lift) you can see panoramic views of the city, harbor, and beyond. (The photo below was taken from the tower.)
Reykjavik — view from Hallgrimskirja tower
Walking the older district near the harbor, we saw the many wooden houses most dating to the mid-to-late 19th century. It was common to see a common exterior of colored corrugated metal.
We had some free time in Reykjavik after the tour and we spent it on a long walk along the coast of Faxaflói Bay and along the harbor. We enjoyed the sunny day viewing the bay and snow-covered mountains on the opposite shore and a striking abstract aluminum sculpture of a Viking ship. Prominently positioned on the harbor is the contemporary Harpa Concert Hall.
Scenes of Reykjavik
It was also fun to interact with local high school graduate hopefuls who were in small groups throughout Reykjavik on traditional pre-finals scavenger hunts dressed in creative costumes with members of each group wearing the same costume. We participated in the festivities on a public square when one group wearing purple hoodie coveralls got us to join in an impromptu conga. (A photo of two of the grads lifting one of our tour members is shown above top left.)
Reykjavik restaurant tip:
We had two included dinners of great traditional Icelandic dishes at Kopar and Höfnin, both located along the harbor. During time on our own, we had a delicious meal of fresh grilled wolf fish at Seabaron, a small casual restaurant also at the harbor. Before dinner, we enjoyed a glass of wine at Forréttabarinn at Nýlendugata 14, a restaurant frequented by locals that was recommended by hotel staff.
Kopar restaurant in Reykjavik
Húsavík
I loved our time in Húsavík, a pretty town of 2,500 people. We had become aware of Húsavík from the Will Farrell movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga where we saw many scenes of the town and Skjálfandi Bay. It was our furthest north destination of the tour at the edge of the Arctic Circle.
It was in Húsavík that we embarked on our whale-watching cruise which you can read about in our previous post: Exploration and Relaxation — Collette Tour Excursions in Iceland
Húsavík
Side trip from Húsavík — Grenjaðarstaður
We had an interesting look into the past with a visit to Grenjaðarstaður, a turf house settlement. The method of constructing turf homes goes back to the earliest settlements in Iceland, though only a few have survived and those were constructed in the 1800s like the one we saw at Grenjaðarstaður. Turf homes were typically built with a birch frame and then the walls and roof were made of turf. Given the available materials at the time, this was ideal for withstanding the harsh climate.
The turf house of Grenjaðarstaður
Up to 30 people lived in the turf homes of Grenjaðarstaður. Built in 1865, it is considered a palace of its time. It was composed of small and specialized interconnected buildings (an evolution from the original large Viking-style turf houses in the 1300s) with a wooden floor throughout. Tunnels from the 14th to 18th centuries were used to connect the front of the house to the inner rooms, the entrance and communal room (heart of the turf house), kitchen, and pantry. Over 2,000 artifacts in the rooms make it easy to imagine what life was like there.
Grenjaðarstaður turf settlement church
Free time in Húsavík
After a great day of activities scheduled by Collette — whale watching and the side trip to the Grenjaðarstaður turf settlement — we had time on our own to enjoy a hilltop spa and have a romantic dinner.
GeoSea spa, on a hilltop above the town, uses naturally heated seawater that flows straight from the earth into the pools. The views of the sea and snow-capped mountains are spectacular.
GeoSea spa in Husavik
Naustið is a highly-recommended restaurant featuring fresh fish dishes in a charming yellow house in easy walking distance form our hotel, Húsavík Fosshotel.
The yellow house — restaurant in Húsavík
Akureyri
We took a short flight from Reykjavik to Akureyri, Iceland’s fourth largest city and largest outside the capital region, in order to tour northern Iceland. It’s surrounded by mountains and lies at the end of the one of the longest fjords in Iceland, Eyjafjörður, 30 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
Akureyri
Akureyri is referred to by many as a “city of love”. There is a large red heart statue at city center and all traffic stop lights in the city have red hearts that were installed in a campaign called “Smile with Your Heart” to instill positivity during Iceland’s 2008 financial crisis. Behind the TWS duo in the photo below is Akureyrarkirkja, the striking Lutheran church on the hilltop. During our walking tour, we walked down the steps from the church to the city center.
Akureyri, a city of love
We explored the downtown with many shops and restaurants before eating a tasty lunch outdoors on the main street and then finished with a short walk along the bay. We also had time to wander through the Akureyri’s botanical gardens. It was a perfect warm and sunny day to explore the small but beautiful park with a diversity of blooming flowers.
Scenes from Akureyri, Iceland — a city center bistro, botanical garden pathway, colorful blue and red building, Hof Cultural and Conference Centre, St. Peter’s Church
Borgarnes
Borgarnes, known as the gateway to Snaefellsnes National Park, is a town with a population of about 3,800 residents. Borgarnes was our base for two nights and our “Into the Glacier” adventure experience.
Settlement Museum in Borgarnes — Photo credit: Guide to Iceland
There is a small but very interesting and well-designed Settlement Museum showcasing Icelandic heritage in exhibits in two of Borgarnes’s oldest buildings. The Settlement Exhibition covers the discovery of Iceland and the Saga Exhibition showcases the life and adventures of the 10th century Viking poet, warrior, and farmer Egil Skallagrímsson and his family. The creative exhibits are educational and compelling as they recreate life in early Iceland.
Souvenir tip: There is a little shop at the museum with a nice variety of Icelandic souvenirs. We bought a silver Christmas ornament depicting an Icelandic horse, a breed very important to Icelanders.
Enjoying a glass of wine at Hotel Hamar
While in Borgarnes, we had a lovely two-night stay at Hotel Hamar in Borgarnes. We stayed in one of the detached cabins with views of the snow-covered mountains beyond the resort’s 18-hole golf course. After we arrived on the first evening, we had a pleasant walk around the grounds and then enjoyed a glass of wine on the deck of the restaurant where our delicious breakfasts and dinners were also served daily.
Iceland’s farms — it’s about the sheep, horses, and goats
While traveling around Iceland, we were treated to many scenic pastoral vistas, particularly in North Iceland. Making the experience extra special were visits to two farms where we learned about the rich farming heritage of the island.
Sheep and horses in the Norðurland Vestra region
When asked what the book Independent People by Icelandic author Halldór Laxness is about, writer Brad Leithauser replied,
“Sheep…This is a story in which farmers are forever analyzing sheep and examining sheep…”
Of course, the book is about much more (struggles of Icelandic farmers, freedom, survival, etc.) as he then explains, but there is a huge importance of sheep to Iceland and its people. This was apparent to us when we made a special visit to a sheep and horse farm in the Norðurland Vestra region, family owned for generations.
Sheep grazing on the farm
At the Steines farm, we were taken by the stunning beauty of the location, closely bordering a mountain range with a river flowing parallel to the mountains. Our host, the farm’s owner, took time to show us around the grounds and talk about the land, the animals, and the Icelandic way of farm life.
At the time of our visit, the sheep had been lambing for about a month and about 2,000 lambs had already been born. In fact, we saw two lambs who were only four hours old staying close to their mother. We were surprised at how large and agile they were so soon. We were also surprised to learn that almost all the births were twins.
Mama sheep with her newborn lambs
The Norðurland Vestra region is also known for horse breeding. Our host spoke of the farm’s Icelandic horses, with a hundred or so that could be seen running in the distance on both sides of the river, as well as several just behind a nearby fence. He told us the Icelandic horses were a very pure breed which had come across with the Vikings centuries before and never allowed to be crossbred. Though they are small like the Shetland ponies (to which he said they were genetically rated), he said they were horses because of the strength and stamina. They are known also for their friendliness, intelligence, thick coat for enduring harsh winters, and unique gait.
Steines horse farm
It was fun to take a slow ride around the ring on one of the very gentle horses. Our tour manager, Luciana, is an accomplished equestrian and took a longer ride at a full gallop. She looks so comfortable on the beautiful horse she’s riding in the photo below.
Tour manager Luciana riding a horse on the farm in the Norðurland Vestra region
The family also showed us their hospitality providing a snack of Icelandic treats, many homemade on the farm, and included a very smooth taste of vodka.
Jóhanna’s goat farm
Jóhanna’s goat farm
Later on the tour, we met Icelandic farmer Jóhanna Bergmann and her totally cute and fun goats. Jóhanna is credited with helping to save the Icelandic goat from extinction.
Tour manager Luciana walking among Johanna’s goats
We visited Jóhanna’s farm, Háafell, in Borgarbyggð and loved our walk around the farm with Jóhanna’s son. It was a new experience for us to get up close to the younger goats and watch as they played, wandered, and rested.
Jóhanna’s son showing up around the farm
Jóhanna is a gracious host and treated us to a lovely lunch of traditional foods — carrot soup, homemade jams, lamb sausage, and other snacks.
Jóhanna Bergmann talking about her goat farm
Culinary delights
A sampler of Icelandic dishes
Seafood lovers like Mr. TWS have plentiful opportunities to savor fresh fish from the pure Icelandic waters when they visit. If you’re not so much a seafood person (like me), you could be surprised that you may begin to crave it — as long as it’s Icelandic! That aside, organic lamb is another specialty, and it’s absolutely delicious.
Icelandic food collage — see below for descriptions. (hot dog photo credit: Guide to Iceland)
At the horse breeding and sheep farm, one of the traditional specialties our host served was hákarl, fermented shark meat, which is actually Iceland’s official national dish (shown in the collage above — bottom center). I tried it but it’s a taste that must be acquired, I’m told. The vodka helped.
Other tasty dishes shown above (clockwise from top left) include lamb at Höfnin in Reykjavik, mashed cod at Naustið in Husavik, fresh sea urchin roe, river trout at Naustið, ling fish and carrot soup at Kopar in Reykjavik. In the center is the very popular Icelandic hot dog (and considered Iceland’s unofficial national dish). Locally known as pylsa or pulsa, it is a blend of lamb, pork, and beef with a variety of condiments that can be added. It’s found at hot dog stands, restaurants, and convenience stores throughout the country
Tasty excursion — traditional Icelandic lava bread
Have you heard of lava bread? On the shores of Lake Laugarvatn on the Golden Circle of Iceland we visited the Fontana geothermal bakery. Lava bread is an old Icelandic recipe that’s baked in a sealed metal pot before being buried in the hot spring-soaked black earth of this volcanic area. We watched the process as our host took a shovel and dug the pot from the mound of earth, then took it to the shallow water of the lake to cool. On shore, when he removed covering, our mouths were watering. The bread looked and tasted delicious, served hot with Icelandic butter.
Lava bread being made and enjoyed at Fontana geothermal bakery
There’s so much about Iceland that we loved as you can tell from our posts. Check out the itinerary we followed — Best of Iceland.
Thanks for sponsoring our trip with you to Iceland, Collette!
