Snæfellsnes Peninsula

David and I dedicated a full day to drive around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The peninsula is nicknamed ‘a mini Iceland’ due to its diverse landscape of volcanic peaks, dramatic sea cliffs, black sand beaches, and rocky lava fields. This was our first true dose of Iceland. In a single day, we were able to experience so many quintessential Icelandic activities.

We left our hotel in Borgarnes, veered off the Ring Road, and followed Rte 54 around the peninsula. Our first stop was the Church of Búðir, located in an old abandoned fishing village near the bay. The small black-and-white church sat in the middle of a lava field, with surrounding views of the water and Snæfellsnes Mountains. As David and I hiked around the mossy lava rocks, we were in awe of the vast landscape and how absolutely quiet it was. It felt like we were the only ones on the island, with not one car, building, or person in sight.

Continuing west on Rte 574, we headed to the Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge. A short trail by the road led us to a massive crack in Mount Botnsfjall, where a secret grotto was hidden inside. As we walked up to the ominous dark crack in the earth with birds circling the entrance, it felt like we were in a video game, about to infiltrate the boss’ castle. To reach the grotto, we had to manuever up the narrow river flowing out of the gorge. Inside its mossy walls was a small landing that overlooked a waterfall. It was hard to believe that this little gem was hidden in plain sight right off of the main road.

We made a brief stop in the fishing village of Arnarstapi. It was small town, with a handful of classic Icelandic cottages nestled below a troll-like monument depicting the region’s guardian spirit. Just up the road was the town of Hellnar, where we stopped for lunch at the Fjöruhúsið Café. The tiny, red-roofed building overlooked a giant sea cave, and served some of the best food we had in Iceland. We sat on the crowded outdoor patio next to a couple visiting from NYC, and exchanged stories about our Icelandic adventures. We walked off our lunch by exploring the sea cave, and the coastal trail behind it.

The next twenty miles of Rte 574 traveled through Snæfellsjökull National Park, which encompasses the entire western tip of the peninsula. With a love for our national parks back home, we were excited to explore our second national park in another country!

The first site we visited inside the park was Djúpalónssandur Beach. The beach was very rugged – lined with sharp, rocky cliffs and jagged sea stacks. As we stumbled across a field of black stones towards the water, we passed the ruins of a shipwreck washed onshore. There was also a line of large, round stones where fishing crews once tested their strength; if they couldn’t lift the stones they were deemed unsuitable for life at sea. David claimed he had nothing to prove, and just walked right pass them. Just minutes after we finally made it onto the soft, black sand by the ocean, a large sneaker wave quickly swept inland. I managed to stay dry, but others (including David) weren’t so lucky. Thankfully David was wearing his waterproof boots!

Ancient craters are a common sight in Iceland, but the Saxhöll Crater is a little different. This scoria crater had a metal staircase that wrapped around to the very top, with views inside of the crater and the nearby Neshraun lava flows.

Rounding the northern edge of the peninsula, the Snæfellsjökull volcano came into view! It had been hiding behind clouds all day, but there was finally a small sliver of clear sky that revealed the massive glacier sitting on top of the mountain. And it was perfect timing – it gave us an amazing backdrop to the Ingjaldshóll Church, believed to be the oldest concrete church in the world.

I was very excited pulling up to Kirkjufellfoss. This is one of the most iconic shots in Iceland. I’ve seen a hundred photos of the falls with the pointed Kirkjufell Mountain towering in the background, and now I was able to capture it myself. We spent a good amount of time exploring around the waterfall, waiting for the remaining people to leave. After I got my photo and was heading back to the car, we noticed a couple getting ready to be married infront of the falls. I couldn’t think of a better place in Iceland to get married than at sunset by Kirkjufell.

David and I knew we were losing daylight fast, so to finish our day on the peninsula, we took a quick drive through the coastal town of Stykkishólmur. It was situated along a natural harbor, full of classic Norwegian homes, and a futuristic church that didn’t quite fit in. Just outside of town was Helgafell, a small holy mountain that once housed a temple dedicated to Thor. And with the last bit of sunlight left, we headed back south to our hotel in Borgarnes.