Attractions: 
Snæfellsnes is a large peninsula extending from West Iceland, often nicknamed ‘Iceland in Miniature’ due to the wealth and diversity of natural features found there.
Home to the Snæfellsjökull National Park, at the centre of which is a subglacial volcano that towers over the scenery, this peninsula is home to waterfalls, rock formations, beautiful beaches, historic villages, and intricate folklore.
In particularly clear weather, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula can sometimes be seen from Reykjavík, making views across the water from the capital of Iceland particularly beautiful. Those with an extended stay in Iceland are recommended to look into spending at least a day here.
Natural Sites of Snaefellsnes
The peninsula stretches 90 kilometres (56 miles) from West Iceland, between the Reykjanes Peninsula to the south and Westfjords to the north. A mountain range runs along with it, consisting of both active and dormant volcanoes, culminating at the magnificent, ice-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano.
Starting along the south side of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, you will first come to the Eldborg crater, which can be scaled for some incredible views, and the Gerðuberg basalt cliffs, where hundreds of hexagonal basalt columns are arranged with geometric precision. You will then start hugging the coast, where animal-lovers can find the Ytri-Tunga beach and its year-round seal colony.
The next site of particular natural beauty is the Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge, a cleft in a huge cliff face that it is possible to climb into. A stream runs through here, so those who want to plumb its depths will get wet. Those with decent clothing, sturdy shoes and reasonable fitness, however, will be able to get quite far.
After Rauðfeldsgjá, you will come to the mighty basalt plugs of Lóndrangar. All that remains of what was once a massive crater, these two enormous pillars are not only awe-inspiring in their scale, but home to thousands of nesting seabirds.
You will then enter Snæfellsjökull National Park, which, in spite of being the smallest of the country’s three national parks, is pregnant with destinations worth visiting.
The most historic of these is Djúpalónssandur beach. Comprised of black, volcanic sands, it is best known for the four lifting stones that remain on the beach from a bygone age. Fishermen would use these stones to mark their strength and gage their suitability to working on the dangerous waves.
Within the National Park are also two lava caves that can be entered in summer. Sönghellir is renowned for the musical qualities of its echoes, whereas Vatnshellir is favoured for its easy access and vivid colouration. There is a small entry fee to the latter, and you cannot enter it without a guide.
Of course, however, the highlight of this part of the Peninsula is no doubt Snæfellsjökull itself. Even if you are not ascending it on a glacier hiking tour, it is worth stopping by to marvel at.
This is particularly the case for literature enthusiasts. The adventure in the Jules Verne novel ‘A Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ begins here, and it is the backdrop to the lesser-known novel ‘Under the Glacier’, by Nobel-Prize winning Icelander, Halldór Laxness.
On the north side of the peninsula is the haunting Berserkjahraun lava field, near the town of Bjarnarhöfn, the history of which weaves deception and murder. Most notable on this stretch, however, is the mountain Kirkjufell, often described as the most photographed mountain in Iceland, and known as "the mountain shaped like an arrowhead" from the popular HBO series, Game of Thrones.
Cultural Sites of Snaefellsnes
There are a few small and beautiful villages dotted across the peninsula, the majority of which are on the northern side, where the fishing is better. Most notable are Arnarstapi, Hellnar, Búðir, Hellissandur, Ólafsvík, Grundarfjörður and Stykkishólmur.
The last of these is highly popular for travellers, featuring a volcano museum and a ferry that takes you across the fascinating Breiðafjörður bay to the south border of the Westfjords with a stop at the remote island of Flatey.
Other museums of note are the Maritime Museum at Hellissandur, the regional museum at Ólafsvík, and, last but not least, the shark museum at Bjarnarhöfn, where you can taste the Icelandic ‘delicacy’, hákarl, or fermented shark.
Reykjanes is a peninsula in south-west Iceland, characterised by immense lava fields, volcanoes and heightened geothermal activity.
Volcanic & Geothermal Activity
The Reykjanes Peninsula runs along the Mid-Atlantic Rift, where the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates are drifting apart. Due to this geological setting, the whole peninsula is extremely volcanically active, covered with lava fields, and eruptions and earthquakes are very common here.
During the Middle Ages, many eruptions occurred in Reykjanes, but no eruptions have been recorded here for the last 500 years. This is simply a period of dormancy, however; they could start again at any time.
Earthquakes are still common. In 2001, one occurred beneath the lake Kleifarvatn and drained it to the extent that it lost 25 per cent of its surface area. Since then, hot springs have been bubbling beneath its surface.
The main geothermal areas of Reykjanes, however, are Gunnuhver, Krýsuvik and Svartsengi. Various mud pools and fumaroles can be seen at Gunnuhver, while Krýsuvik is characterised by hot springs and mud pots that bestow multicoloured hues upon the soil.
The green crater lake Grænavatn is also an impressive sight.
Svartsengi is home to a geothermal power station that produces 76.5 MW of electricity from the 475 litres of 90° C water that gushes from the earth per second.
The mineral-rich surplus water fills up the Blue Lagoon spa.
Nature & Wildlife
Reykjanes' cliffs are teeming with birdlife. Its best-known bird colony resides in Krýsuvikurbjarg which is the nesting place of approximately eighty thousand seabirds. While puffins are not found here, it is an excellent place to spot cormorants, fulmar, and other such species.
North of Krýsuvíkurbjarg is the aforementioned Kleifarvatn, the largest lake on the peninsula and one of the deepest in Iceland. On the centre of the peninsula is lake Djúpavatn, a popular fishing destination.
Reykjanes is hammered by some of the most breath-taking breaker waves in the world. A short drive from Krýsuvík is Selvogur, where one can witness mighty waves shattering against the rocks. On Reykjanestá, the southwest tip of the peninsula, the waves are known to reach heights of thirty metres (nearly one hundred feet).
Because of this, coastal erosion is constantly ongoing at Reykjanes, and if it were not for the eruptions, it would either be much narrower or simply lost to the seas.
The peninsula's north side is dotted with fishing villages and towns, most notably Keflavík, Sandgerði, Garður and Vogar. Grindavík town is located on the south shore of the peninsula. Together, the towns and towns Keflavík, Njarðvík, Hafnir and Ásbrú make up the municipality Reykjanesbær which consists of just under 16,000 residents, making it the fifth largest municipality in Iceland.
Miðnesheiði
Near Keflavík is the Miðnesheiði heath, where the international airport, Leifsstöð (also known as Keflavíkurflugvöllur, or Keflavík Airport) is located. This is the port of arrival for the vast majority of travellers coming to Iceland.
The World-Famous Spa
On the southern tip of the peninsula is the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, an ideal place for relaxing and bathing and one of the most-visited attractions in Iceland.
Viðey is an island just off the coast of Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital city. It is a popular destination due to its natural beauty, the artworks that have been erected here, and its accessibility and affordability.
The island was once inhabited, even having a monastery, but has long since been deserted. Very few buildings remain here.
Getting to Viðey Island
Boats to Viðey Island throughout the year, leaving from Skarfabakki pier at Sundahöfn harbour. This is just about five kilometres (three miles) from the centre of Reyjavík. The journey takes approximately twenty minutes.
Tickets to Viðey can be bought in isolation, but are included for free on a Reykjavík City Card. These cards provide you with either free access or heavily discounted access to a wealth of the capital’s cultural sites, museums, pools and galleries.
Artwork and Culture at Viðey Island
Viðey is best known internationally as the location for the Imagine Peace Tower. Envisioned and designed by Yoko Ono, it was intended as a tribute both to her late husband John Lennon, from the Beatles, and to their shared vision of a world free of war and united in love.
The tower is only lit at certain times of the year, such as over Lennon’s birthday and other significant events. Yoko Ono regularly comes to Iceland, and often attends the lighting of the tower.
One of the few buildings on the island was the home of ‘the father of Reykjavík, Skuli Magnusson. This house, Videyjarstofa, now displays paintings of renowned Icelandic artists.
The island’s last great artwork was constructed by one of the world's most renowned sculptors, Richard Sierra. It can be found on the west side of the island, and is called Milestones.
Videy also has a graveyard, the final resting place of many known Icelanders. Gunnar Gunnarson, for example, is buried here, a renowned author who wrote novels such as Fjallkirkjan ('The Church on the Mountain'), Svartfugl (The Black Cliffs) and Adventa (The Good Shepherd).
Akurey is an island in Kollafjörður Bay in west Iceland. It is best known for its puffin watching opportunities in summer.
Location of Akurey
Kollafjörður bay borders Reykjavík, and is part of the greater Faxaflói bay. Akurey is one of several islands here, the most popular being Viðey, which is home to the Imagine Peace Tower and the Milestones artwork.
It can be seen from land in clear weather; the best place to see it is from the Seltjarnarnes Peninsula, a few kilometres from the centre of the capital, at the lighthouse of Grótta.
History of Akurey
Akurey is first mentioned in Icelandic writings that date back to 1379, but as Reykjavík was the first part of the country to be permanently settled, it would have been known about for about four centuries before that.
The island was bought in 1969 by the city itself, and became part of the municipality of Reykjavík in 1978. It is not inhabited, but increasingly popular due to its puffin watching opportunities.
Wildlife at Akurey
Sixty percent of the world’s Atlantic puffins nest in Iceland from May to September, and many do so surprisingly close to Reykjavík. Akurey and the isle of Lundey are particularly of note for their density of the birds.
Puffin watching tours departing from Reykjavík harbour go to one of these, depending on conditions. Such tours normally include binoculars to allow you to get close up views of the birds bobbing on the water, circling overhead, or nestling on the rocks with their partners.
Late in the season, you may even see the pufflings. Of course, on these trips, you are also likely to see other seabirds such as guillemots and fulmar.
It takes just a few minutes for a boat to reach such prime puffin watching spots as Akurey. If you wanted to see them but were only travelling by car, you would have to drive over two hours to reach Dyrhólaey, on the South Coast.
At Akurey, lucky visitors may also see a range of creatures in the surrounding waters, such as seals, porpoises, dolphins, and, on rare occasions, whales. In summer, certain whale watching trips incorporate a trip to Akurey as well.
Credit: Wikimedia, Creative Commons, photo by Christian Bickel
Engey is the second largest island in Faxaflói, the bay by which Reykjavík stands.
This landmass is 1.7 kilometres (5,600 ft) long and 400 metres (1,300 ft) wide, yet it is uninhabited; the only building on it is a lighthouse that was first built in 1902.
This was not always the case, however; as far back as 1226, it is thought to have been used for fishing, growing crops, and transporting goods to the Icelandic mainland.
Reykjavík Harbour refers to the Old Harbour and is located close to the centre of the city. It is the main port of departure for whale and puffin watching tours, as well as Northern Lights cruises.
The original purpose of the old harbour was for fisheries and trade; the consequences of the latter is why Reykjavík has such a disproportionately high population when compared to the rest of the country, and why it became the capital. These industries, while still important have given way to tourism in recent years.
Tours from Reykjavik Harbour
Many tours leave from Reykjavík Harbour, some going on throughout the year. The most notable of these are the whale-watching tours. Leaving multiple times a day, the vessels cruise into Faxaflói Bay, where an abundance of creatures dwell. Year-round, harbour porpoises and white-beaked dolphins reside, with the occasional Minke Whale that forgot to follow its migration route. In summer, these are much more abundant, alongside Humpback Whales.
It is also possible, but not common, to see Blue, Fin, Sei and Beaked Whales on these tours, as well as the magnificent Orca (which, unlike the others, prefers to visit in winter).
In summer, puffin watching tours are also available. These go to the isles of Lundy and Akurey, just offshore, where they nest in the thousands. These tours come with binoculars for a close-up view and can sometimes be added onto whale-watching excursions.
In winter, Northern Lights Cruises can offer some of the best opportunities to see the aurora borealis in complete peace and darkness. If visiting over New Year, it is also possible to take a boat out to see the incredible fireworks over Reykjavík.
Sea anglers can also take tours from the Old Harbour, and there are rod rentals on the pier for those who would rather stay routed on lands. Some of the nearby fish restaurants will be happy to cook up your catch for you.
Museums around Reykjavik Harbour
Not only do many tours leave from the Old Harbour, but it is close to many of the city’s most popular museums. The Reykjavík Maritime Museum, for example, is a perfect place to learn about Iceland’s seafaring history and the brave and brutal men and women who populated the island. The Whales of Iceland exhibition, meanwhile, allows guests to better understand the two dozen species of cetacean that call the waters here home.
These museums are all perfect for children, and many are discounted or free with a Reykjavík city card.
Views from Reykjavik Harbour
The views the Old Harbour are some of the best in Reykjavík. Across Faxaflói Bay, passed the docked sailing boats, are a wealth of natural landscapes. To the north is the flat-topped Mount Esja, the most popular hiking spot in the country, and in very clear weather, you’ll be able to see the stunning Snæfellsnes Peninsula and its crowning glacier.
Looking southward, you will also see the volcanic peaks of the Reykjanes Peninsula. Of course, within view are many of the landmarks of the capital, such as the Harpa Concert Hall.
