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West Iceland is home to the country’s capital city, Reykjavík, and an array of impressive natural sites. These include Europe's most powerful hot spring, Iceland's most significant lava tube, fascinating glaciers, beautiful waterfalls important historical sites and more. It has three main districts outside of the capital area: Borgarfjörður, the Snӕfellsnes Peninsula, and Breiðafjörður.
Though also in the west, the Westfjords and Reykjanes Peninsula are considered to be in separate regions.
The Capital Area
Iceland’s capital city is Reykjavík, a settlement of 120,000 people (over 200,000 in the Greater Reykjavík Area) that was founded in 870 AD by Ingólfur Arnarson; this makes it the country’s oldest inhabited area.
It is a hot spot of culture, with festivals such as Sónar, Airwaves and Secret Solstice, events such as Pride and Culture Nights, and countless museums and galleries. The city is also renowned for its vibrant live music, cabaret and drag scenes, its street art, many sculptures, and its delicious cuisine.
Its architecture is particularly of note, with impressive buildings such as Hallgrímskirkja Church and the Harpa Concert Hall.
Reykjavík is where most visitors base themselves and the point from which most tour leaves. There is a comprehensive guide to Reykjavík on this site.
Borgarfjörður
Borgarfjörður is the fjord north of Reykjavík, within which is a wealth of beautiful historical and natural sites. Reykholt, for example, is a tiny village where medieval historian and poet Snorri Sturluson, author of Snorra-Edda and Heimskringla, once lived. Borgarnes, the main village of Borgarfjörður, is one of Iceland’s earliest towns, and home to the fascinating Settlement Centre.
In terms of nature, Borgarfjörður is home to the second highest waterfall in the country, Glymur. Other beautiful waterfalls include the magical and peaceful Hraunfossar and the raging rapids of Barnafoss which lie only a stone's throw apart. The area is also home to the longest lava cave in the country, Viðgelmir, the highest flowing hot spring in Europe, Deildartunghver, and just inland is Iceland’s second biggest glacier, Langjökull.
Snӕfellsnes
The Snӕfellsnes peninsula is a marvellous stretch of land in west Iceland. It is home to a unique mountain ridge with the majestic Snӕfellsjokull glacier and National Park at its westernmost point.
The region is often called Iceland in miniature due to its diverse sites, which include beautiful mountains such as Kirkjufell, geological wonders such as the Gerðuberg cliffs, and coastal formations such as Lóndrangar rock pinnacles.
Breiðafjörður
Breiðafjörður is the fjord that separates the Westfjords from the Snӕfellsnes Peninsula. It is a natural reserve with countless small islands and home to thousands of birds, including puffins.
The inner part of Breiðafjörður is the old farm site Eiriksstadir, the home of Eric the Red, the first European to land in Greenland, in the year 984 AD. His son was Leif Ericsson, the first European to land in America, in the year 1000.
Reykjadalur, the Valley of Steam, is a beautiful geothermal region close to the southern town Hveragerði. It is a popular place for hiking and hot spring bathing.
Hot Spring Bathing at Reykjadalur
Reykjadalur is best know for the heated river that runs through it. Water boiling out of dozens of hot springs in the hills trickle into one body, which is also fed with glacier and rainwater.
The result is a wonderfully warm, gentle stream. Depending on how hot you want the water to be, you can go up- or down-river for the perfect bathing temperature.
Hiking in Reykjadalur
The hiking route to Reykjadalur can be reached by driving through Hveragerði (which is about an hour’s drive from Reykjavík) along the Ring Road travelling South. A gravel road leads to a carpark, where the trail begins.
From there, you will cross a river, then start a gentle ascent. The path goes up, down and along the faces of hills; and though it sometimes gets quite steep, is manageable for anyone comfortable on their feet in reasonable health, so long as the weather is fair.
For forty minutes or so, you will hike passed many steaming vents and bubbling springs, while enjoying the beautiful views around Reykjadalur. You will then reach the warm river and can walk along it for twenty minutes or so to the perfect spot for bathing.
In summer, you will also see a wealth of flora blooming on the hills and in the valley, particularly lupins. Around the hot springs, the chemicals rising from the earth provide even more colour, dying the soil pinks, blues, greens, reds and yellows.
While it is viable to visit the hot springs alone, many tours also run to them so the area can be enjoyed with a group and a guide. These tours can be done on foot or horseback, and alone or alongside other excursions, such a sightseeing around the Golden Circle.
As with all hiking trails in Iceland, it is important to stick to the paths throughout. This is for your safety—considering the steep slopes, change of rockfalls, and boiling water—and for the protection of nature. Iceland’s flora is very delicate, and with the boom in tourism, strict rules are in place to protect it.
Services near Reykjadalur
Hveragerði has all modern services and amenities visitors may need. There is a supermarket, gas station, information centre, and several cafes and restaurants.
Interestingly, some of these restaurants utilise the geothermal forces in the preparation of their plates. By burying food into the boiling water under the earth, it cooks throughout.
Because of these forces, however, Hveragerði has gotten the nickname ‘the Earthquake Town’.
Hveragerði is a town and municipality in the southwest of Iceland. It is often nicknamed ‘the Earthquake Town’ or ‘the Hot Spring Town’, due to the active geological and geothermal forces that define it.
Hveragerdi town and services
Hveragerði is around 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the capital Reykjavík and takes half an hour to drive to along the Ring Road travelling south. Around 2,300 people live in Hveragerði, most employed in tourism, horticulture or agriculture.
There is a service centre in the town with shops, including an alcohol shop, a supermarket, a gas station, an information point, and a cafe. There are several restaurants as well, and just outside it is a popular horse farm.
Surrounding the town are nice botanical areas and many recreational activities are available. There are excellent hiking trails as well as nice hotels and a camping ground which is open in the summer months.
In terms of culture, a number of museums can be found in Hveragerði, such as the Árnesingar art museum and Hveragerði Stone and Mineral Museum. The town even hosts an annual culture and family festival in August.
Geography of Hveragerdi
Hveragerði sits on a highly geothermal area. Boiling water runs just beneath the surface of the ground, leading to many hot springs in the nearby hills. This is both a blessing for the town and a curse.
In terms of a blessing, it allows greenhouses to flourish, as they can be provided with heat throughout the year. Hveragerði is thus the world’s northernmost producer of bananas, which are grown alongside a host of other fruits and vegetables.
Many flowers and herbs are also grown here, and it is considered the centre of botany in Iceland.
The boiling water also allows food to be cooked simply by burying it for a few hours, providing the restaurants in the area with unique menus. It also brings the area a wealth of tourism.
The curse of this geothermal water is the effect it has on the residents. Stories of hot springs opening overnight in people’s kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms are very common.
Also, due to the Mid-Atlantic rift running through Iceland, many earthquakes hit Hveragerði. Fortunately, the houses are built here to withstand tremors, due to how common they are, but there is a lingering knowledge that a powerful earthquake or eruption could cause serious, perhaps irreparable damage to the settlement.
The river Varmá runs from the valley of Reykjadalur through the town. This region, which translates to the 'Steam Valley', is an incredibly popular place for hot spring bathing and hiking.
A gravel road that leads from Hveragerði takes you to the base of the hiking trail, which winds up, down and around beautiful, scenic hills dotted with fumaroles and mud pits.
It ends by a river that is fed by hot springs, meaning it is heated from the top, allowing visitors to choose the perfect place to bathe. There are no indoor changing areas, but screens to undress behind.
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