Staying at the Bragdavellir Cottages in the east fjords

On our 8-day campervan excursion along Ring Road, we figured we should book a few Airbnbs to break up our nights spent at campgrounds. Airbnb is a site we have frequented before and, though we could have booked hotels or local guesthouses, we found Airbnb to be the most easily searchable database when it came to Iceland accommodations. This was especially true when we were looking for places to stay in the remote east fjords.

Just over a week out from our April trip, we stumbled upon availability at Bragdavellir Cottages. Bragdavellir is a collection of family owned cottages tucked in the Icelandic countryside near the town of Djupivogur. It's location was an ideal stopping point for us and it's price point had us completely sold.

We booked our 1-night reservation and were excited to arrive at the cottages just as the sun was setting. Pulling up to the property, we found ourselves surrounded by unimaginable landscapes. Cascading mountains dropping off into distant and deep valleys rendered us speechless. I knew right away that the photos on the website had not done this place justice. It was truly stunning.

After receiving instructions via email on how to enter the cottage, we pulled up to our unit and made our way in with no problems. During our entire stay we never came across an owner or even another property guest, but there was an informative pamphlet left on the kitchen table and plenty of correspondence (if needed) through email.

The cottage itself was a 1-bedroom cottage featuring a kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom. It was a simple cabin design, but contained all of the essential amenities. There were plenty of windows to take in the surrounding scenery and enough heat to keep us warm through the chilly night. I especially enjoyed the porch area, where we were able to grill breakfast the next morning. Note: the table and BBQ were from our campervan, not the cottage.

I woke up bright and early to explore the Bragdavellir property before we resumed our road trip around Iceland. I stumbled across a small house, a restaurant (which was closed during our stay) and a sign encouraging visitors to wander the property. I set off on a hike down into the valley and was greeted by sheep, ducks, reindeer and horses.

Further into the valley was an icy waterfall and an old bridge. If you are hoping for untouched terrain, this is the place to be. It seemed like I could walk forever without encountering another human being.

It was a magically serene experience to have this landscape all to myself. I will never forget this location and my morning exploring it.

As for the cottage accommodations, we could not have hoped for better. It was everything we needed to stretch out our legs for the night and relax in the authentic Iceland countryside.