Olafsvik is a fishing town of just over a 1000 people, located on the west side of the Snaefellsnes peninsula.
Visit this fishing town while on a tour of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
Why You Can Trust Our Content
Guide to Iceland is the most trusted travel platform in Iceland, helping millions of visitors each year. All our content is written and reviewed by local experts who are deeply familiar with Iceland. You can count on us for accurate, up-to-date, and trustworthy travel advice.
Photo above from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Ermstrur. No changes made.
Economy and services
Olafsvik has a good natural harbour and it has a thriving fishing industry. Other main sources of the economy are commerce and services. Accomodation can be had in the town, at Hotel Olafsvik, sleeping bag accommodation is available at the Lysuholl Community Center, and camping grounds are open from June through August.
Cultural attractions
The Pakkhus at Olafsvik is a regional museum and a center for culture and art. It is open in the summer. The building is an old trading store, built in 1844. The first floor has a handicrafts store and a coffee shop and on the upper floor guests can get to experience the feel of a 19th century home and the life of seafarers and farmers in former times. The exhibition 'Krambudarloftid' bears witness to Icelandic trade history. The museum also functions as an information center for travelers. The town also features a small maritime museum, located by the harbour.
A short drive from Olafsvik is the 412 m high Gufuskalar radio mast, the highest structure in Iceland, and for a time the highest in Western Europe.
Natural attractions
There are many opportunities for travelers in the area, such as birdwatching, hiking, and exploring the sandy beaches. Near the town is a pleasant waterfall called Baejarfoss, well worth visiting.
Olafsvik also offers whale watching tours, with opportunities to see orcas and sperm whales seasonally. Orca sightings are most consistent from March to May, while sperm whales are most often seen from April to June. Our study of the best whale-watching companies in Iceland discusses the operator’s approach and traveler feedback.
Olafsvik lies close to Snaefellsjokull National Park and other attractions around the peninsula. These include the “Singing Cave” of Songhellir, Djupalonssandur beach, the lava formations around Arnarstapi, Saxholl crater, and the Londrangar lava rocks.
