A Nordic Escapade - Akureyri to Hellissandur, Iceland - Day 8 - 17 May 2025

It was the longest drive scheduled in a day on the Nordic Escapade. I covered about 420 km driving from Akureyri to Hellissandur via Berserkjahraun. While most of the roads were the usual ones found in Iceland with the maximum speed of 80 kph, there was a tough stretch of about 75 km of gravel roads that had to be taken safely for three reasons. One, the rubble at some places causes the car to skid; two, some drive their vehicles needlessly fast over the gravel road causing gravel to fly, which can cause severe damage to the car windows and windshield; three, serious damage could be caused to the tires by the gravel. It did cost me time because I averaged less than 50 kph over the gravel stretch. My objective was to get to Hellissandur without any damage to the car or self.

Driving to Hellissandur, and thus to the Saefellsnes Peninsula, meant deviation from the ring road. Normally visitors do a day trip from Reykjavik to the Peninsula. I combined it with the ring road experience to also make an overnight halt in the Peninsula. The first part of the drive, before entering the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, the landscape was dull and boring. The monotonous brown hills with vestiges of snow and vast stretches without even a blade of grass is soporific.

All that changes when one enters the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Snæfellsnes is a long and narrow peninsula that sticks out of Iceland into the North-Atlantic Ocean in the west. The peninsula offers dramatic landscapes and examples of most of the natural wonders found in Iceland and is therefore often called “miniature Iceland” or “Iceland in a nutshell.”

The first stop I made after leaving Akureyri was in Berserkjahraun, after driving almost 350 km. Berserkjahraun is a 4000-year-old lava field on the Saefellsnes Peninsula.The name Berserkjahraun comes from one of the Icelandic Sagas, the Eyrbyggja-Saga. According to this saga a farmer brought two berserkers (Norse people who fought with great passion and dvalour) from Sweden to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. He later gave the berserkers to his brother, Víga-Styr, who lived on the other side of the lava field.

One of the Swedes fell in love with Víga-Styr’s daughter and asked for her hand in marriage. Víga-Styr made a deal with the berserker, he could have his daughter’s hand if the two Swedes could clear a path through the lava field, connecting Víga-Styr’s farm to his brother’s. The feat was considered impossible, but the berserkers managed to complete the path quite quickly. Instead of keeping his promise, Víga-Styr had the two Swedes killed and buried near the path made by them. Poignant indeed and it reminded me of a similar dastardly act in Armenia.

A few km from the lava field is the towering Mt. Kirkjufell, which is the most prominent mountain in the Peninsula. The 463-meter free standing mountain is one of the most photographed landmarks in Iceland. The name Kirkjufell means Church Mountain as it is considered to resemble a church. The rather flat mountain next to it, Stodin, is said to resemble a congregation hall.

I had visited so many beautiful waterfalls in Iceland that I decided to give Kirkjufellfoss a miss. On the opposite side of the mountain is the waterfall. The rather plain waterfall with a short drop, I didn't find it worth the time and paid car park.

The Freezer Hostel and Culture Centre where I had booked my accommodation for the night stay in Hellissandur was the funkiest place I have ever stayed on my travels abroad. The Freezer is a multi-award winning recycled and renovated fish factory that now offers art and culture as well as accommodation in stylish apartments and a one-of-a-kind social hostel.

Their goal is to create unforgettable memories, unique atmospheres and outstanding art. The unique hostel mostly has dorm beds and a couple of family rooms. While the rooms have duvets and bed linen, towels are available on payment. The shared kitchen is adequate, and the shared washrooms and toilets are neat and clean. The hostel is situated in a village called Rif, about 3 km short of Hellissandur.

After settling the luggage into the room, I left for Hellissandur to tank up and possibly wash the car. On the way to Hellissandur I had used an automated Olis fuel station and, as it had happened a few days back in Myvatn with the Orkan pump, the equivalent of 30,000 ISK was deducted from my Forex Card. Though the excess amount was refunded, I didn't want to block up such large sums on the Card. Hence, I was keen to find a manned station. At the N1 station, the guy said that I should use either a prepaid fuel card or the card machine. As I wanted to tank up, I left the station in despair.

Back in the Hostel I asked the owner for alternatives. He said I would be able to find one in Olafsvik, a picturesque village about 7 km from the Hostel. There too, the N1 station was closed, and the Orkan station was automated. After a lot of persuasion, the girl in the store at the station agreed to accept the card for payment of fuel. With the receipt issued by the store I approached the pump in anticipation. I scanned the barcode on the receipt and the pump became ready for use. Once fuel for the 5000 ISK was filled, the pump automatically stopped. The fuel station also had a free self-washing facility in the premises. I got that done too. Finally, I returned triumphant to the Hostel and thanked the owner for giving me the right directions.

I had planned to visit a few places in and around Hellissandur. What sounded the most interesting of them was titled 'Murals of Hellissandur'. In a short while, the village of Hellissandur has gained a reputation as the street art capital of Iceland. In the summer of 2018, a team of international artists including Camilo Arias, Ban Pesk, and Luis Rincon were summoned to Hellissandur by Kari Vidarsson, creator of "The Freezer," to transform an abandoned fish factory and several unadorned buildings around town into 30 large works of art.

Each mural is inspired by a local story, from Iceland's only recorded serial killer Axlar-Bjorn to Jules Verne's "The Journey to the Center of the Earth," where a professor, his nephew, and a guide try to reach the center of the Earth through the Snaefellsjokull volcano located a mile and a half from Hellissandur. Walking around the village was an awesome experience. It was indeed heartening to see how the houses and their precincts were maintained. The setting of the village itself was glorious with the blue waters of the Ocean washing against lava rocks.

After considerable time in Hellissandur village I drove to the golden sandy Skadvorsk beach, which is at the northwestern tip of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Skardsvík is an exceptional natural gem. In stark contrast to the majority of black sand beaches in Iceland, Skardsvík resembles a Mediterranean shoreline.

Its ambience is accentuated by the aquamarine, turquoise water and the surrounding dark, volcanic landscape. Skarðsvík is an excellent example of just how diverse Iceland's landscapes can be. The waves at Skardsvík are renown for being aggressive and hence, visitors are warned not to venture into the sea. It also becomes quite windy. I almost got blown away which standing on top of a rock to capture the beauty of the bay.

I had two more places to visit on my list this evening. But poor road conditions made me call off the visits to Ondverdarnes cape, the westernmost point of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland and the Svortuloft lighthouse. While returning rather disappointed I came across the Maritime Museum in Hellissandur which is a window into the history of the fishing culture in Iceland since medieval times. Though closed it was interesting to study the exhibits in the courtyard, particularly what looked like the skeleton of a whale.

The magnificent Snaefellsjokull glacier was the only peak covered in snow. I could see strong winds sweeping across the glacier, possibly leading to the icy winds in Hellissandur. The mountain is one of the most famous sites of Iceland, primarily due to the 1864 novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, in which the protagonists find the entrance to a passage leading to the center of the Earth on Snaefellsjokull. The mountain is part of Snæfellsjökull National Park.

Before feasting on a Maggi noodle dinner, I packed my bags so that I would not have to repack them at the Keflavik International Airport tomorrow. I had wished for a swig of beer. However, the liquor store is closed over the weekend and what was on sale at the Hostel was double the price of what it is in the store.