Iceland

Iceland – the real, the wild, the most beautiful! The road from Höfn to Reyðarfjörður

You won’t believe it! It can be sunny all day in Iceland! :)

Such was the day we found ourselves on the road from Höfn to Reyðarfjörður. Although the distance between the towns is not dizzying, with some 230 kilometers, it was probably the slowest distance traveled.

Every now and then views of beautiful fjords, hills, bays…. well it is impossible not to stop :)

Table of contents

Two words about accommodation in Iceland

As we mentioned in an earlier post, our accommodation in Höfn was not among the most luxurious. A small room, two beds, a sink and that’s it.

You may think we’re whiners, accustomed to comfort and expecting 5-star hotels with a Jacuzzi in the room. However, it is noteworthy that the amount we paid would have been enough, just for such a room in another European country.

Unfortunately, Iceland is not a cheap country, so if you are hoping for a low-cost trip, we recommend campgrounds or going completely off-season. But about that another time :)

Hofn pool (and pools in Iceland)

That day, we got up at 7 a.m. to jump to the nearby swimming pool (with hot water, of course) and still get back to the room, have breakfast and head out in full force.

There is a brand-new swimming pool complex in Hofn, the likes of which abound throughout Iceland. There are several small thermal pools, one larger one for swimming, a waterslide (times 3), a children’s pool well and an ice water tub – all outside, of course.

Although the thermometer outside indicated 5 degrees, the low temperature was not really felt. It was even a relief to go from 40 degrees to a pleasant chill :)

The entire resort is new, very neat and clean. Lockers, dryers, showers and a sauna are available. We definitely recommend it – the entrances are not that expensive (although the one in Höfn was the most expensive, not counting Blue Lagoon – it cost 700 ISK), and the pleasure is a lot. Even more so, if you come in the morning, you have the whole facility all to yourself.

We will write a separate entry about the rules of thermal pools :)

After relaxing for a while, we returned to the Guest House, where a modest continental breakfast awaited us. It was only one night, so we didn’t even unpack. Once two, we set off for our next overnight stay in Reyðarfjörður.

The road from Hofn to Reyðarfjörður

The road led along the east coast along the fjords. It was the views and the route that were the highlight of the day.

The weather spoiled us to the max! The sun was blazing all day and for the first time we were able to leave our rain jackets behind. The road between the fjords is beautiful and scenic.

The prevailing peace and quiet encourages you to stop at the numerous parking lots along the way, where you can stop for a small picnic and enjoy the surrounding nature.

There are far fewer cars in this area. Tourists often only make it to the glacier, which we described in a previous post, and return to Reykjavík. They don’t know what they’re missing :)

Paul probably liked the bridges characteristic of Iceland best. Often wooden and almost always single lane :)

Wanting to get to the next village, we turned from Road 1 to Road 96, which did not impress with its quality, but since our car could handle it, it should not be a problem for the others (or maybe it was due to the driver? ;) ).

After more breathtaking views, we arrived at a village with a charming Guest House.

It was an old wooden house (from the 19th century), converted into a Guest House. Downstairs was a pub where breakfast was served in the morning, while upstairs there were small rooms that were decorated quite stylishly (including lace curtains).

Thanks to the kindness of the host, we were able to leave our belongings in the room earlier and were able to go to further destinations. But it is not the localities that we will remember for a long time, but the road that led to them :)

The highest road in Iceland?

This is the highest road (632 m), and the climb itself makes the pressure congest the ears. Once we got high enough, we hit another attraction – a long, single-lane tunnel 630 meters long.

It seems to be quite an old structure and is really tight, fortunately there are passing places every now and then. We, of course, were fortunate enough to have to pass a bus, but fortunately, we got around unscathed.

The way up the mountain itself was also breathtaking.

After the tunnel, the road leads down to the village of Neskaupstaður. After a short walk, we wanted to look for a place to eat, but unfortunately the pub recommended in the guidebook was closed.

On the way back we stopped in the town of Eskifjörður, where we had a traditional Icelandic lunch: soup plus a burger :) Interestingly, the bar was located in the Guest House, but despite the peak season, we were the only customers.

Towards evening, we returned to the village of Reyðarfjörður, replenished our supplies at a nearby store and planned our onward route. We are moving to the Myvatn region!