Main Attractions in Western Iceland
Hvalfjörður
Hvalur is Whale in Icelandic. Hvalfjörður fjord comes into view, long and curving, the longest fjord in the southern part of the country girt with high mountains and deep and well sheltered. In World War II, the inner reaches of the fjord served as an important naval station and gathering place for convoys from the U.S that brought food and war materials to destinations in Britain and The Soviet Union. A substantial British garrison occupied the country in May 1940 to forestall a German occupation, and this, 'protective' occupation lasted until the war´s end. In mid-summer, 1941, the occupation was taken over by U.S. forces that stayed till the end of the war. The country was of immense strategic importance to the Allies, particularly during the battle for the Atlantic. Iceland, although never a battleground, paid a heavy price in terms of loss of life and vessels. The fishing fleet who was very vulnerable to attacks at sea when carrying fish to Britain suffered heavy casualties and damage. The country´s merchant fleet also suffered heavily. Iceland's loss in the war was proportionally as heavy as the loss of any of the warring nations on the battlefields. Drive now through Kjós, a farming district along the shore, which extends into the broad valley penetrating the mountain chain.
Laxá í Kjós
You now reach Laxá, a broad river in a rocky bed with low picturesque falls. This is an excellent and expansive salmon river. At the highway junction, highway no. 1 meets highway no. 48, known locally as Kjósarskarður, which leads through a pass and joins highway no.36, which goes north to Thingvellir and west to Reykjavik. The highway no. 48 over the Kjósarskarð pass ascends up the Kjós valley, a transverse valley and pass through the mountain chain. There are many fine views along this route, which runs towards the moors of Mosfellsheiði. For those wishing to see Thingvellir and then continue north, the road through Kjósarskarð is the shortest route.
Continuing on highway no. 1, the road hugs the shores of the fjord. Owing to its curvature, it´s inner reaches, for long stretches, have the appearance of a mountain lake. At the head of the fjord, a scenic valley extends inland and above the end of the valley rise Botnssúlur (1095m), the stubs of worn-down volcanoes.
Glymur: Higher up the valley, where the river falls off the edge of the highlands, you come to Iceland's highest waterfall, plunging 190m from a cliff top, to be lost from view half-way down behind the projecting walls of the gorge. The drive proceeds on an undulating road and then runs over the neck of Thyrilsnes, a rocky promontory, on the other side of which lies a whaling station.
Whaling station: This station´s activities ended in 1986, according to an international agreement. From the visitors stands above one can see the flensing deck, where carcasses of whales used to be cut up. The actual factory is below the flensing deck. The whaling season, since the station was established in 1948, was from the beginning of June to early September. The average annual catch fin-, sei- and sperm whales were around three hundred. Adult whales were often of 15 m (about 50 feet) in length and weighed up to 35 tons. The whale products, meat and oil, averaged about l% of the country´s exports before the station was closed.
Miðsandur: a small hamlet on the shore, under the scenic slopes of the cliff-fringed Mt.Thyrill, Miðsandur consists of a few dwellings and a good roadside restaurant. Fuel storage tanks dotting the mountain slope above are part of NATO's fleet refuelling facility here.
Along a short side road, down by the shore you come to Saurbær farm. The fine church here commemorates Hallgrimur Petursson (1614-1674) a poet and hymnologist whose Passion Hymns have been translated into more than forty languages, who was a pastor here for the later part of his life.
Highway no.1 junctions with highway no. 50 that leads to the upper reaches of Borgarfjörður district, and continuing to Húsafell and over the Kaldidalur highland road.
Detour: Upper reaches of Borgarfjörður: - Uxahryggir and Kaldidalur routes.
The route from this point to Husafell, in the inner reaches of the Borgarfjörður district, is open throughout the year. From there the description continues over the Kaldidalur highlands to Thingvellir, an easily travelled mountain route passable for all vehicles in summer but often blocked by snowdrifts in winter. From the junction, highway no. 50 rises steeply up and over the Ferstikluháls ridge. From the heights are views of the chain of lakes on the floor of the valley below. Descend into the upper reaches of Svínadalur, a valley branching off from the main valley of Borgarfjörður. Here three small, interconnected lakes occupy a curving valley, along the slope of which the road runs to climb the high Draghals ridge.
Descend into Skorradalur valley, where the sun-facing slopes are planted with coniferous trees among the native birch wood. Skorradalsvatn, a long narrow lake in the floor of the valley with numerous summerhouses along its banks, is surrounded by birch scrub. From the junction at the lower end of the lake, you continue straight ahead on a winding road over Hesthals ridge. From the high points on the road, there is a fine view over the Borgarfjörður district, and its encircling mountains. To the south, the Skarðsheiði range, with its peaks and escarpments, stands high, picturesque and sheltered from the sun, so that even in summer, snow-fields may be seen on the highest slopes and in the clefts.
At the entrance to Lundareykjadalur valley, the road junctions with highway no. 52, which runs along the south side of Lundareykjadalur. At the head of the valley, it rises up to the Uxahryggir peak (4lOm) and junctions with Kaldidalur route at Brunnar. The drive continues through the Borgarfjördur district, a fertile and scenic area, with a broad, eastward heading valley, grazing land and farms. A line of mountains of different heights borders the district. The highest and most conspicuous, Baula stands out on the northern horizon. The glacial-silted Hvítá river, with about thirty tributaries, flows through this broad, mountain-rimmed valley. The river and its branch rivers are known for their salmon fishing and about 40% of all salmon caught in the country come from here and the adjacent Mýrar district to the north. Most of the farms in the district enjoy either trout or salmon waters or both. Borgarfjörður district is also noted for its many hot springs and hot water phenomena.
The drive continues over rising and falling land, along the foothills of the low mountains on the southern side. From many points along the road there are fine views over the uneven floor of this broad valley and an impressive view to the mountains beyond. Various rivers are crossed, each of them teeming with salmon.
Kleppjárnsreykir
This sprawling hamlet of greenhouses and dwellings is situated on and around one of the most capacitous hot spring areas in the country. The road crosses the small Reykjadalsá river, at the road junction and on the other side, to the left from the junction there is a 2 km detour to Deildartunguhver, the most capacitous hot spring in the world, yielding about 200 litre´s of boiling hot water every second! The boiling water of the spring issues from the foot of a small hill. The water from here serves to heat houses in Akranes and Borgarnes towns. Retrace your route back to the road junction for Reykholtsdalur valley with its low, green clad mountainsides.
Reykholt
A short ride from the junction up the valley lies Reykholt town. In a tranquil setting in a shallow valley between mostly green ridges, this hamlet is built up around the district school facilities and nearby thermal area. This is where Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), historian and author lived in the l3th century. Here he wrote his monumental "Heimskringla" History of the Kings of Norway, and the Poetic Edda, which teaches poetic metres and tales of the heathen gods of Germanic mythology at the same time. Snorralaug, Snorri's bathing pool, still extant, is found in a hollow below the school building. A stern-faced statue of Snorri, by the Norwegian sculptor Gustaf Viegeland stands in front of the main building of the district school. Leaving Reykholt, the drive is up a steep rise and down into the defile carved by the river Hvítá. Which begins as a small stream, in the Langjökull ice field, gathering momentum as it flows northward and being intersected along its course with about thirty tributary streams. Becoming steadily larger as it flows through lower-lying land and out to sea. The river and its many branches are known for their excellent salmon fishing.
The road junction with highway no. 518 crosses the river and runs inland through Hvitarsíða county to Kalmanstunga and further to the great caves in Hallmundarhraun. Continuing east on highway no. 519 from the junction, the drive proceeds following the up-river course of Hvitá.
Hraunfossar
Before the road enters a hilly section, sign points to Hraunfossar, where small cascades and rivulets from underneath the edge of a lava flow, fall very pretty and picturesquely in rapids and low falls into the river Hvitá below. A short walk upriver for 300 m leads to a footbridge across the river. Just above are Barnafossar falls, where the whole volume of the Hvitá is forced through a small gap, creating swirling whirlpools, cataracts and rapids. On the opposite side of the river is a branch of the Hallmundarhraun lava field, with flowers and birch scrub in hollows and crevices. The drive proceeds through hills that flatten out a little higher up near
Húsafell: A spread-out hamlet, surrounded by low mountain ridges. The magnificent white dome of Eiriksjökull glacier forms a beautiful background inland. Husafell is something of a centre for summer recreation, with self-catering cottages, completely furnished and equipped. Leaving Husafell behind, the curving road runs through Husafellsskogur. This natural woodland, of mostly gnarled birches and scrub, is the remnants of the once extensive wooded tracts in this area. Above the woodland, the road comes into the barren, innermost reaches of the valley, mostly covered by the wind-eroded lava field Hallmundarhraun. Here the main road junctions with the mountain road over Kaldidalur valley.
Hvitársíða
Just above here, the Hvitá river is bridged. The road on the other side, highway no. 518 runs through the northern slopes of the wide Borgarfjörður valley to junction with highway no. 1 on the western side of the district.
Description continues on an unnumbered mountain road over
Kaldidalur
Or "Cold valley", is passable to all vehicles in summer. The road rises sharply up to the rocky edge of the plateau, and runs over boulder-strewn tracts and rock ridges up to Kaldidalur. The valley-like defile between the extinct volcano Ok (1198m), and the glacier-sided outer mountains of the Langjökull ice field, which rises in soft, white undulations on the left. From the road there are fine views of the ice field and the glaciated top of Mt. Eiriksjökull, which rises to 1675 m, the highest mountain in this part of the country. The appearance of the landscape along the Kaldidalur valley is a foretaste of what to expect on the interior highland plateau. The scenery along the route is varied, being in turn grand and desolate. This was formerly the route that lay between two glaciers. The western one has almost disappeared this century however, leaving only patches of snow on the higher slopes, which shows vividly how Iceland is warming up! Along the road as it rises up to Langihryggur are many scenes of stark magnificence. The highest point of the route is at 727 m. Here along the roadside are a number of small cairns, little piles of rocks built by former wayfarers for good luck on their journey. The views from the top on a fine day are widespread and interesting.
On the left, you see the ice-clad sides of the Langjökull ice field, which, with an area of nearly 1000 sq km, is the country´s second largest. From the high crest, the drive proceeds over wind eroded uplands, up and over rocky ridges and gravel tracts. Further south and at lower elevation, grassy hills appear. At an altitude of 350 m. on the shores of a small lake at Brunnar, the Kaldidalur route junctions with highway no. 52, which leads north-west over
Uxahryggir
The road ahead, no. 52, continues to Thingvellir. From the road there are fine views of Skjaldbreiður mountain, (1060 m). a beautifully symmetrical shield-volcano with a broad, dome like structure, built up by successive lava flows. You pass Sandkluftavatn, a small lake with a fluctuating water level, nestling in the hollow between eroded rocky ridges. The road rises steeply up to Meyjarsæti, a high bluff to the right of the road. It is of moderate height but commands a panorama of great charm over the Thingvellir valley and lava-plain to the south. From this elevated point, the road begins to drop into the lower country and the valley that extends the Thingvellir plain. The drive continues twisting between wind-eroded ridges, in places with patches of birch scrub. Pass Skógarholar, a small level plain where horse-meets are held. Come into the upper part of the rift valley of Thingvellir and to the road junction near the camping site and service station.
Description continues on highway no. 1.
Detour: Side trip around Akranes peninsula:
Mt. Akrafjall occupies the central part of the peninsula. Its southern side is made up of cliff ledges forming a narrow fringe of shore, which broadens further out near the tip of the peninsula. Take road no. 503 along the south shore.
Grundartangi
A deep-sea port in the inner reaches on the northern shore Hvalfjörður. Here a large factory complex produces ferro-silicon from imported raw material. The end product is used as an additive in steel production. Icelandic authorities have been encouraging heavy, energy-intensive industries based on abundant hydroelectric power and power potentials. An aluminium factory is now under construction here.
Continue along the narrow fringe of shore. At the tip of the peninsula there is a considerable tract of low coastal plain, on which the town of Akranes spreads. (For a description follow the link).
Leaving Akranes behind, drive along the north shore of the peninsula. On the left, Leirvogur, a long inlet from the sea, strikes far into the flat farmland rising from its low grassy shores. Extensive tidal flats are exposed when the tide is out. At the inland end of Leirvogur the road junctions with highway no. 1 again.
Continue northward on highway no. 1.
The drive is through Leirársveit county, over flat farm- and pastureland interspersed with gravel flats. Above you rises Mt.Hafnarfjall, where frost-shattered rocks form even scree on the mountainside. Borgarfjörður, a shallow fjord with low shores comes into view. The road crosses the tidal inner reaches of the fjord on a long, slightly curving bridge, which ends in the town of Borgarnes. (For a description follow the link).
From Borgarnes to Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords.
Just outside Borgarnes, the highway junctions with no. 54 heading north-west, on which the description continues.
Mýrar District
Relatively level plains and bog lands odd pools of water and small trout lakes abound in this area. Farms perch on top of grassy rock ridges with small lakes set here and there between the low hills and ridges. Though not spectacular, the landscape has a charm of its own. The numerous lakes and streams here are noted for good trout fishing and there are also some of the best salmon fishing rivers in the country in the lower part of the Mýrar district. Lava fields are riddled with caves and some of the finest crater formations in Iceland are to be seen here. On the landward side are mountains which scenic valleys penetrate.