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Iceland – Pt. 2

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

By Bob Ransom

April 7^th, 2018

Snæfellsnes

After spending most the day wandering Reykjavík, we finally set out for our next stop, Arnarstapi, on the southern side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Say it with me now: snaffel-sness. Or something like that.

This drive was our initiation into Google Maps sometimes overly optimistic travel time estimates for Iceland. By the end of our tour around the country, we viewed these estimates as, "Yeah, right. In your dreams, Google." Nonetheless, we made it to Arnarstapi before dark, checked into our tiny little cabin, and walked over to the cliffs to watch the sea pound against the rocks.

I could spend an entire day just watching this.

After a surprisingly good dinner at the Snjófell Restaurant — also known as the only place in town that was open — we walked back through the drizzle to our cabin for the night.

Hiking in the rain

The next morning, we planned to hike the trail connecting Arnarstapi to Hellnar and back. But after finding that the Snjófell Restaurant — again, the only place open — had pretty much run out of food, and the staff was in full "I'm done with you, tourists!"-pissed off mode, we left without eating, packed up, and drove up the road to Hellnar to do the hike from the other direction.

After breakfast at the Hellnar Primus Kaffi — our morning salvation: coffee! — we set out in the cold drizzle to hike back to Arnarstapi on a muddy trail winding along the lava cliffs over the ocean. Here was a chance to try out our rain gear and to see just how waterproof our hiking boots actually were. (Verdict: we stayed dry!)

Where Am I?

The time on this trail gave me my first real taste of the otherworldliness of Iceland that I had read so much about. Even in the cold drizzle, it was beautiful and exhilarating, and strange. I loved it.

Searching for a geocache. Nope, didn't find it.

Afternoon Wanders

We spent the rest of the day meandering around the Snæfellsnes peninsula, looping out to the end and then back along the north side, stopping often for waterfalls, or rock hunting, or whatever, before ending up at our Airbnb in Grundarfjörður for the night.