The Snæfellsjokull National Park is lying in Northwest of Iceland.
| location | ||
| ||
Travelers Code
- Leave camping and rest areas as you would like to find them yourself.
- No open fire on overgrown areas.
- Keep the water clean and protect springs.
- Protect vegetation and don't tear down plants.
- Do not disturb wildlife.
- Do not destroy geological formations.
- Never drive off the road.
- Never leave the marked paths.
- Follow signs and instructions from the rangers
background
The national park was established in June 2001. It has an area of 170 km² and begins in the north about 1 km west of Hellisandur, runs east around Snæfellsjökull and meets the coast again about 6 km west of Hellnar. The park's visitor center is also in Hellnar.
history
landscape
Flora and fauna
climate
The weather in Iceland can change very quickly, so you should always have appropriate clothing with you on hikes. It is worth mentioning that the temperature drops by about 0.6 ° for every 100 meters of altitude. Since the temperature can drop to minus degrees even in summer, especially at night, you should only be out with the appropriate camping equipment. You shouldn't ignore the wind either. It can be very strong on a mountain and especially on the edge of a cliff. People who are not afraid of heights are advised to lie back on all fours for the last two meters to the edge of the cliff and lie on their stomach for further observations.
getting there
Fees / permits
Free
mobility
The national park can be explored on foot, by horse and by car on the appropriately marked roads / paths.
Tourist Attractions
- Beruvík. Here you have reached the westernmost tip of Iceland. There you can still see the remains of a settlement. Today there is only one lighthouse left here.
- Djúpalón. This bay was also a fishing center a few centuries ago. Four large basalt lumps with a weight of 155, 140, 49 and 23 kg still bear witness to this today. The lightest Amlódi, probably broke because of too many fights with weaklings. Whoever wanted to be included in a boat crew had to at least Half-course (medium strength), i.e. 140 kg, can lift.
- Dritvík. It used to be a large fishing center, but today you can hardly see anything of it. For this you can have a bizarre lava landscape that Tröllakirkja explore. Those who continue walking the coast in a south-easterly direction come to Djúpalón.
- Málarrif. At Málarrif there are two large single lava columns. The large one is the "Elven Guardian" or "Christian Column", the smaller the "Elven Library" or the "Pagan Column". This is also the southernmost point of the peninsula.
activities
Hiking, horse riding, bird watching (coast)
to buy
to eat and drink
There is no possibility of catering within the national park. You should take your rubbish back with you. If you want to hike longer distances, you should definitely take enough to drink with you, as the surface water seeps into the porous soil.
accommodation
There is no overnight accommodation in the park. Not even for campers. The only exception are hikers. They are allowed to camp.
Hotels and hostels
camping
- Arnastapi
- Hellissandur
- Ólafsvík
security
trips
- From Ólafsvík you can go whale watching in the Atlantic during the summer season.
- From Stykkishólmur you can take short tours around the countless islands at the entrance to Breiðafjörður, inhabited by many seabird colonies.
literature
Web links
National park web site (English)
