Upon sunrise on our first morning in Iceland, we picked up our CampEasy campervan & immediately hit the road. We only had 8 days to explore the entirety of this island nation & our itinerary allowed no time to waste. Because the weather forecasted serious wintry conditions during the second half of our trip, we decided to drive the clockwise route on the Ring Road. Our main objective was to keep chasing the sun & arrive in North Iceland to enjoy our pre-scheduled snow activities before the storm settled in. But first we had to take a scenic detour around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula!

Please note: This post contains affiliate links.
This means that, at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through my affiliate link.
You may read my full disclosure policy here.

Snæfellsnes Peninsula or “Iceland in Miniature”

Only a two hour drive from Reykjavík, Snæfellsnes on the west coast of Iceland is truly a hidden gem & was less traveled until recent years. Often referred to as “Iceland in Miniature,” you can experience the different landscapes that this Tolkienesque country has to offer all on this little peninsula! Here you will discover dramatic coastlines, ancient lava fields, secluded hot springs, majestic waterfalls, & even a subglacial volcano! It is no wonder why many one-day travelers are now opting to visit Snæfellsnes over the Golden Circle because of its variety of natural attractions.

“In order to know anything about a country you must walk through it.
You must sleep on its soil, pluck its foliage with your fingers.
You must light your fires by its fjords & streams, & watch the dawn break beyond strange mountains.”

Winston Churchill, November 1939

Borgarnes

Our first stop was Borgarnes, a former fishing town & the gateway to Snæfellsnes. It also serves as a convenient hub for Ring Road travelers to stock up on supplies. Rich in Icelandic folklore, this sleepy town built small communities for Huldufólk, which is the locals’ term for elves, trolls, & hidden people. The roads were even built to divert traffic away from the Huldufólk homes to maintain their privacy. Borgarnes was also the residence of Egill Skallagrímsson, a 10th century Viking poet, warrior, & main protagonist of the Icelandic Sagas. You can find out more about Iceland’s interesting history & legendary stories at the Settlement Center located here.

From Borgarnes, we veered off Route 1 onto Highway 54, the main road that circumnavigates around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. As we started driving further westward, we began to see the majestic Snæfellsjökull reveal itself out in the distance. The spectacular stratovolcano is approximately 700,000 years old with its last eruption having occurred about 1,800 years ago. The crater under the summit of Snæfellsjökull is 656 feet deep & full of glacial ice. Unfortunately, geologists predict that global warming may cause it to disappear by the year 2050.

Some people believe that Snæfellsjökull is one of the earth’s mystical energy centers. Hikers from all around the world visit every year to soak up the good vibrations emanating from the glacier. Not only is it a unique energy field, but its surrounding views is a photographer’s paradise.

Arnarstapi

Arnarstapi is a charming little fishing village off the southern coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. It was once a vibrant community with an active trading port. However, as Iceland tourism increased over the years & jobs became more centralized in Reykjavík, the population in Arnarstapi radically shrunk.

As soon as we parked our campervan at the small marina, we were greeted by the giant Viking statue of Bárður Snæfellsás. Half-human & half-troll, Bárður was a well known adventurer featured in the Bárðar Sagas. Legend has it that after a family tragedy, he fell into the crater of Snæfellsjökull. Today, he stands proudly over Snæfellsnes as guardian of the region.

From here we took a short stroll towards the water & found Arnarstapi’s famous arch rock, Gatklettur. Unfortunately, we encountered head-strong winds that prevented us from even attempting to walk near the arch! Nevertheless, it was a breathtaking sight to witness the flocks of kittiwakes & powerful ocean waves crashing against the basalt rocks.

Hellnar

After taking in all of Arnarstapi, we hiked the Nedstavatn trail along the coastline to another tiny fishing hamlet, Hellnar. The 1.5 mile hike took us a little less than an hour to complete. As we passed through the Hellnahraun lava field, we spotted several turf houses & fisherman’s huts, so colorful & picture-worthy.

The land between the two villages is actually a protected Nature Reserve. This was evident by the amazing lava formations, unusual geological formations, & variety of birdlife colonies we observed on our trek. If you choose to walk this path, take caution as the ground is often covered with loose grass & moss with steep drop-offs near the cliffs.

Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellsfoss

Kirkjufell literally translates to “Church Mountain” as it resembles the typical structure of an Icelandic church. Being huge Game of Thrones fans, my husband & I were excited to see “Arrowhead Mountain” which made its appearance in several seasons of the popular HBO show. Notably, this was where the Children of the Forest created the first demonic White Walkers…but thank goodness we encountered none that day!

Initially, we bypassed Kirkjufell completely blaming its obscureness on the amount of snowfall it held at the time. Once we realized it was the correct mountain, we maneuvered a quick U-turn at the nearby town of Grundarfjörður & headed back to take a closer look.

Across the street from Kirkjufell we spotted Kirkjufellsfoss which confirmed we were in the right area. There was a small parking lot with a walking trail that led us up & around the lovely little falls. Although it only stands 16 feet tall, its mighty companion rises high in the backdrop making for beautiful photo ops. Prepare yourself by bringing your wide-angle lens & to bump shoulders with other photographers hoping to catch the same perfect shot.

Icelandic Horses

We encountered many beautiful Icelandic horses along our road trip. They were very friendly creatures & often curious, not afraid to take a couple selfies with a camera-happy tourist! Because we found most of them grazing out in the middle of nowhere, we began to wonder if they belonged to anyone or even had safe shelter in case of a storm. A local later informed us that the horses were half wild & half tame. Farmers would drive them to the highlands to live without human care for months before corralling them back down for the winter.

Adorable as they may be, Icelandic horses are not little ponies! While the horses may be smaller & stockier in size, they are quite hardy animals. These majestic creatures are the original Viking horses & one of the purest breeds in the world! Horse diseases are non-existent in Iceland as there are strict laws that ban the import of foreign horses & prevent the ones that leave the country to return again.

Another significant difference between Icelandic & Westernized horses is their thick, luxurious hair that developed over the years of breeding in the cold temperate country. In addition, while all horse breeds have three natural gaits (walk, trot, & gallup), the Icelandic horse has a fourth unique gait called the tölt which is somewhat similar to speed walking.

Laugarbakki

Once we departed from Snæfellsnes Peninsula, we went in search of an open campground to settle in for the night. Due to the inclement weather, however, availability was limited & we decided to check in to the highly rated Hotel Laugarbakki instead. The concierge was very resourceful & available around the clock to answer all our questions regarding activities in the region. With all-inclusive rooms, hot tubs, & the Bistro Restaurant, we were happy to wind down comfortably before our anticipated snow excursions the next day.

Angella’s Travel Tips

• Due to the remoteness of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, there may be a lack of service during the barren winter season. Be sure to fuel up & replenish your resources at Borgarnes as the final stop before heading westbound.
• West Iceland has become a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts, with Grundarfjörður being a top spot to watch whales breaching in the warmer months. Because the weather can be highly unpredictable, confirm any scheduled activities with the tour company ahead of time.
• Parking at Kirkjufellsfoss is very limited so plan to secure a spot before the mass of tour buses arrive. The best times to capture an epic shot is at sunrise & sunset. Not only are there less photo-bombers, but the natural lighting is simply gorgeous. The location is also a great place to catch the Northern Lights as light pollution is fairly low & the mighty Kirkjufell faces directly north. Read my following post to learn more about our Northern Lights experience.