Today was our first daytrip out of three from Egilsstaðir. After a nice long brunch at Skálinn Diner, we stopped by Fellabakarí to buy some sandwiches for the road, in case everything would be closed in Borgarfjörður Eystri. Then we left Egilsstaðir for the day and took Road #94 (Borgarfjarðarvegur) towards Borgarfjörður Eystri.
Sjálfsalinn
Our first stop was Sjálfsalinn (“The Vending Machine”), which is as the name suggest: A Vending Machine. In the middle of nowhere. The Vending Machines themselves are located inside a small green hut. The hut is a high-tech little building, powered by solar-power and wind energy. Inside the hut are the two vending machines, one with drinks and another with candy and snacks. The walls of the hut are covered with all kinds of fun messages, both from the owner and guests. The owner of the hut is Kristján A. Kristmundsson, entrepreneur and interesting local character from Egilsstaðir. He used to own a video rental called Videoflugan (“The Video Fly”) and therefore locally goes by the name Kiddi Videofluga. My daughter bought some chocolate in one of the vending machines and then we continued on our way.
Njarðvíkurskriður
As we got closer to Njarðvíkurskriður I got a bit uneasy, because that road used to always freak me out in the past. It used to be an awful gravel road on the steep mountain side with no safety railings. However, it turns out the road was paved in 2019 and safety railings were installed. So no need to feel uneasy on this road anymore.
Njarðvíkurskriður are a very steep scree between Njarðvík Bay and Borgarfjörður. Through the centuries it was always considered to be a very dangerous passage, not only for the obvious geographical reasons, but also because of an evil spirit named Naddi. Naddi was believed to dwell in a place called Naddagil (Naddi’s Canyon) at the northern end of the scree in a cave at sea level which has now collapsed.
Naddakross
The story goes that a farmer named Jón Bjarnason encountered the evil spirit Naddi in Njarðvíkurskriður and fought him. The farmer was about to lose the fight, when he called upon God and promised to build a cross in the scree should he prevail. After making this promise, the farmer conquered the evil spirit by pushing him into the ocean. The farmer kept his word and erected a cross in the scree in 1306 to thank God for protecting him. The cross is called Naddakross and has been frequently renewed ever since. The inscription on the cross has always remained the same: Effigiem Christi qui transis pronus honora. Anno MCCCVI. A rough translation of this text would be: You who pass by, fall down on your knees and honour the image of Christ. The year 1306.
Bakkagerði in Borgarfjörður Eystri
Soon after crossing Njarðvíkurskriður we reached Bakkagerði, the small village in Borgarfjörður Eystri. Bakkagerði is one of the most remote villages in Iceland, with approximately 100 inhabitants. It’s a very charming and creative place, and I can believe the stunning nature surrounding the village must be an incredible source of inspiration. It was quite cloudy when we got to Bakkagerði, with very low clouds, but the clouds vanished as the day wore on.
We were pleasantly surprised that the local café Álfa Café (“Elf Café”) was open, so of course we went in for coffee and cakes. The tables in the cafe are made of stone and are named after trolls from Icelandic myths. There is a small local handicrafts market in the cafe, and an exhibition about Kjarval.
Jóhannes Kjarval (1885-1972) was one of Iceland’s most important painters and he grew up in Borgarfjörður Eystri. He often returned to the area as an adult, and the influence of Borgarfjörður Eystri can be seen in his paintings. Kjarval painted the alter piece in the local church, weaving local places into the scene of Christ giving the Sermon on the Mount. The alter piece shows Christ standing on the elf palace Álfaborg with local mountains Dyrfjöll behind him.
Álfaborg in Borgarfjörður Eystri
According to regional folklore, Borgarfjörður eystri is home to a large population of elves. Álfaborg (“Palace of the Elves”) is the residence of the Icelandic elf queen Borghildur. There are some nice walking trails on and around Álfaborg, which we unfortunately didn’t have time to try this time. But no worries, the elves don’t mind passers-by, as long as one respects their residence.
Hafnarhólminn in Borgarfjörður Eystri
This is one of the things we were most excited about in Borgarfjörður Eystri. Hafnarhólminn is the local marina, and one of Iceland’s best locations to observe the puffin. The marina itself is manmade, utilising the shelter from the Hafnarhólminn island, as there was no natural harbour in the area. From the harbour it’s possible to walk around Hafnarhólminn on a path. There is also a small bird-watching house there, where you can sit and watch the puffins through an open window, allowing you to get really close. We were the only people there, apart from a few local sailors working on their boats. There’s a brand new café and an information centre by the harbour, which hadn’t opened yet when we were there, but it’s probably open by now.
I don’t know how long we spent at Hafnarhólminn, but it was a long time. There were so many puffins and the puffin is, in my opinion, Iceland’s cutest bird. The puffins in Iceland are Atlantic Puffins. Approximately 60% of the world’s Atlantic Puffins breed in Iceland, and about 10.000 pairs of puffins nest each year in Borgarfjörður Eystri!
Click here to see a live stream from Hafnarhólminn Marina!
Hafnarhólminn is a protected area and a refuge for the puffin. The Atlantic Puffin is an endangered species, due to both global warming and being hunted. Centuries ago, when life was harsh and food was scarce, Icelanders sometimes resorted to eating puffin to survive. Due to outdated laws, it can still legally be hunted in Iceland. Icelanders generally don’t eat puffin anymore, and I personally think it’s disgusting. But there is demand from foreign tourists, who think it’s a traditional dish, and want to try it. I would encourage everyone visiting Iceland not to eat the puffin! It’s not traditional and it’s causing this beautiful bird to become extinct. Environmental organisations in Iceland are now pressing for a change in the law, making puffin hunting illegal and fully protecting this unique bird. For further information, check out protectpuffins.is
Musterið Spa in Borgarfjörður Eystri
When we saw these hot tubs, we couldn’t resist trying them! Musterið Spa is a part of Blábjörg Guesthouse. The guesthouse is located in a renovated old fish factory in Bakkagerði, which also houses a very cozy restaurant. Musterið Spa has hot tubs, a cold tub and a sauna. It was an incredible experience to soak in these hot tubs, while enjoying the most amazing view of the fjord and the mountains. Not to mention all the cute birds we could observe on the coastline right next to us!
Innra-Hvanngil
On the way back to Egilsstaðir, we stopped at Innra-Hvanngil in Njarðvík. Innra-Hvanngil is an impressive golden rhyolite canyon with dark basaltic rocks. The canyon is easy to reach, as it’s only some 100 m walk from the road. According to Icelandic folklore, many supernatural sightings have occurred in Innra-Hvanngil through the centuries.
Kjarvalshvammur
Hvammur by Selfljót, also known as Kjarvalshvammur, was our last stop of the day. Kjarvalshvammur is where the painter Jóhannes Kjarval used to spend his summers. It’s a small piece of land, with a small hut and a boathouse. The land used to be a part of the farmland of Ketilsstaðir. The story of Kjarvalshvammur starts around the year 1948, when the painter started spending his summers there, painting and living in a tent. The farmer at Ketilsstaðir didn’t like the idea of the painter living in a tent, so he decided to give the painter this small piece of his land and help him build a small hut. The hut became Kjarval’s summerhouse and studio. The painter’s boathouse, close to the hut, still houses his boat Gullmávurinn (“The Golden Seagull”). Many of Kjarval’s most famous paintings were painted in Kjarvalshvammur.
When we came back to Egilsstaðir, we had dinner at Salt Café & Bistro before heading back to Hótel Valaskjálf for the night.
