Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [107]
Café Eldstó ( 487 1011; Austurvegur 2; soup & bread Ikr890, lamb soup Ikr1590; noon-7pm Tue-Sun May-Sep) This posh little cafe serves light meals (soup, salad and sandwiches) on its own handmade crockery. Opera plays in the background, the scent of coffee wafts…nice, although the service can be a little brusque.
There are grills ( to 9pm) at both the N1 and Shell petrol stations; the N1 garage also has a Vín Búð ( 487 7797; 11am-6pm Mon-Thu, 11am-7pm Fri, 11am-4pm Sat Jun-Aug, 2-6pm Mon-Thu, 2-7pm Fri, 11am-2pm Sat Sep-May). Pick up self-catering supplies at the Kjarval supermarket.
Getting There & Away
Buses stop at the N1 petrol station on the main road. Public transport to Hvolsvöllur is identical to that going to Selfoss or Hella; the fare from Reykjavík is Ikr2900.
From mid-June to mid-September, Reykjavík Excursion’s scheduled buses to Þórsmörk (Ikr3000, 1½ hours) leave Hvolsvöllur at 10.15am daily, returning at 4pm. From 15 June to 31 August, a second service leaves Hvolsvöllur at 5.50pm. In the reverse direction, it leaves Þórsmörk at 8.30am.
Charter flights to Heimaey (Click here) leave from the airstrip at Bakki, about 27km south of Hvolsvöllur. From 2010, the ferry will also leave from here – see the boxed text.
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AROUND HVOLSVÖLLUR
Keldur
About 5km west of Hvolsvöllur, unsurfaced Rte 264 winds north along the Rangárvellir valley to the medieval turf-roofed farm ( 487 8452) at Keldur. This historic settlement once belonged to Ingjaldur Höskuldsson, a character in Njál’s Saga. The interior was closed to visitors in 2000 after earthquake damage, but it’s still worth visiting to see these Saga Age buildings. There’s no public transport along Rte 264, but the 12km walk to Keldur is pleasant enough.
Bergþórshvoll
Down by the coast, Bergþórshvoll was Njál’s farm (although there’s not too much to see today). Njál’s Saga relates that this is where he and his wife and grandchild were burnt to death in their bed in 1011; interestingly, an archaeological excavation in 1951 did find traces of a burnt-out building here. About 4km east of Hvolsvöllur, Rtes 255 and then 252 will take you there (21km).
Hvolsvöllur to Fljótsdalur
At the edge of Hvolsvöllur, Rte 261 turns east off the Ring Road. It follows the edge of the Fljótshlíð hills, offering great views over the flood plain of the Markarfljót river and the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. There are several B&Bs along the surfaced section of the road, which ends near the farm and church at Hlíðarendi, once the home of Gunnar Hámundarson from Njál’s Saga. Although it seems tantalisingly close, Þórsmörk can be reached only by 4WD via mountain road F249, on the far side of the Markarfljót bridge on Rte 1.
About 8km after the tarmac ends, Rte 261 passes the turf-roofed youth hostel at Fljótsdalur. This is a very popular place to stay, and there are great walks in the surrounding countryside, including the 10km hike northeast to the ice cap at Tindfjallajökull (1462m). With a 4WD you can continue along mountain road F261 towards Landmannalaugar or up to the glacier Mýrdalsjökull.
SLEEPING & EATING
Kaffi Langbrók ( 487 8333; Kirkjulækur III; sites per person Ikr700; May-Aug; ) This wooden ranch-style building 10km from Hvolsvöllur has a peaceful campsite on its grounds. There’s also a cafe with internet access – and, more importantly, homemade waffles and cream!
Fljótsdalur Youth Hostel ( 487 8498; www.hostel.is; FljótshlíÐ; sb Ikr2000; Easter-Oct) It’s very basic and not to everyone’s taste, but if you’re looking for a simple but peaceful base for highland walks, with knowledgeable staff, a beautiful garden, a homey kitchen, a cosy sitting room, an excellent library and mountain views that make your knees tremble, then you’ll find it at Fljótsdalur. Advance booking is recommended, as space is limited – there’s one seven-mattress attic and two four-bed rooms. The nearest shop is