Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [119]
MIDRANGE
Hótel Eyjar (Map Click here; 481 3636; www.hoteleyjar.eyjar.is; Bárustígur 2; s Ikr9500-12,000, d Ikr12,000-16,000) This hotel, on the corner of Strandvegur, offers huge and comfortable apartment-style rooms with bathrooms, kitchens and lounges – basically they’re suites at room prices! Breakfast is an extra Ikr1300.
Hótel Þórshamar (Map Click here; 481 2900; www.hotelvestmannaeyjar.is; Vestmannabraut 28; s/d/ste Ikr11,000/16,100/21,500; ) Iceland’s first cinema is now a hotel, with pale, pleasant rooms and facilities including a sauna, hot tubs and a snooker room. Of the older rooms, 209 is best, tucked in the corner with its own balcony; otherwise, go for the three stylish new suites. Breakfast included.
Eating
Kökuhús (Map Click here; Bárustígur 7; 7.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun) This is a great sit-down cafe-bakery, with a constant flow of people through the doors. It sells hot soup, buns and sandwiches (which can be made to order).
Café Kró (Map Click here; 488 4884; Harbour; mains Ikr1500-3000; 11am-9pm Jun-Aug, shorter hrs May & Sep; ) This little harbourside cafe recently underwent an unlikely transformation and turned itself into a pizzeria and Chinese restaurant in addition to a caffeine cave. There are tourist information leaflets available and free wi-fi.
Café Maria (Map Click here; 481 3160; Skólavegur 1; mains Ikr1900-3500; 11.30am-11.30pm Sun-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat) A stuffed gannet surveys proceedings at this pleasant cafe-restaurant, which is quiet during the day but busy at night. Pizzas, burgers, savoury crêpes, and fresh-fish and meat mains are served here – plus, yes, fresh puffin.
Fjólan (Map Click here; 481 3663; Vestmannabraut 28; mains from Ikr2000; 7am-11pm year-round) Next door to Hótel Þórshamar, this high-ceilinged, gold-columned place is the only proper restaurant on the island. The buffet breakfast is open to all; it serves probably the best fish on Heimaey, and staff are friendly and accommodating.
Heimaey has several cheap petrol-station snack bars where you can get French fries, hot dogs and burgers for between Ikr500 and Ikr1000. For self-catering, there’s the igloo-like Vöruval supermarket (Map Click here; 481 3184; Vesturvegur 18; 9am-7pm), and two streets away is Krónan supermarket (Map Click here; Strandvegur; 11am-7pm Mon-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat, 11am-4pm Sun). The local Vín Búð (Map Click here; 481 1301; noon-6pm Mon-Thu, 11am-7pm Fri, 11am-2pm Sat) is also on Strandvegur.
Getting There & Away
AIR
The Vestmannaeyjar airport (Map Click here) is about 3km from Heimaey – a taxi ( 698 2038) will cost about Ikr1300, or you could walk it in 20 minutes. Scheduled flights to Heimaey are offered by Flugfélag Íslands ( 570 3030; www.airiceland.is), which flies two or three times daily from Reykjavík’s domestic airport. The flight lasts 25 minutes, and the fare is Ik9500 for a full-price one-way ticket.
Flugfélags Vestmannaeyja ( 481 3255; www.eyjaflug.is) runs charter flights from the small airstrip at Bakki (Ikr8000 round trip). Most flights require a minimum of five people.
BOAT
The ferry Herjólfur (Map Click here; 481 2800; www.herjolfur.is) sails from Þorlákshöfn (on the mainland) at noon and 7.30pm, and returns from Heimaey at 8.15am and 4pm daily throughout the year. The boat can carry cars, but Heimaey is so small it’s scarcely worth bringing one. The crossing takes 2¾ hours in good weather. The one-way fare per adult/child 12 to 15 years is Ikr2420/1210. Motorbikes/cars cost an additional Ikr1635/2420. However, the ferry route is due to change in 2010 – see the boxed text (right) for details.
If the sea looks rough, a Vestmannaeyjar tip is to book a cabin, dose yourself with seasickness tablets, and try to sleep your way through the trip.
The bus service between Reykjavík and Þorlákshöfn (Ikr1400, one hour) is run to connect with the Herjólfur. It leaves the city at 10.40am and 5.50pm daily, and it leaves Þorlákshöfn at 11.30am and 6.50pm.
Getting