Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [208]
Start your journey at Heiði, an abandoned farmstead located 9km north of Ytra-Lón. Leave your car next to the weathered three-storey house and hike over the ‘neck of the goose’ (Trail 18 on the map) to Hrollaugsstaðir. Along the way you’ll pass the remains of H-2 (Click here) – there’s barely anything there, but the site’s history is pretty cool. If you need a bit of a head start (or you don’t have your own car), the owners of Ytra Lón can shuttle you directly to Hrollaugsstaðir (Ikr3000 per vehicle; maximum four people). From here, it’s a leisurely three-hour hike (Trail 16 on the map) to Skálar – keep an eye out for a barking colony of seals along the way. The abandoned fishing community of Skálar has a fascinating history (ask at Ytra-Lón for an informative booklet) and also makes a great place to camp for the night – there are maintained toilets, plenty of water and shelter, and an emergency cabin with medical supplies.
In the morning, leave your gear at Skálar and continue east as the peninsula begins to wane. White-washed Fontur lighthouse marks the very end of Langanes (and the end of Iceland for that matter!). Use a credit card to jiggle the front door open – skinny travellers can climb to the light for 360 degrees of panoramas. Before you leave, be sure to sign the guest book (kept in a water-tight box near the door) and check out the list of people who broke into the lighthouse before you (including us!). Leaving Fontur, follow the northern coast until you reach Skoruvík, then return south back to Skálar along the silent dirt track. You’ll pass Grafreitur, a memorial to a group of fallen sailors, and the ruins of a small British base used to spy on the Nazis during WWII. The Skálar Loop (Trail 15) is approximately 25km.
The return to Heiði on the third day can be done in a number of ways. We recommend returning to the north side and following the coast (Trail 14) back to the abandoned farm (another 25km). On the way you’ll pass the jaw-dropping bird cliffs at Karl. The cliffs are not marked, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for the green-and-white house (it’s the only building around). From the house, walk to the edge of the cliffs and look down to find several rocky outcroppings covered with an astonishing number of gannets. When the sea begins to swallow the hiking path and its surrounding boulders, it’s only another 5km back to Heiði.
If you’re short on time, the entire journey can be tackled in one day with a 4WD (ask at Ytra Lón about current road conditions before setting off). Days two and three can also be combined if you’re an early riser and relatively fit.
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VOPNAFJÖRÐUR & AROUND
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‘Weapon fjord’ was once the notorious home of a fearsome dragon that protected northeast Iceland from harm. Today’s most prominent resident is the 1988 Miss World. As you can probably imagine, it’s a sleepy kinda place.
The town’s most significant building is the Kaupvangur, a restored customhouse. You’ll find a small cafe and tourist information centre ( 473 1331, 862 1443; www.vopnafjordur.is; 10am-6pm Jun-Aug) on the ground floor. Pick up the handy Útivist í VopnafirðI og á Út-Héraði map (Ikr400) if you plan on hiking in the vicinity. Upstairs there’s a well-curated exhibit about two locals – Jónas and Jón Muli – Iceland’s version of the Gershwin brothers. Also on the second floor is a small display about east Iceland émigrés; down-on-their-luck locals purchased boat tickets to America from this very building.
The region’s biggest attraction is the folk museum at Bustarfell ( 473 1466; adult/9-13yr Ikr500/100; 10am-6pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep), set in an 18th-century turf-roofed manor house 20km southwest of Vopnafjörður on Rte 85. The museum provides an interesting look at rural life two centuries ago and hosts a traditional festival on the second Sunday in July. There’s a small cafe behind the turf house.
Hilariously positioned