Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [225]
After the settlement ruins, the road turns into a rough dirt track for 4WDs, and leads to Vöðlavík – a huge black-sand beach that’s perfect for families.
HIKING
The southern shore of the Hólmanes Peninsula, below the peak Hólmatindur, is a nature reserve. Hiking in the area offers superb maritime views – look out for pods of dolphins – and the chance to observe the protected vegetation and bird life. The Hólmaborgi hike, south of the main road, is a popular loop that takes but an hour or two.
There are also plenty of longer hiking routes up the nearby mountains: Kistufell (1239m), Goðaborg (1132m), Svartafjall (1021m) and Hádegisfjall (809m). Towards the end of the peninsula you may even see reindeer. If you summit any of the mountains during Walking Week (the last weekend in June) you’ll find little stamps at the peak to fill your local hiking passport (Ikr500; available everywhere).
A popular multiday hike from Eskifjörður to Neskaupstaður starts at Karlsstaðir (you’ll need a 4WD to get there) and winds through mountainous Gerpir before linking up to the beautiful Barðnes Peninsula. Here you’ll find a farmhouse to spend the night and a forest of petrified trees. You’ll need a guide (ask at Mjóeyri, below) who knows the shifting tides along the way.
All of these routes are marked on the map Gönguleiðir á Austurlandi II, available from Egilsstaðir tourist office Click here for a nominal fee.
SKIING
From Christmas to mid-April, skiing is possible on slopes near Oddsskarð, which is the pass leading over to Neskaupstaður. The longest run is 327m and is floodlit. There’s also a basic ski hut, Skíðaskáli ( 476 1465; skidam@itn.is), where you can buy ski passes (Ikr1200/600 per day for adults/children under 16) and hire equipment (Ikr1500/1000 adult/child per day).
Sleeping & Eating
Ferðaþjónustan Mjóeyri ( 477 1247, 698 6980; www.mjoeyri.is; Strandgata 120; sb Ikr3500, s/d Ikr5000/8000, cottage Ikr14,000; ) Right at the eastern edge of town, this charming wooden house has unparalleled views – it literally sits in the middle of the waterway at the tip of a teeny peninsula. Tidy rooms off the supercomfy common space and adorable cottages out the back make Mjóeyri a great choice all around. The friendly owners have a couple of other projects as well – they offer tours of the spar mine, sustainable reindeer hunting, and they’ll even let you take a look inside the antique-clad boathouse on the harbour. Breakfast (Ikr1000) can be requested; or you can hire a boat, catch your own fish and then barbecue it in the sheltered backyard!
Kaffihúsið ( 477 1064; www.kaffihusid.is; Strandgata 10; (s/d without bathroom Ikr5000/7000 Jun-Aug, Ikr4000/6000 Sep-May); ) Primarily a restaurant (mains from Ikr1200; open from noon to 11pm) and hangout for the friendly Alcoa workers, Kaffihúsið also has a cluster of rooms in the back; they’re simple affairs, but dolled up with good mattresses and plasma TVs. Don’t leave without devouring the gut-busting ‘super burger’, but be sure to save room for dessert! The ‘hot French cake’ is divine – the effervescent owner calls it ‘death by chocolate’. Ask here about possible tours of the Alcoa smelter.
Quick-eat options include a Shell petrol station with a grill ( 9am-10pm), and a Samkaup-Strax supermarket ( 476 1580; 10am-6pm Mon-Thu, to 7pm Fri, 11am-3pm Sat).
Return to beginning of chapter
NESKAUPSTAÐUR (NORÐFJÖRÐUR)
pop 1410
Just getting to Neskaupstaður feels like a real odyssey. You travel via the highest highway pass (632m) in Iceland, through an alarming single-lane 630m-long tunnel, then drop from the skies like a falcon into town; attempt to drive further east and you simply run out of road. Although it’s one of the largest of the fjord towns, this dramatic end-of-the-line location makes it feel very small and far away from the rest of the world.