After a few days spent exploring Iceland's capital city of Reykjavik and its environs, Steven and I headed northward to the fjordside town of Bogarnes and the Reykholt Valley. Within minutes of leaving the capital, pastoral scenes like these greeted us. A wind speed sign alerted us to the strong winds that are often blowing, but it was calm that day.
Adventurous hikers hoped to ascend to the peak of Esja Mountain.
After traveling through the 3.5-mile-long Hvalfjörður Tunnel lying across a geothermal vent under the fjord, we passed three huge meltal smelters at Grundartangi that produce aluminium and other products for Iceland's solar-power industry. The smelters must be located along the coast to bring in the raw ore and carry the finished products to market.
The low-lying plain of Hafnarfjall before reaching the gravel-sloped mountain of the same name:
Minutes later, we arrived in the pleasant town of Bogarnes, the central hub of West Iceland and a critical spot in the earliest days of Icelandic settlement. According to Icelandic sagas, the town that now comprised 2,000 people was home to Skalla-Grímur Kveld-Úlfsson, or Grimur the Bald, who, after a bloody feud with Norwegian King Harald Fairhair, fled Norway and sailed to Iceland. After his father died on the journey, and, following Viking custom, Skalla-Grímur dropped the casket into the sea and built his settlement where it washed up, at a place called Borg, on the outskirts of Bogarnes.
At the top of the old town was Skallagrímsgarður, or Park of Grimur the Bald, a small park on the site of a burial mound thought to be Skalla-Grímur's tomb.
I recommend clicking on the photo to make it bigger so you can read the English-language graffiti, or, is it art?
Brákin, a modern hilltop sculpture that resembles a giant wheel with wings, pays homage to the local culture and history.
The little island of Brákarey was home to Bogarnes's tiny harbor. Bogarnes is one of the very few of Iceland's coastal towns that did not form as a fishing center, and is still home to a mix of services and light industry.
As we drove north, it was unusual to see a forest anywhere in Iceland because almost all were cut down during the country's Settlement Era to build homes and for firewood.
Northeast of Bogarnes, near the community of Reykholt, were the combined sights of Deilartunguhver Hot Springs and the adjacent Krauma Geothermal Nature Baths. The former was where Europe's most powerful hot spring gushes out almost 50 gallons of boiling water per second. The concrete building was a pumping station that sends out the nearly boiling water to the towns of Bogarnes and Akranes for home heating and bathing. The water naturally cools to about 170°F by the time it reaches the towns, where it's mixed with cooler water for household use, a practice in effect since 1925.
At 64 kms long, the geothermal conduit is one of the longest in the world.
We both got a kick out of watching steaming fountains of hot water spurting up against a colorful rock face, albeit from a safe distance!
Vegetables were grown in the adjacent greenhouses.
In the same parking lot and sharing the same water source were the Krauma Baths, where a maximum of one hundred bathers can enjoy soaking in what was described as Iceland's Zen garden. We had planned on spending time at one of the country's famous baths while touring Iceland, but had not decided on which one. Krauma looked too idyllic to pass up, plus we were in no mad dash that afternoon, which is unusual for us!
Bathers were required to shower naked and thoroughly wash themselves first!
The initial pool we melted into was the hottest at 42°C. The views over the valley and the Deilartunguhver Hot Springs were simply divine. We later lingered in the 'cooler' pools, but kept coming back to this one.
We read that the water in Krauma's geothermal baths was neither mixed with cold water, nor were "excess" chemicals added to the water. The hot water was rich in minerals, such as iron, calcium, sulphur, and magnesium, all common elements in the country's soil.
I only dipped my toes in the cold plunge pool, as it was too cold to be enjoyable!
We didn't try the steam baths.
Steven remarked later that he'd never been as peaceful in his life as in Krauma's small relaxation room, where talking or any noise was discouraged. I'm not a fan of New Age-type music, but it did seem apropos in that setting. Every 45 minutes or so, an attendant came in to replenish the fire, but I don't think Steven noticed; he was in la-la land.
I'd thought we'd end up also visiting another geothermal bath while driving around Iceland's famous Ring Road, but we never did. If you're lucky enough to make it to Iceland, consider stopping at Krauma for a few hours as we did - you won't regret it. Just bring your own towel to save a few Icelandic króna!
Naomi: Even though you've mentioned that Adrienne guides people on horsebacking trips in Iceland, I had no idea how extremely popular the sport was until we'd spent some time on the island.
Shots en route to Reykholt, home to a historic church and, for 35 years, to Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), a famous poet, historian, and politician who wrote some of Iceland's most famous sagas. Known simply as Snorri, he also chronicled all of medieval Scandinavia, writing about the pantheon of Norse gods in Gylfaginning, and the earliest and most definitive history of Norwegian kings in Heimskringla.
It wasn't until we'd arrived in Reykholt that I realized it wasn't a town, but rather a community whose only purpose, it appeared, was to serve the medieval research center. There were no stores, gas stations, services, or government or other buildings, only the historic area and a hotel.
Unfortunately, the old traditional church, which dated to the 1880s, was closed. Under the modern church was a one-room exhibition about Snorri, but, after spending so much time at Krauma baths, we didn't have the time to view it.
A statue of Snorri outside the research center.
Snorralaug, or Snorri's Pool, was a 10th-century hot water pool first mentioned in the sagas, with a passage describing Snorri in it one evening chatting with friends. Snorralaug was one of Iceland's first archaeological sites to be listed in 1817. When we opened the old wooden door in the hillside behind the pool, we saw the first few feet of a tunnel that may have led to the basement of what would have been part of the complex in Snorri's day. Tunnels like this one were typical of his era.
A short walk away was Skrifla Hot Spring, where warm water was channeled to Snorralaug and, for a thousand years, enjoyed by the people in the surrounding area. Water from this spring is still used to heat the buildings in Reykholt. A rock wall, topped by a carving of Snorri's face, now covered the spring.
Knowing of Iceland's intense volcanic history, fissures like these were a common sight as we headed east up the valley from Reykholt to some magnificent falls.
Even though we'd only been in Iceland for a few days, we knew the country was famous for its waterfalls. The main river running through the Reykholt Valley was Hvítá or White River. As we approached Hraunfossar, or Lava Waterfalls, we spotted rivulets of groundwater pouring out from underneath the striped layers of lava, falling into the river like " many bridal veils."
The falls were positively magnificent, as they seemed to just go on and on and on, as we walked from one viewpoint to another.
A hundred yards upstream was the rapid-running Barnafoss, or Children's Waterfall, another waterfall on the river. According to a legend, the falls' name and the disappearance of a stone arch that used to bridge Hvítá came about when two children in Hraunsás failed to stay home when everyone else in the family attended Mass one Christmas Day. When the family returned home, the children had vanished, but their tracks led to the river. It was believed the children fell off the stone arch and drowned. The mother destroyed the arch to prevent the recurrence of another tragedy.
Steven and I wondered if our youngest grandchild, Rafe, just a year old that day, would be lucky enough to see the natural arch at Barnafoss if he were here in thirty or so years.
Just minutes up the road was Fossatún, which contained a campground, cottages, and a lovely cafe operated by the Berg family. After Steinar Berg thought one of the rock formations overlooking Tröllafossar, or Troll Falls, looked just like a troll, he wrote the acclaimed Icelandic children's book, The Last Troll.
Phil: You'd have liked the cafe's extensive music collection!
We couldn't have picked a more picture-perfect spot to dine that night! The food was beautifully prepared, but my lamb was overcooked, and Steven wasn't enamoured with his fish and chips, unfortunately. Oh well, the company and the views were ideal!
After dinner, Steven and I walked around Fossatun's Troll Stroll and Folktale Walk, inspired by two of Berg's books that were beautifully illustrated by Peter Pilkington. Many Icelanders have a fondness for elves and trolls, which Berg expanded on in his books.
Trolls "lived in caves and fished in the rivers and lakes. In the rock cliffs ... there was also a flourishing community of elves. After humans arrived, farmed the land, and became Christian, the trolls withdrew to the moors and most of the elves retreated inside rocks and hills."
With our five grandchildren ranging in age from one to five in July, I decided not to buy either of the books as the characters looked a little fierce for even our two five-year-olds, Max and Clara.
"Trolls have the same form as humans, but they are bigger, more roughly hewn, and stronger. Like humans, they can also be ignorant, bad-tempered, greedy, and violent, and are especially known for their great rages and spiteful revenge. Conversely, trolls can be wise, resourceful, just, honest, and loyal. Some trolls are kind and helpful, especially if they are treated with respect!"
There were a variety of interactive games at most stops on the Troll Stroll!
While backtracking to our Airbnb in the countryside outside of Borgarnes that night, we couldn't help but admire Skessuhorn, a distinctive mountain often referred to as the "Matterhorn of Iceland" due to its triangular shape.
Wouldas, couldas, shouldas: If you're thinking of a trip to Iceland, I'd strongly recommend spending two full days in the Bogarnes and Reykholt Valley region, so you could also climb to the top of Grábrók Crater and have time to explore Víðgelmir Lava Tube, Iceland’s largest lava cave that formed a thousand years ago. That way, you'd be able to do more than collapse as we did when we arrived so late to fully appreciate this fabulous Airbnb.
When have you ever been instructed to leave a light on for the horses?!
Next post: Part One of Iceland's Snæfellsnes Peninsula!
Posted on August 4th, 2025, from Aasiaat, north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland, where we arrived yesterday morning after a four-night ferry ride from Qaqortok in South Greenland. We've had the time of our lives so far here in Greenland, although after a day of rain and snow flurries forecast for tomorrow, Denver's scorching hot weather sounds mighty appealing right now! Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Loved "Bathers were required to shower naked and thoroughly wash themselves first!" and sign. JDK
ReplyDeleteI should have guessed that would be your favorite photo, Janina, but I thought the hot springs would have been your fave!
ReplyDelete