7/18/25: The Rest of Snæfellsnes Peninsula & Hidden People!

It was a shame that the tiny church in Helgafell, named for the nearby Holy Mountain, wasn't open any of the six times Steven and I passed it by en route to or from our cottage. It wasn't surprising, however, as I don't think there were a dozen farms in the community. 

First mentioned in the Book of Settlements, Helgafell was considered highly sacred in heathen times, where people were believed to enter the mountain on their death. There was an Augustinian monastery at Helgafell from 1184 until the Reformation in 1550. According to folklore, travelers are granted three wishes of "good intent" when climbing the mountain, but only if they refrain from looking back or speaking on the way. 

In the previous post, I asked if the style of the dramatic town church in Stykkishólmur, located on a rocky cliff just north of Helgafell, looked familiar. It's not surprising that nobody took a chance and made a wild guess, as I mistakenly goofed, thinking the same architect designed it and Reykjavik's Hallgrímskirkja. As our son Alexander would say, my bad! Its flowing arches make it very different from other staid Icelandic churches. Some think it resembles a whale's bleached vertebrae, waves, or volcanic ridges, depending on the light and angle. Unlike the wooden churches we'd visit later, this Lutheran church emphasized simplicity and space. 

The interior focal point was the bold altar painting of the Virgin Mary, set against a backdrop of lights dangling from the ceiling. Count me as old-fashioned if you will, but I found the painting disquieting and Disneyesque, reminding me of Cinderella. 

As the church is also used for musical performances and festivals, its 22-stop Klais organ complements the space’s acoustics.

A cute sign in the town's bakery, which had raspberry-filled donuts, much to Steven's delight! 

The day before, Steven and I had driven through the eastern half of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, leaving the northwest and southwest parts for today's exploration. Though it meant a good deal of backtracking at the beginning and end of the day, we didn't mind having the opportunity to view some of Iceland's spectacular scenery again. We began by retracing our steps due west along the peninsula's north shore to a series of humble fishing towns. Ólafsvík, whose history dates to 1687, was Iceland's first town to receive its trading charter from the king of Denmark. Before we reached the town, was a robust breakwater, a sobering reminder of the impact of rising seas. 

Pakkhúsið, an old trading store built in 1844, is now a national monument. According to the Icelandic Sagas, Ólafur Belgur, nicknamed Belly, settled in Ólafsvík around 900.  

Overlooking the town was the town's church, considered the country's 'first modern church building.' As Ólafsvík has long been an important fishing town, we could tell where the architect received his inspiration, as when you look at the church from north to south, it looks like a ship, and from above, like a salted cod. Notice how the church was all built with triangles.

The street leading up to the church:

A sign by the viewpoint at the mountain just outside town said: "The view will take your breath away. Now take your garbage away." The benches and tables were made of driftwood from Strandir in the Westfjords. Unfortunately, we hadn't allotted enough time to visit that part of the country. 

A detour a few miles outside of town led through a field of fluffy common cottongrass to Svöðufoss Waterfalls, one of the most photographed in the country. Though we first saw the flower in Iceland, I shall always associate it with Greenland, where we are now, as it is so commonplace! Think of the bloom as if someone has tossed hundreds of bags of cottonballs in every direction.

The waterfall tumbled 32 feet down an imposing basalt column cliff before finally joining the Laxa River. If it had been a sunny day and if the clouds were clear, the glacier caps of Snaefellsjokull Glacier would have been in full view. Lots of 'ifs' there, but we had neither sun nor clear clouds, so again, no view of the famous Snow Mountain Glacier. 

The detour would have been well worth it even for a view of these horses!

The town of Rif had only one claim to fame, and it was a minor one at that. The old fish processing factory, a couple of blocks off the main road, had been converted into The Freezer, a hostel and cultural center that hosts cultural events including live music and movie nights. Take it from me, don't waste time passing through Rif!

Much more to our liking was the next stop, Ingjaldshóll, still on the north side of the peninsula, a historic site marked by a traditional Icelandic red-roofed church with ties to powerful clans and notable figures. A church has been located here at Ingjaldshóll since Christianity became the state religion in Iceland in 1000. However, the first well-known church, built in 1696, was made of wood. On New Year's Day, 1700, there were 360 who gathered from far and wide to attend services. Two altar pieces from that church are present in the current church.  Until the 19th century, its church served a large congregation, making it the third largest in Iceland. Another fun fact: It's the oldest concrete church in the world!

The reason we chose to stop at the church was that some people believe that Christopher Columbus spent the winter of 1477 learning about the Icelanders' journeys 500 years previously to Vinland, or the Americas. 

I peeked through the windows of the closed church, hoping to spot a painting of Columbus talking to the priest during his stay at Ingjaldshóll, but I couldn't see it. 

Two stone pillars honored the poet and naturalist Eggert Ólafsson and his wife, Ingibjörg Guðmundsdóttir, newlyweds who drowned on their way to the Westfjords in 1768. 

The third of the small fishing towns, Hellissandur, was a delightful surprise because of its artistic flair, with homes painted with murals in every color of the rainbow. 

Before taking a quick trip through town, we stopped for a bite at the attractive Gilbakki Kaffihús, a charming coffeehouse with quaint indoor seating. Carrot cake is just one of my go-to desserts, given half a chance, so I had to try it. Sadly, Steven is allergic to nuts, so I was forced to eat it all by myself!

I recommend you click on the following images to make them bigger, so you can more easily read a fascinating, if gruesome, tale. Yes, everything is in English!

At the other end of town was the Snæfellsjökull National Park Visitors Center, a modern, slanted-roof building. The park was established in 2001 at the westernmost tip of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. If the weather had been halfway decent, we would have loved to get out on the glacier via a snowcat, a monster-sized, open-air pick-up truck with tank treads. Do you remember the characters in The Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne? This is where they discovered the volcanic tubes that they hoped would lead them to the Earth's core. 

Adherents of chakra believe the park is one of the seven points on Earth where mystical power is concentrated.

Just past the park's entrance was the world's highest long-wave radio antenna held in place by mammoth cables strung across the road. Once again, the clouds prevented me from getting a decent photo. Taller than even the Eiffel Tower, the towering antenna is essential for maintaining communications with ships on choppy seas. 

Since we weren't able to explore the glacier, a short hike to some Settlement Age sites sufficed instead. During the late ninth century, early in Iceland's history, settlers inhabited Snaefellsnes. Irskabrunnur, or the Well of the Irish, was all that remained of a source of water that lasted for centuries, beginning in the late 800s. 

No one is sure how it was attributed to the Irish, but there are other sites nearby with Irish connections. It is confirmed that there were some Irish people in Iceland before the Vikings settled in the region, and, though they likely left when the Vikings arrived, some Irish slaves were brought by the Vikings. 

The steps down to the dried-up well were muddy, but easily accessible. 

Steps away was another ancient site, Gufuskálar, where the ruins of a 14th-century fishing village were scattered about. The rock wall was likely part of a stone shed where fishermen hung their catch to dry.

Volcanic Iceland has many black sand beaches, but the yellow sand beach at Skarðsvík on the peninsula's northwest tip was an absolute gem even in the gloomy weather. As we walked along the beach and viewed its stunning turquoise water, it wasn't too much of a stretch of the imagination to think of the Mediterranean right then. 

Located in the heart of Snaefellsjokull National Park, Saxhóll Crater was, in fact, two separate craters created by a single geological event, the other being Eldborg Crater. Scaling the red metal stairs of the 358-foot-tall, jagged red crater wasn't as daunting as it first appeared!

I couldn't understand why there was no mention of this small crater off to the side of Saxhóll as we climbed the steps. 

Peering into the mouth of the crater, geologists estimate that it was formed between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago when hot lava and water came into contact. 

The 'reward' for climbing all 396 steps was the 360-degree sweeping view of the surrounding countryside.

Unlike at any comparable Canadian or American site where potentially dangerous or even fatal falls could occur, there were no safety precautions in effect. Steven and I half-joked that we needed to start a crowdfunding campaign to replace the rope that had once barred people from getting too close to the rim!

Perhaps the most remarkable thing that day was driving into the middle of Hólahólar Crater, as I never thought it was possible to enter a crater in a car!

Seeing the inside of the crater from both ends:

After reading that Djúpalónssandur, or Black Pearl Beach, is one of the most stunning places to explore in western Iceland, we were excited to see why. Part of its attraction was Iceland's fascination with elves and all things magical. 

I read that Dritvik was first mentioned in the Sagas as the home of the legendary settler of Snaefellsnes, Bárður Dumbsson, who sailed from Norway to this black beach in the 9th century. After his crew landed at a bay west of Djúpalónssandur, they relieved themselves, so the land was covered with their filth. That is how the bay came to be known as Dritvik or Excrement Bay, but the name may also refer to bird droppings!

On the beach was a set of legendary lifting stones once used as tests of strength for sailors who rowed out from Dritvik to fish from open boats. Would-be fishermen had to hoist the stones onto a waist-high plinth to prove their fitness for the sea. The four stones were known as full strength (154 kilos), half strength (100 kilos), weakling (54 kilos), and useless at just 23 kilos! People wanting to prove their strength could try them out!

The iron remains on the beach were from a British trawler, the Epine GY 7, which was wrecked east of Dritvik on March 13th, 1948. Five of the 19 on board were saved, thanks to rescue teams from nearby communities. 

The beautiful small black lava rocks that covered the beach were known as 'pearls,' as in the translation of the beach's name. 

Near the water's edge was a striking sea stack called Kerling, a petrified troll woman carrying a load of fish on her back.

The largest rock on the beach, Söngklettur, is said to be an elf church or home to the 'hidden people'!

At the peninsula's southwestern tip were the Malarrif Lighthouse and Lóndrangar Rock Formations, the latter named for an old fishing formation.

Signs cautioned people not to stand on the cliff edge, because soil erosion could make it unsafe, and strong wind gusts might be dangerous and unforeseen. The distinctive twin basalt pinnacles were 246 and 240 feet tall. 

A nearby sea cliff was a great place for birdwatchers, although some Icelanders think it might be owned by the hidden people.

I was excited to see a colony of birds that I thought might have been penguins due to their black and white plumage. However, they were guillemots and related to auks and puffins. 

Just past the cliff was the park exit sign, wishing everyone a safe journey.

The next stretch of the coast promised basalt sea stacks, arches, and cliffs. The first was a middle-of-nowhere spot called Laugarbrekka, which dates to the Settlement Era, where a statue honored Guðriður Dorbsanarsdóttir, the wife of Porfinnur, who settled in Vinland, aka America, around the year 1000, and was born in this remote spot about 980. 

She made eight long voyages by sea in her lifetime, including multiple trips to Greenland. She was the first white woman believed to give birth on American soil. Her son, Snorri, is on her shoulder on the statue. Later in life, she made a pilgrimage to Rome. She was considered to be the most widely traveled Icelandic woman up to the 20th century. As avid travelers ourselves, we wanted to pay our respect to Guðriður as a kindred spirit.

The tiny village of Hellnar was once a thriving fishing village and home to 200 people in 1700. Magnificent rock formations stretched for miles. Among the rocks was a natural cave and rock cliffs teeming with birds.

Just beyond was the former fishing community of Arnstapi, but first we had to get past the gigantic stacked rock statue of Bardur Snaefellsnes, the legendary half-man, half-giant!

You can see why Arnstapi is so famous for its jaw-dropping basalt terrain! 

The sea arch!

The delightful hamlet of Búðir is known for its iconic black church, built in 1850, although the first church, a turf church, was consecrated in 1753. The church has an intriguing history that's worth reading about. A hint: An inscription on the door says it was "rebuilt in 1848 with no support from the spiritual leaders."

The church was our last stop of the day before retracing our steps along the rest of the peninsula's southern coast. If you have a chance to tour Iceland on your own, I recommend allotting two days for the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and cutting down on some of the sights that are of less interest, so the days aren't so long.

At 7pm, we still had another hour in front of us before reaching the gas station restaurant in Stykkishólmur for a late bite to eat. Signage is cheap in Iceland, as every town has the exact same sign with an outline of a church and some buildings, with the specific town's name underneath. 

Our Welcome Home Committee to our cottage in Helgafell!

Next post: Iceland's Ring Road, here we come.

Posted on August 10th, 2025, from Ilulisaat, our northernmost stop in Greenland. After some great excursions since arriving three nights ago, we're heading to Greenland's capital of Nuuk, located south of the Arctic Circle. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it might be warmer! Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.