We parked by the striking, round Hof Cultural and Conference Center, which was designed to look like basalt columns.
A sculpture along the waterfront as we strolled into town:
As many shops were closed on Sundays, we headed back to the water and walked along the waterfront, where we came across the boat sculpture I mentioned above.
Instead of taking the tunnel through a mountain en route to Húsavík next, we opted to drive around the fjord and through the 1,000-ft-high Víkurskarð Pass, so we wouldn't miss any of the lovely views.
A sculpture along the waterfront as we strolled into town:
The Loveakureyri sign was a fun landmark in the city, symbolizing the community's spirit and pride.
All churches in Iceland seemed to have been built at the top of the highest hill in every town, and Akureyri's Lutheran Church was no exception! Having already climbed many steps to Siglufjörður's church, we weren't up for another steep climb to admire its Art Deco lines and crushed volcano rock facade from close up.
Heart-shaped traffic lights were all the rage in Akureyri!
As many shops were closed on Sundays, we headed back to the water and walked along the waterfront, where we came across the boat sculpture I mentioned above.
Even on yet another overcast day, it was hard to be grumpy upon seeing huge photos of wildlife and other sights along the trail.
A short stroll on the path south of the town center took us to Akureyri's Old Town area, renowned for its distinctive architecture and a glimpse into the town's early days.
The mini Pond:
As a big knitter, I was drawn to the trash can covers in the old town! I've knitted animals of all shapes and sizes as well as plenty of afghans, but I can't count trash can covers among my accomplishments.
I was surprised that even in a town of 3,000, Akureyri had its own Toy Museum, below. In addition, it had an Art Museum, the Icelandic Aviation Museum, a history museum, an engineering museum, a motorcycle museum, a botanical garden, a forest lagoon, and, typical of most towns in Iceland, a thermal pool! What similar-sized town in the U.S. or Canada would have half those amenities for its citizens or to lure visitors?
Nonni's House was the childhood home of Jón Sveinsson, a Jesuit priest and author known as "Nonni," who wrote children's books. Built in 1850, it is one of the oldest houses in Akureyri and has been preserved to showcase a typical 19th-century home in an Icelandic town.
Next door was the Minjasafnskirkjan, a timber church originally built in 1846 on Svalbarðsströnd, on the opposite side of the fjord. It was later relocated to its current site in 1970 and reconsecrated in 1972.
Instead of taking the tunnel through a mountain en route to Húsavík next, we opted to drive around the fjord and through the 1,000-ft-high Víkurskarð Pass, so we wouldn't miss any of the lovely views.
On the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, the farms were almost uniformly painted a stark white. Here on the Ring Road, they were a creamier color with a pale yellow tint.
The chain law would have been in effect for cars driving on the pass in the wintertime. We were relieved only to see snow from afar.
As we neared Húsavík, the water in Ljósavatn, a picturesque lake surrounded by Iceland's stunning landscape, was noticeably choppier than we had encountered previously in the country.
Called Húsavík, or House Bay, by the Vikings who arrived in 870, the town of 2,200 people is considered the first named place in Iceland. We had hoped to stay for three nights further south in Mývatn and just visit Húsavík for the day, but the lack of available accommodation made that impossible. And, even though we were only able to find one night's accommodation pretty far out of town and two nights in the center of Húsavík, in the end, it worked out perfectly.
Húsavík is famous for having been visited by Apollo astronauts to study geology, and more recently, for being the setting of the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest film, starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. The title song, an ode to their hometown of Húsavík, was nominated for an Oscar. Steven and I made sure to watch it on Netflix before we left home!
Although I had earlier groused about Iceland's churches being built on the highest spot in towns, I was pleased that the location of the unusually colorful Húsavíkurkirkja on the main street as we came into town proved me wrong. I could imagine how its tall, pointy steeple, standing at a respectable twenty-six meters high in front of the harbor, would be a welcome sight for weary fishermen coming home after a long day.
Built in 1907, the building was designed by the state architect, Rögnvaldur Ólafsson, and was constructed using wood imported from Norway. I'm sure that was because there were so few forests in Iceland after the Middle Ages. I thought the church appeared unusually large for such a small town, but I learned that the townspeople wanted to build a church that could accommodate the entire community of Húsavík, then a population of 450, at once.
Unlike most Icelandic churches, there was no pulpit; instead, a lectern carved in the shape of a book stood in its place.
I liked how stout beams intersected in the middle of the ceiling to resemble perpendicular boat hulls, and the interior was painted a cheerful blue color. Was that perhaps to incorporate the sea motif?
It was only when I took a closer look at the 1930-31 painting above the altar, depicting the resurrection of Lazarus, that I realized it was set in Iceland. Lazarus was shown rising up from an Icelandic grave with mounds of lava on either side of him. The artist used the faces of some of his Húsavík friends as models for the people in the painting. I wonder what they thought of how they looked in the painting!
I had no space in my bag, nor did Denver's winter weather come close to justifying spending $350 on a traditional Icelandic sweater. But I was sorely tempted to cast aside those factors and buy one, after spotting so many people wearing them since we'd arrived in Iceland a week ago.
We knew that because Húsavík is almost as far north as you can go in Iceland, it is regarded as one of the best whale-watching destinations. Steven's research, conducted months earlier, had presented us with two options for seeing whales: an atmospheric wooden fishing boat revamped for whale-watching trips or a high-speed rigid inflatable boat, commonly referred to as a RIB. We chose the former as it seemed more characteristic and because we would be patronising former fishermen whose industry had collapsed around 1990. The emergence of whale watching tourism helped save the old boats.
A RIB leaving for a whale-watching tour:
Our boat coming into the harbor:
I told Steven that I looked like a huffalump after getting all decked out in the gear!
Saying adieu to Húsavík:
Although Christian, our captain and guide, said the Atlantic waters around Húsavík were famous for mainly seeing humpback whales, they are, of course, wild animals and unpredictable. Unlike some operators, his company used no radar or sonar; instead, it relied solely on his eyes and communication with other boats to locate whales.
We got excited seeing two almost immediately, but I was too slow with my camera to get a decent shot.
While everyone on board scanned the water on each side of the boat for whales, Christian mentioned that the 16-meter-long humpbacks usually only dive down for two to three minutes. They weigh 40 tons, which is eight times the weight of any land animal. Whales come up every summer to the feeding grounds in the waters around Húsavík, before returning to the southern Caribbean to mate and give birth.
The whales feast on tiny krill, which they filter through their hairs in the upper part of their mouths. Christian mentioned that the black-and-white pattern on each humpback whale is unique, similar to a human's fingerprint. He explained that's how scientists can differentiate among the whales.
The presence of many birds, often Arctic terns, flying overhead is usually a good indicator of whales swimming nearby, as the birds can see them.
If you've been lucky enough to go whale watching, you know there's a lot of downtime! We stayed in the same area for quite a while, all hoping that the whale might reappear.
The mountain on the west side of the bay and two rivers entering the bay provide nutrients and minerals to the bay.
On a clear day, people can clearly view Grimsby Island, Iceland's northernmost area, located about thirty miles from the Arctic Circle.
Whales are always chasing the summer, Christian explained; they were here for Iceland's summer before returning to the southern hemisphere. In their 35-year lifespan, they travel three times the distance to the moon and back, further than any other animal!
Getting excited ...
The house at the base of the distant mountain was built in the 1940s. Its only access to any supplies was via fishing boats.
Once the weather cleared a bit and we could see the mountain, it looked spectacular!
Christian said it takes tremendous power for whales to heft their mammoth weight out of these cold waters. It's much easier for them to breach in the Southern Hemisphere when they weigh so much less.
Within minutes, however, the gorgeous aqua waters turned dark again, as did the sky. We began to lose hope that we'd see any more whales or porpoises, for that matter.
The money shot, finally, of a breaching whale! It thrilled us beyond words, as Steven and I had been on whale-watching trips in Alaska and the Caribbean, and doubted we'd ever see one.
Although we didn't realize it when we booked the trip months earlier, Christian told us that it's uncommon for whales to breach in the waters around Húsavík. Scientists don't know why whales breach when they do, but they have speculated that it may be due to shedding barnacles, or simply for the fun of it, to show off, although the exact reason remains unknown.
Returning to Húsavík after 7 and feeling thrilled to bits! I don't think Steven was quite so happy, however, at the prospect of a long drive to a beautiful country inn, our home for the night.
Next post: Marvelous Mývatn except for the midges!
Posted on August 28th, 2025, on another unusually gray summer day in Denver. This is the first 'summer' where Steven and I have not experienced any prolonged period of hot weather, as it was chilly and gloomy throughout most of Iceland and Greenland, and overcast and wet since we returned home. I hope the sun is bringing you and your loved ones sunshine and hot weather!
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