Bustling Borgarnes
Don’t miss some of the most creative Icelandic food in the country at Slippurinn (slippurinn.com). Overnighting on the islands is easy, or catch Eimskip’s ferry, Herjolfur (seatours.is/our-ferries/herjolfur/), back to the mainland and stay at the luxurious Hotel Ranga (hotelranga.is).
Day 7
Explore the west coast up to Borgarnes, where early Icelandic settlers made their homes. Set in the heart of saga country, this zippy town offers top food, lodging and the Settlement Centre (settlementcentre.is), which brings Icelandic history to life.
Tour local landmarks of the poet warrior’s story Egil’s Saga using the app. Dine at the Settlement Centre’s excellent restaurant or visit Englendingavik (englendingavik.is) for seafront cafe fare. Borgarnes’ farmer’s market, Ljomalind (ljomalind.is), sells locally made knitwear, jewellery and crafts, as well as fresh farm-made treats.
Ice caps and hot springs
(krauma.is), fed by Europe’s largest hot spring, Deildartunguhver.
Continue east and take the pull-out for Hraunfossar (translated as Lava Waterfalls) where water pours from beneath the area’s vast lava shelf. Sleep at Hotel Husafell (hotelhusafell.com), an oasis in rough terrain. Its restaurant is spectacular, but there’s also a cafe on-site for simpler meals, geothermal pools and a small slide for children.
Book ahead with Into the Glacier (intotheglacier.is) for a rare chance to explore man-made caves carved within the ice cap. Do not attempt to drive up on to the glacier yourself – it is incredibly dangerous. Alternatively, you can book to explore a mile-long (1.5km) lava tube at Vidgelmir Cave (thecave.is) – it’s the largest in Iceland. boat trips with Laki Tours (lakitours.com) or Seatours (seatours.is). Check west.is for more adventure options. Country guesthouses dot the peninsula, and the quaint village of Stykkisholmur punches way above its weight in the restaurant and hotel category. Recommendations include boutique Hotel Egilsen (egilsen.is) or modern Hotel Fransiskus (fransiskus.is).
Get local mussels and beer at Sjavarpakkhusid (sjavarpakkhusid.is). In the town of Grundarfjordur, the top-notch chef at Bjargarsteinn Mathus (facebook.com/ Bjargarsteinnrestaurant) creates a rotating menu of seasonal Icelandic cuisine within view of the Kirkjufell mountain, featured in both Game of Thrones and 2013’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
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