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Hiking

Snafellsnes peninsula

Snafellsnes peninsula looks like an elephants trunk that reaches far into ocean to the West. Snafellsnes and Westfjords peninsula together viewed recalls the animal jaws. Westfjords is the head and Snafellsnes – the lower jaw. We cross the neck of the animal for the beginning that connects Westfjords with the rest of Iceland.

Snafelsnes meets us with a sunny weather. Later some light rain is added to this but the overall weather is excellent.

The first sight to see is Stykkisholmur – a little town (1000+ inhabitanats) in the North at the Breidafjordur bay featuring beautiful old houses.

It has the port as well where they offer boat tours in the bay. We select one that would take us to some islets to look at the puffins. This tour turns out to be one of our best adventures during our journey in Iceland.

The boat takes us to a number of small islets inhabited by various kinds of birds. Puffins are superior. We se them here closer and in greater numbers then during the  previous tour in Reykjavik. Puffins sit near their nest holes and socialize. Puffin family dug their nest together. Hatch in shifts. Young puffins spend first five years of their life in the ocean and then return to create their own family in place where they came from.

On the way back to the shore the boats crew pulls out of the see trawl full of all kinds of ocean creatures. The contents of the trawl is pored out on something looking like a long table. The crew accompanied by some experts from the passengers hurry to take the delicious food out of the shells and other containers. They instantly proceed to the happy eaters.

From Stikkisholmur we drive further North to Olafsvik – the most Westwards located European town. During 17-18th century Olafsvik was one of the Icelands trade centers.

From Olafsvik the road takes us further by the ocean coast around the Snafellsjokul glacier. At the far end of the peninsula we stop to explore the Holaholara crater and then follow to Djupalonssandur – the black beach with with cliff formation of all kinds of mystical forms. The wind is moderate still the waves are large and powerful.

We leave Djupalonssandur and drive 130km more along the South coast of Snaffellsnes peninsula and then South to the Borgarnes were our next accommodation is located.

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