The Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The Snæfellsnes is a peninsula in western Iceland. The peninsula has the Snæfellsnes volcanic belt down its centre, and the Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland, at its western tip. We did not see the volcano as it was too cloudy. The mountain is also known as the setting of the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. The area surrounding Snæfellsjökull is one of the four national parks of Iceland.
Snæfellsnes is a 2 hour drive from Reykjavík. Our tour was on Sunday, June 29. There are lot of sheep and horses around.
The mountainsides are amazingly beautiful
Mountains on one side, surf on the other
We get out to see the seals. First, we see the ducks and birds.
Then the seals
More seals
And since Gail is taking the photos, rocks and shells
Crashing waves
More seals
An odd human
We went to a horse farm for a home cooked lunch of freshly caught cod
The horses are horsing around
Waterfalls
More waterfalls
Long waterfalls
Búðakirkja is a small wooden church located on the south side of Snæfellsnes Peninsula. It is a local parish church that was first established in 1703 but the current church was built in1848.
Baldur, Mythical Protector of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland
Me talking with Baldur
Cormorants congregating
Sea cave with hexagonal basalt columns
Sea arch
Arnarstapi is a small fishing and tourist village at the foot of Mt. Stapafell on the southern side of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The black sand beach of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Strange seaweed
Me on the black sand beach
Yet another waterfall
Kirkjufell mountain. One of the most photographed places in Iceland. Used in the Game of Thrones
Kirkjufellsfoss. Gail said she was too tired to go to this falls. (She turned out with 20,000 steps this day.) But the walk was easier than she thought, and the allure of these falls is unmistakeable.
Below the falls, we see riders on horseback.
Us with the falls and the mountain, taken by a guy from Ashland, Oregon
Return to civilization
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula was a place of great beauty. Getting there and back was torture for me, however. I had to ride in the back seat of the bus, the most uncomfortable seat, especially when driving over the bumpy backroads of the peninsula.
Fortunately, I had time to recover the next day.
