Per the Itinerary: Start your day by heading towards the town of Hvammstangi where you can see seals basking on the beach below the road. Further on you ́ll find the Vatsnes peninsula. The first attraction of Vatnsnes will be Borgarvirki natural fort which, according the old Icelandic folklores, was used by vikings to defend against their enemies. After having walked around Borgarvirki you will drive to Hví tserkur odd rock formation which is close by. Some say it ́s a dinosaur turned fossil, other ́s say it a troll that suffered the same fate. No matter what it is, it ́s truly beautiful and a known seal colony is located on the black sand beach close by, creating a chance for you to see wildlife and nature phenomena at the same place. Continue along road #1 and visit the open- air heritage museum of Glaumbær where you can learn about traditional housing and way of life for the Icelanders in the old-days. There you also have a very nice cafe which is great for a rest stop.
This was an exciting day for me because I've wanted to visit Siglufjordur for many months, ever since reading the books by Ragnar Jonasson - his Dark Iceland Series. Every Icelandic person seems to write books and I really enjoyed these.
My first stop was the town of Hvammstangi and I enjoyed seeing the seals by the beach. It was a bit of a walk, but worth it. I also saw some interesting birds along the way.
Borgarvirki natural fort dates from the early years of Icelandic history - c 870-1030 AD. It is formed by ancient volcanic columnar basalt and rises 177 meters above sea level. It is a natural rock formation and afforded ancient peoples a natural fortification.
I made the short hike in Hví tserkur to see the odd rock formation. It reminded me a bit of the jurassic coast in Devon. I continued down the hill to see the black sand beach and the seals hauled up on a small sand bar in the middle of the river.
I am happy to be back on paved roads as I return onto highway 1. Beautiful remote views along the way.
I stopped for some Arctic Char for lunch
I arrived at Siglufjordur and drove over to the Hotel Siglo to check in. You can see the avalanche protection erected on the nearby mountains. There are some interesting sculptures in front of a nearby building - I thought they were real people
They have a hot spring and I enjoy some time soaking while it's drizzling - a nice combination. Then I go to the bar for a local drink before going for a dinner of lamb and pecan pie at the hotel - yum yum. A nice day and really nice hotel. I wish I could stay longer.
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