Where We Be
Seydisfjordur is a fun town to explore on foot. You can see the heart of town
in less than half an hour but there are also fjord walks and mountain paths.
Eastfjords, Iceland
We left the glaciers and icebergs of the South
Coast behind and entered a gentler terrain
known as the Eastfjords. This is off-the-beaten-
path country for all but Ring Road explorers
(and folks taking the car ferry from Denmark to
Iceland, which arrives in Seydisfjordur). The
Eastfjords offer beautiful scenery, but just how
beautiful can depend on the weather. On a
sunny day it's worth hugging the ragged coast-
line and soaking up all the fjord views, but on a
foggy day the twists and turns can get tiring.

If the weather is iffy, we suggest getting a taste
of the fjords on the Ring Road (Hwy 1) then
detouring inland on Routes 939 and 95 (partly
unpaved but passable by car). This route is
dramatic in its own right, cutting up and over
the mountains. Keep an eye out for reindeer
along the way. Whichever route you take, you'll
arrive in Egilsstadir, then make your way over
the gorgeous pass along Hwy 93 to arrive at
Seydisfjordur. Pretty much everyone agrees
this small town is too charming to pass up. We
certainly liked it! It's artsy and small and sits on
a 10-mile-long fjord with mountains all around.
Nearby is the rec center with indoor pool. The sculpture
outside is shaped like Seydisfjordur's 10-mile fjord.
After dinner we took a stroll along the fjord and away from town
Colorful boats are moored here (and we even saw some seals)
The path provided good fjord and mountain views
The path eventually led us to an art installation known as Tvisongur. It's a "sound sculpture"
of five connected concrete domes of different sizes that allow you to make amplified sounds.
The sound sculpture was a good excuse for a hike,
and it gave us great views back down onto town
Our early arrival in Seydisfjordur gave us plenty of time to explore on foot
The well-stocked communal kitchen at Post-Hostel is one of the nicest we've ever seen
We walked into town enjoying the fine mountain scenery.
The town itself is flat as a pancake so the walking is easy.
Seydisfjordur is a pleasant harbor town (pop. 700) with colorful buildings and an artsy vibe
The lagoon near the town center offers pleasant views and easy strolling
There’s a "rainbow" street at the heart of town that's especially fun.
This funky buidling, called Gullabuid, is a souvenirs and crafts shop.
At the end of the rainbow street is a photogenic blue church
The Post-Hostel is located right in town ($154 per night for a private room with shared bath and kitchen)
The views from the hostel weren't too shabby!
Our first glimpses of Seydisfjordur came as we descended the pass
Eventually we reached this lovely falls just a few minutes outside of Seydisfjordur
We climbed steeply up and over the top of the pass on Highway 93 then steeply down the other side
The drive over the pass to Seydisfjordur on Highway 93 is gorgeous when the
weather cooperates. That's Egilsstadir and skinny Lagerfljot Lake down below.
We couldn't help but pull over for this red chair in the
middle of nowhere. Maybe it's Iceland's idea of a rest stop.
We took a few breaks early on while the weather held (it turned rainy and foggy later)
We especially enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs at this scenic pulloff
A short walk from the same scenic pullout brought us to this black sand beach with mountain views
All those white dots on the water are whooper swans (the Eurasian version of a trumpeter swan)
We have no photos from the rest of our fjords drive or mountain crossing because it was socked
in with fog and rain. The next photo we have is from Egilstaddir, at the edge of Lagerfljot Lake.
Ring Road Day 3 -- It was a relief to have a shorter day after yesterday's marathon. The drive
to Seydisfjordur took about 3 hours. Hugging the coastline would have added another hour.
Eventually we turned and followed a steep path up a hill