One of the most charming things in Iceland isn’t only its stunning landscape, but also its houses which are really pretty and creative. And when these tiny cute houses are together as a town, you probably get a feeling of the village in Disneyland! These are my 6 favorite towns or cities in Iceland in the south and the west.
1. Fossatun
Fossatun waterfall
It’s such a quite town with a few houses. However, the charm of this town isn’t the pretty houses, but the landscape and many attractions near by are the highlight!
Attractions :
- Lava Waterfall (Hraunfossar): for me, it is my most favorite waterfall in Iceland. It might not be so massive, but it is such an natural art!
Lava Waterfall (Hraunfossar)
- Children’s Waterfall (Barnafoss): next to Lava waterfall.
- Troll Waterfall: it is situated just right next to our best guesthouse in Iceland “Fossatun Guesthouse” (I will do the review later especially for this guesthouse). Personnally I consider this accommodation as a wonderful attraction, it is so large that we can spend a day to roam around. Plus, there is an interesting story behind the name of this waterfall.
Troll Waterfall in Fossatun
- Deildartunguhver hot spring: Europe’s most powerful hot spring.
- Reykholt: a nice town near by.
- Borgarnes: an animated town with more than 1000 inhabitants.
Map:
2. Höfn
A fishing town in the south-eastern part of the country, that’s why you shouldn’t miss the seafood here, especially the langoustines! Many remarkable restaurants to try out!
Attractions:
- Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
Restaurants:
- Humarhofnin: the gastronomy langoustines in Hofn. It’s pricy, but worth every bite!
Delicious langoustines in Humarhofnin
- Pakkhus restaurant: we didn’t try yet because it’s opened only in summer (from the 1st May). Anyway it is ranked the best restaurant in Hofn from Tripadvisor!
- Nyhofn Nordic Bistro: the oldest family house in Höfn since 1897. It’s opened only in summer.
Map:
3. Stykkishólmur
A fishing town in the West with its pretty colorful houses, nice cafes and the view of the harbour!
Stykkishólmur
View on Stykkishólmur
Attractions:
- Kirkjufell
- Kirkjufellfoss: the waterfall opposite to Kirkjufell
- Kolgrafafjordur bridge: where you can spot killer whales and seals.
Map:
4. Grundarfjordur
I was roaming around this small town and enjoying observing the creative houses. Most importantly, it is right next to the famous Kirkjufell. If you are hunting the northern light and would love to have Kirkjefell behind as a perfect background, you know now where to set your camera!
A beautiful house in Grundarfjordur
Church of Grundarfjordur
Attractions:
- Kirkjufell
Kirkjufell
- Kirkjufellfoss: the waterfall opposite to Kirkjufell.
- Kolgrafafjordur bridge: where you can spot killer whales and seals.
- Ólafsvík : a fishing port with the the unique church.
Map:
5. Vik
If you are looking for a town to spend a night surrounding with amazing places to visit, Vik is ideally the good choice. The town itself doesn’t look very interesting compared with those towns above, but all the attractions around will leave you speechless.
Vik
Attractions:
- Skogarfoss waterfall: one of the most famous waterfall in Iceland.
- Seljalandsfoss waterfall
- Dyrhólaey: the breathtaking viewpoint on the cliff and the beach.
Dyrhólaey
- Reynisfjara beach: the black beach with the iconic basalt columns.
Reynisfjara beach
- Svartifoss waterfall: the iconic waterfall with basalt columns in the back.
Svartifoss waterfall
Map:
6. Hellnar
The viewpoint at the cliff is so stunning, be careful a little the strong wind. Overall, there is not much activity to do here, but there is a place that got me hypnotized, it’s a small village of icelandic black houses. This is just magic!
Black houses in Hellnar
Amazing viewpoint in Hellnar
Attractions:
- Ytritunga beach: place to see the seals.
Map:
Don’t hesitate to share your favorite towns in Iceland or share your hidden places with hashtag #myhidden+name of the city or country on instagram.
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