Hellnar Hamlet
Hellnar Hamlet
Roughly 4km west of Arnastapi, Hellnar is barely a cluster of houses, only a couple of which are lived in year round.
The rest are holiday homes known as ‘summerhouses’ to the Icelanders who own them.
As you enter the village look for the Visitor Centre for Snaefellsnes National Park (tap here for opening times), where there is an exhibition about the area and its flora, fauna, and people (small shop, toilets and a cafe too).
The road ends by the tiny port so from here on you’ll continue on foot down to the jetty. Grab a bowl of fish soup at the cafe, once a bait house, and if the weather is warm enough you can sit outside on the veranda and watch eider ducks cruise along the shore.
The location is both breathtaking and tranquil. Along the pebble beach, there are unusual rock formations; one called Valasnos, a freestanding rock and cave, Badstofa (the living room), which is known for its special light and colorful interior.
It is well worth visiting this spot, where the colors of the rocks and sea seem to change throughout the day according to the light and tide.
For a leg-stretch, take the coastal path starting at the beach and head east through the lava. If you’re after something more substantial to eat, Hotel Hellnar by the church has a good restaurant.
Before you leave the area take a look at the ancient crater just off to the left. This crater, Bardarlaug, has a lake at the bottom and according to the Saga is where protector of the mountain Snaefellsjokull, Bardur Snaefellsas, used to bathe.