The Vatnsnes Peninsula - Seals in the north of Iceland

Located about 200 km from Reykjavik, Vatnsnes is a peninsula in northern Iceland, home to Iceland's largest seal colony. The main town of the peninsula, Hvammstangi, which has a population of 600 inhabitants, is located six kilometers from the main road (Route 1), and in addition to an obligatory visit to the seal center, you can enjoy one of the restaurants, a stay at a guesthouses, a visit to a store or the pool. The Seal Center is open from 9 am to 7 pm from June to August, from 9 am to 4 pm in May and September and from 10 am to 3 pm the rest of the year. The entrance fee is 950 kronur (about 7 euros).

Route 711 goes around the peninsula along the coast, but it's almost entirely a track road, with only a small part of it paved. The peninsula is surrounded by the bay of Húnaflói, also know as the "bay of the bears" because several polar bears have come ashore here in the past. The main viewpoints of Vatnsnes are Borgarvirki, Hvítserkur, Illugastaðir and Kolugljúfur, a very scenic canyon with beautiful waterfalls.

Borgarvirki is a volcanic plug that was used as a fortress in the Sagas; Located at 177 meters in height, it dominates the region. Stairs lead to the top of this natural fortress, but the road is full of pebbles and slippery - though, if you reach the summit, a magnificent view awaits you.

Hvitserkur is a basalt formation 15 meters high, which has two holes at its base and resembles a dragon drinking water. Legend has it that Hvítserkur is a petrified troll. There is a small car park and picnic area at Ósar, where you can leave your vehicle and go by foot on the walking path to reach Hvítserkur. If you would like to view it from the top, there is a path available from the beach, in the summertime watch out for the Arctic tern, as there are many of these birds in the area at this time.

The best viewpoints for observing seals are Hindisvík, Ósar, Svalbarð, Illugastaðir and Hvítserkur. The best time to observe seals is two hours after low tide, and the chances of seeing them are especially high if the weather is mild. Every year in July, you can participate with some of the Illugastaðir locals, in the counting of seals. It is also a nice place for a coffee and something to eat.

The old farm of Geitafell is also worth seeing on the peninsula; today it is a small museum located in the middle of nowhere, with a tower worthy of a castle, which you can visit from May to September.

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Route 550 - The Kaldidalsvegur / Kaldidalur Interior Route

The Kaldidalsvegur (officially known as Route 550) is the shortest of the highland tracks traversing the Highlands of Iceland, therefore the nickname "highlands for beginners". Its name derives from the valley it crosses: kaldidalur means "cold dale/valley.

Sometimes the Kaldidalsvegur is referred to as simply "the Kaldidalur". It is a thrill to drive in kaldidalur! Driving the ring road of iceland is a thing but driving offroad is another thing! The landscape of kaldidalur is mind boggling - you see rocks, rocks, rocks, rocks - then a river suddenly cuts through the rocks and then glaciers and massive packs of ice just looms in the horizon.

It couldnt be the moon, because the moon although composed of rocks has no water. It couldnt be an arid desert because deserts have no ice, and its icy cold here - it is a landscape that you can only see in small parts of the world and fortunately, Iceland has it.

The route begins a bit to the north of Þingvellir and to the west of the volcano Skjaldbreiður, which really comes up to its name (meaning broad shield).

The track continues between the glaciers Þórisjökull and Ok and leads up to the north. To the east of Reykholt it comes near the Reykholtsdalur to Húsafell. Then it continues up to Hvammstangi at the Miðfjörður.

Signed as route 550, the track is 40 kilometers long, and has no unbridged river crossings. The Kaldidalsvegur is not an F road, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is not legally required to traverse it, however many car rental companies forbid the use of their two-wheel-drive vehicles on this interior route.

The other well known highland routes are Kjölur and Sprengisandur.

The Cold Valley route was much travelled in the past, especially between the inland located farms of the West and Northwest, and the Parliamentary Plains area. It was the first one to be made permanent with road building in 1830. The view from the highest lying point (727 m) enroute is excellent on a fine day. A few legends and Sagas are connected with this part of the country. A side road to the east from the main route leads to a hut at the edge of The Long Glacier, where adventurous glacier tours are on offer.

It is very important to check rainfall in this area before setting off and make sure you are well prepared for the trip.

You’ll need to check road conditions in advance through this site.

Average opening date: May 31st
Average closing date: September 23rd

Jóhanna, Iceland24h.blogspot.com