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Iceland: Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords

Dec 30, 2021 Trips

This past fall we were fortunate to travel internationally for the first time in two years. We chose Iceland and the Faroe Islands for their relatively easy access (i.e. direct flight from Denver), manageable travel restrictions, and the fact that most of our activities would be outdoors.

We had both been to Iceland before separately and had seen the sites closer to Reykjavik, so for this trip, we headed to the western side of Iceland to experience Snaefellsnes and the Westfjiords region. 

I’ll post photos from the second portion of the trip, to the Faroe Islands, soon.

Happy New Year and safe travels in 2022!

Trip planning. I bought some Icelandic beer at home for added motivation. Fun fact: Beer makes booking airfare even more fun.
Iceland’s tourism campaign. They had images like this everywhere in the airport. This was our favorite.
First “real” photo of the trip on our way to our first night’s lodging.
The Budir Church. A wooden church dating back to the mid-1800s. Also the parking lot we napped in to help fight jetlag.
Ingjaldshóll Church. This church style is very common in Iceland as if they were massed produced and then scattered across the landscape. 
A lighthouse near the visitor center in Snæfellsjökull National Park.
One benefit of rainy weather was the rainbow that followed.
Grundarfoss. Another benefit of the poor weather was that the waterfalls had ample moisture.
A short hike on a very rainy and windy day.
On the drive around Snæfellsnes. There are few shoulders and pullouts on the roads in Iceland making it tough to just pull over for a photo when you want, making the opportunities where you can even more rewarding.
Poor weather often equals dramatic light. 
The view from our Inn. We had arrived after dark at the tail end of a snowstorm and couldn’t see a thing, which made this view in the morning all the more incredible.
A beautiful morning as the storm from the day before cleared. 
The famous Icelandic horse, a breed unique to Iceland (and well-protected).
There were swans everywhere, which I didn’t realize how common they were there on my previous visit during winter. 
Seals we found while driving back to Reykjavik.
A very windy sunrise in Reykjavik. Like, so windy the tripod was blowing away. So, instead of fighting it, I used it to do some motion blur images.
The Sun Voyager in Reykjavik.
The iconic Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik. The tallest church (and one of the tallest buildings) in Iceland. 
Hallgrimskirkja Church and a pedestrian street in Reykjavik. 
And another Einstok beer to bookend the trip, only this time at the brewery’s bar in Reykjavik.

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