Winter in Iceland: 5 Must See Attractions : 2/5

Snæfellsjökull National Park

One of the most iconic shots of Iceland of Kirkjufell mountain comes from this area. This makes Snæfellsjökull national park one of the must see places for any trip to Iceland. In winter it is tough to access because of the weather. We drove through howling wind, snow, and hail towards a view, that literally blew us away, literally and figuratively!!

Snæfellsjökull is a glacier capped volcano found on the tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Western Iceland. You can read more about this region and its history on the Guide to iceland. This is also where you find one of the most seen mountain on any tourist page for Iceland, the Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss. “Fell” means mountains and “Foss” means waterfalls in Icelandic. This region is filled with them at every turn.

We had rented a winter ready 4WD for our stay in Reykjavík. I strongly recommend getting winter protection and full coverage for your rental. The weather is crazy to say the least and this makes for extreme driving conditions. If you are not comfortable driving in the winters “don’t drive”, please book a tour. This peninsula especially has extremely winds with freezing rain. So any self driving should be done with abundance of caution.

Since the days are very short during winter we started our drive before dawn. There is a pre-dawn hue in the sky which starts way before sunrise. It is the prettiest light you will ever see. It makes the drive magical.

Hvalfjörður Tunnel

On the way to the National Park you drive through Hvalfjörður Tunnel under the Hvalfjörður fjord. It is 18,000 ft+ long and goes to a depth of 165m in the sea. It is a unique experience in itself. On our way back we stopped by at a bakery just near the end of tunnel on the northern side, in Hvalfjörður for some yum evening lunch before reaching Reykjavík at night.

Grundarfjörður

Helgafellssveit — Somewhere along the route to Snaefellsnes

The drive is stunning! Especially as you turn from Route 1 to Route 54 towards the Snaefellsnes peninsula the landscape takes your breath away. You will be tempted to stop many a times. The sun had started to peek through the clouds as we reached the park and what a sight it was. One stop you can make if you have time is the town of Borganes. It is a small little scenic Icelandic town along the way. We were constricted because of daylight hours in December so we just stopped to take a few pictures along the way.

Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss

Just before you reach the Kirkjufell mountain you hit the town of Grundarfjörður. Since there is hardly any towns along the route highly, recommend stopping here to refuel. In winter that means a hot drink and fresh baked goodies!!

Next stop was Kirkjufellsfoss, the iconic landmark of Iceland and the featured shot of this post. It was so windy we could hardly walk to the viewpoint. We were layered up with parkas, double gloves and hats but nothing prepares you for the icy rain and wind. View is totally worth the struggle to get there. The photographer waited for a couple of hours in the extreme conditions for the sun to somewhat peak through so he could get his shot and what a shot it is!!!

Grundarfjarðarbær - a small town in Iceland — Grundarfjarðarbær – a small town in Iceland

The road circles the peninsula so drive along the coast for some more breathtaking sights. This region filled with “Foss”, waterfalls, and “Fell”, mountains so enjoy the drive!!!

If you are prepared for the extreme conditions, beauty of Iceland in winter will sweep you off your feet, literally!!!

Third attraction coming soon!!!