Iceland Journal Day 5 (May 20, 2017): While the Westfjords proved to be a magical place that are certainly worth revisiting again in the future, it was time to hit the road and head south for the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.  Unfortunately, the remote Westfjords are just that, remote, and the drive time to and from their outer reaches is signficant.  As such, today was spent traveling all the way from Patreksfjörður, across the sourthern expanse of the Westfjords, and through to the south side of Snæfellsnes Peninsula to a small town called Hellnar.  Although today proved to be mostly a travel day, the sights along the way were fantastic and we had a great time stopping here and there to take in the sights.

A coastal lamb stretching its new legs just feet from the waters of the Atlantic.

A regal looking rock ptarmigan we spotted along our route.

Once in Hellnar we took an evening walk along the shore and discovered plenty of interesting geological formations.

Hellnar is a centuries old fishing village of a few dozen buildings, and this elegantly simple church, situated just above the ocean cliffs on the southern side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.  Although Iceland isn’t renowned for ornate architecture, the simple and functional designs have a clean and classic aesthetic.

Iceland Journal Day 6 (May 21, 2017): Another big travel day!  Today was devoted to circumnavigating the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and making our way inland to Húsafell.  The Snæfellsnes Peninusla offers a ton of unique landscapes and wildlife viewing opportunities and we felt we didn’t spend enough time here.  Nevertheless, before leaving Hellnar however, we took another walk along the coastal cliffs and marveled and the unique and rugged volcanic formations.

Today was clear and warm, with the harsh sunlight casting strong shadows across the moonscape.

This arctic tern wasn’t too happy with my presence and performed a dive-bombing threat display right above my head.

The Saxholl Crater, on the western end of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, has a rather interesting metal staircase that circles up the dormant volcano.

From this vantage atop Saxholl Crater we can see the expansive lava field that this volcano is responsible for.  With the limited vegetation it certainly feels like you’re on another planet.

Here is our route from Patreksfjörður in the Westfjords, through the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and out to Húsafell: