Last weekend I visited the town of Akureyri with my family. Akureyri is in the north of the country, around 380 KM from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. We got the weather conditions that we were hoping for – typical Icelandic spring, with blue skies, snow still in the mountains and the sun bringing out all the beautiful spring colours.
Before we set off, we had gotten some tips from locals and decided to use the few hours we had in the area to explore a valley called Eyjafjarðardalur, located south of Akureyri, beyond the head of Eyjafjörður. The route is very popular amongst cyclists and since the valley is only 22 KM long, it’s also popular for Sunday drives with the family.
We jumped in the car and headed out on the road. Normally this drive takes about 30-50 minutes, but we were not in a rush so we took all the time we needed to stop and enjoy the stunning scenery.
Eyjafjarðardalur does not only offers beautiful landscapes, but there’s also plenty to do for fun; there’s a local pool with water slide, a playground for kids, Sverrir Hermannsson’s sundry collection, cafés, an ice cream bar, a horse rental and two golf courses. On the road, you can also find six churches that all have remarkable stories.
Of course, Eyjafjarðardalur also has camping places, hiking routes, and rivers that offer angling.
So as you can see there are plenty of things to do (and I’m probably missing some things), but for my part, driving with my daughter, walking around, exploring and capturing this beautiful scenery was enough for me. Still, I sure hope that I will have time to visit again, and do some hiking and golfing.
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