From Stuðlagil to Reyðarfjörður
This morning, we had planned to leave the fjords a bit and head back to the center, where the weather seemed better. Around 9:30AM, after refueling in Egilsstaðir, the sky was finally clear in the inland regions so we headed for the Stuðlagil canyon.
It only took 1H15 from our small fjord to reach the canyon. We branched off onto Road 923, and after a 15-minute drive on a dirt road, we arrived at the first parking lot in the canyon.
The hike to Stuðlagil
In fact there are two car parks for Stuðlagil:
- The first before crossing the river near Grund's farm
- The second 2.3 km after the bridge
The second allowed for a shorter hike (5.5 km round trip), but it was often full, and that was the case today, even though we arrived before 11 am. So we went back to the first car park and started the much longer hike (about 10.5 km).
The first part, between the two car parks, was on a dirt road where cars circulated, and it wasn't great. The second part was much more enjoyable. The short trail ran along the river and about 2.5 km from the second parking lot we arrived near the canyon with its unique geometric columns...
It was like being in a sci-fi movie, the canyon seemed otherworldly with its huge basalt columns. The water was almost turquoise green and made for the most beautiful effect. We spent long minutes walking on the various promontories to photograph and just marvel at the place.
You could climb a little higher or even get very close to the water with the help of a small rope. The rocks were slippery however so be very careful. While the place was incredibly beautiful, it was unfortunately getting quite crowded. This site was starting to have quite a reputation and attract tourists.
So we decided not to stay on site for a picnic but instead to get away from the crowd.
Small villages in the Eastern Fjords
We wanted to take advantage of this afternoon to see the small villages in the fjords that we had not had the opportunity to visit, including:
- Eskifjörður
- Neskaupstaður
We arrived at around 3:30PM in Reyðarfjörður, a village located at the bottom of the longest fjord on the Icelandic coast, and took the opportunity to do some shopping. It was a pleasant place even if there was nothing in particular to see. Arriving in Eskifjörður, we were initially surprised by its size, as the small port was actually quite big and had more than 1,000 inhabitants, almost as many as Reyðarfjörður, which was big enough for Iceland. We went around quite quickly, and the place was quiet and not very popular with tourists.
We then continued the road to Neskaupstaður and its 1,500 inhabitants. The village was really pretty with lots of typical colorful houses. There was a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere. After a coffee break in the center of Neskaupstaður, we decided to head back to Seyðisfjörður to enjoy our last evening there with a final meal at Kaffi Lara.
