Headed out this morning leaving the north coast and cutting across the NE section of Iceland to the east coast and the East Coast fjords. Not a long drive today and really not many places to visit except to see the new terrain. Fortunately, no dirt roads today. The mountains are higher and slope more to the sea than the west coast. The west coast there are more straight down cliffs and on the east coast was more sloping of the mountains.
A fair amount of the drive was along some alluvial plains. One was several miles wide and FLAT with a few streams running through it. Did see along the way the cliffs on the east coast were more craggy and they had bird rookeries but not like the west coast. Did get out at one place and walked down to the beach. The beach was black with sand and tiny pebbles, mainly the pebbles about the size, or smaller then, BBs. Further back from the shore the pebbles were the size of quarters or half dollars. But all were black. One thing Iceland is known for are its black beaches. Certainly did not see the beaches on the west coast as here. Cloudy today but no rain.
We ended up in Hofn at a really nice motel, the Milkbarn. It was a converted milk barn which had been opened only for about a month. Hofn is a small, about 1,600 people, a fishing town and neat as a pin. Several restaurants and hotels/motels in town – definitely catering to the tourists.
A major reason for the tourism I suppose is the glacier nearby. Can see from the town four ‘streams’ of the glacier heading to the sea. This is the major glacier in Iceland and covers about 10-15% of the country. We will see it tomorrow.
A major reason for the tourism I suppose is the glacier nearby. Can see from the town four ‘streams’ of the glacier heading to the sea. This is the major glacier in Iceland and covers about 10-15% of the country. We will see it tomorrow.
One other thing I noticed that I have seen in most of the other towns we have been in are the school age, middle/high school age, children pulling weeds, painting curbs, around the towns. Seems like the kids work for the town, if they want to, in the summer to make money. Helps the town and the kids. If you watch them you see it is not all serious work, but work with some frivolity mixed in. They do not have cars as all our kids do.
The major thing Hofn is known for is it is the center of langoustine or Norway lobster for Iceland. Nephrops norvegicus, known variously as the Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine or scampi, is a slim, orange-pink lobster which grows up to 25 cm long, and is “the most important commercial crustacean in Europe”.
So we got clothes washed at the local laundromat, wandered around looking, ate some langoustine and back to the motel for the night.
Additional Information
Drive to the long narrow fjords and with steep-sided mountain peaks. The East Fjords are famous for their colorful minerals and the stone collection of Petra at Stöðvarfjörður is an interesting place to visit.
Continue to the top of Almannaskarð Pass for a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Continue to Höfn, a fishing town in the realm of Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. Höfn located at the foot of Vatnajökull is famous for its lobster catch, and the scenery is breathtaking.
Highlights:
East Fjords
Djúpivogur Town
Höfn Town
Photos