West Iceland is called Vesturland in Icelandic. Borgarnes is located approximately 75 kilometers north of Reykjavik. The Hvalfjordur Tunnel is 5770 meters long.
Where West Iceland is and how to reach it
West Iceland is called Vesturland in Icelandic. Borgarnes is a small town that serves as a service and gateway hub for West Iceland. The Hvalfjordur Tunnel shortcuts the drive around Hvalfjordur fjord. Hvalfjordur means whale fjord in Icelandic. Use the Driving Distance Calculator to help plan your trip.
Exploring the Snaefellsnes peninsula, Iceland in miniature
The Snaefellsnes peninsula is often called Iceland in miniature because it packs a glacier, volcanoes, lava fields, black-sand beaches and fishing villages into one area. Snaefellsnes is a peninsula situated west of Borgarfjordur in western Iceland. Snaefellsjokull is a glacier-capped stratovolcano standing 1446 meters high at the western tip of the peninsula. Snaefellsjokull is roughly 700000 years old. Snaefellsjokull's last eruption is estimated to have occurred around 200 AD. Snaefellsjokull is visible from Reykjavik on clear days, roughly 120 kilometers away. Snaefellsjokull National Park was established in 2001. Snaefellsjokull National Park is one of Iceland's three national parks. Snaefellsjokull inspired the 1864 Jules Verne novel Journey to the Center of the Earth. Kirkjufell is a 463 meter high mountain near the village of Grundarfjordur. Kirkjufell is often described as the most photographed mountain in Iceland. Kirkjufell's name means Church Mountain. Fishing villages and towns on Snaefellsnes include Stykkisholmur, Grundarfjordur, Olafsvik, Rif, Hellnar and Arnarstapi.
Borgarfjordur, the Silver Circle and Iceland's saga country
Deildartunguhver is considered the most powerful hot spring in Europe. Deildartunguhver has an average flow rate of around 180 liters of water per second. Water at Deildartunguhver emerges close to 100 degrees Celsius. Hot water from Deildartunguhver is piped about 64 kilometers to heat the town of Akranes. Hraunfossar means Lava Falls, with countless streams seeping out of a lava field into the Hvita river. Barnafoss is a waterfall located right beside Hraunfossar. Reykholt was the home of the medieval writer and chieftain Snorri Sturluson, author of the Prose Edda. Snorralaug is a circular geothermal bathing pool at Reykholt linked to Snorri Sturluson. Vidgelmir is one of the largest lava caves in Iceland, with a volume of around 150000 cubic meters. Grabrok is a volcanic crater that rises about 170 meters and formed in a fissure eruption roughly 3400 years ago. Glymur is Iceland's second tallest waterfall at 198 meters, located in Hvalfjordur. Glymur was long regarded as the tallest waterfall in Iceland until Morsarfoss was measured in 2011. The Settlement Center in Borgarnes is a museum about Iceland's Viking-age settlement and the sagas. Langjokull, at the eastern edge of West Iceland's highlands, is the second largest glacier in Iceland. Krauma is a geothermal spa fed by water from the Deildartunguhver hot spring.
Choosing a West Iceland tour or day trip
You can compare Snaefellsnes tours to see the current options.
