The Golden Circle - Land og saga

Hótel Ísafjörður
Time flies when you are having a blast in
the Westfjords...and you’ll want to see
it all! Packing in the scenery, the waterfalls,
the magnificent mountains, the pure energy
of it all leaves you refreshed and inspired. But
then it comes time to turn your attention to
where you will spend the night...
Drangsnes Off the Beaten Track in
the West Fjords
Ready, steady...stay!
Right in the heart of the Ísafjörður, the
capital of the Westfjords, you will find Hotel
Ísafjörður - a modern 3-star hotel with 36
double rooms that serves as a perfect base
from which to explore the peninsula. The
comfortable and well-appointed rooms have
exceptional views of the nearby mountains
and harbour. A hearty buffet breakfast
greets you in the morning in the ground
floor restaurant. This bright and cheerful allday
restaurant, looking out over the fjord,
also serves light lunches and traditional
Icelandic dinner dishes using a variety of
local ingredients.
Additional accommodation can be found
at Gamla Guesthouse, a 2-star guesthouse
in a historic building right in the town
centre, just a few minutes walk from Hotel
Ísafjörður. Clean, bright and comfortable
rooms await you in this cozy, turn-of-thecentury
Norwegian wood guesthouse.
There’s even a bathrobe waiting for you in
the cupboard! These are the little extras that
add to the charming ambiance of Gamla
Guesthouse.
Event Planner 2011
Not to be missed are this year’s musical
events:
ÑÑ
Annual music festival and summer
courses Við Djupið, which offer a series
of concerts and master classes from
contemporary to jazz to classical, 21-22
June, 2011
Ñ Ñ “I Never Went South” Rock Festival
to be held over Easter Weekend, 22-24
April, 2011.
Ísafjörður is a small town where the local
attractions are easily accessible on foot.
There’s the Westfjords Maritime Museum,
for an interesting look into Ísafjörður’s
history. Stroll about in the old town amongst
19th century wooden houses, have coffee
or lunch at one of the inviting little cafés
and restaurants, and enjoy this relaxing yet
international capital of the Westfjords.
The newly surfaced roads to the Westfjords
make getting here a breeze. There are also
regular daily flights all year round between
Ísafjörður and Reykjavík. Flying time is 35
minutes.
Hótel Ísafjörður
Silfurtorgi 2 • 400 Ísafirði
+354 456 4111
info@hotelisafjordur.is
www.hotelisafjordur.is
It may be the smallest fishing village
in Iceland. With only 65 residents,
Drangsnes in the West Fjords has
nevertheless become a destination visited
by over 2,000 people every year. It is
also the only village in Iceland with hot
tubs sitting right on the beach and where
villagers can be seen shopping or walking
to and from the hot tubs in their swim
suits, ‘tub robes’ and ‘tub shoes.’ In 1997,
hot water was discovered and the town
immediately switched over to geothermal
heating for their houses, and thus the hot
tub idea was born as a gift to the people
of the town from a local fisherman. The
very first hot tub was washed out to sea
one winter and was subsequently replaced
by three new ones. Buttressed by boulders
which have been turned into works of art
by the famous Icelandic artist, Mireya
Samper, the hot tubs are a unique feature
of Drangsnes.
Every summer, the town holds its annual
‘Harbour Festival,’ one of the largest in
the area, where the locals come together
to help make this event a success. “The
close-knit community is very welcoming
of tourists and are a friendly bunch,” says
Jenny Jensdottir, head of marketing and
tourism for the area. Festival highlights
include local art and photography
expositions and an exhibit chronicling the
history of lump fish caviar which was first
produced in Drangsnes in the 1930’s. Free
samples of cod, lump fish, crab, seal and
whale specialities from the village chefs,
cooked to perfection, are another of the
day’s highlights. Join locals as the festival
culminates in song around a bonfire and a
late night dance for young people.
Drangsnes, renowned for its beauty and
tranquility, boasts excellent possibilities
for seal and whale viewing, often right
from the shore. Sightings of minke whales
and dolphins are common and even the
occasional blue whale has been seen in
Steingrimmsfjordur Bay. The offshore
island of Grimsey (not to be confused
with the island of the same name on the
arctic circle above Iceland), is accessible by
boat in summer with daily trips for puffin
watching. It is home to millions of the little
birds, making this the second largest puffin
colony in Iceland.
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