Reykjavik Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour: Iceland’s Miniature
Often called “Iceland in Miniature,” the Snæfellsnes Peninsula offers a diverse array of landscapes and attractions in a compact area, easily accessible from Reykjavik.
Key Attractions:
- Kirkjufell Mountain:
- Iconic arrow-shaped mountain
- Popular for photography, especially with Northern Lights
- Snæfellsjökull Glacier:
- Dormant volcano topped with a glacier
- Featured in Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth”
- Djúpalónssandur Beach:
- Black pebble beach with rusted ship wreckage
- Test your strength with the four lifting stones
- Arnarstapi and Hellnar:
- Picturesque fishing villages
- Stunning coastal rock formations and arches
- Búðakirkja:
- Iconic black church set against dramatic landscapes
- Ytri Tunga Beach:
- Golden sand beach, rare in Iceland
- Seal colony viewing spot
Tour Details:
- Duration: Typically a full day (12-14 hours) from Reykjavik
- Best time: Year-round, each season offering unique experiences
- Transportation: Guided tours or self-drive options available
Highlights:
- Diverse landscapes: Mountains, glaciers, lava fields, and coastal cliffs
- Rich birdlife and potential seal sightings
- Blend of natural wonders and quaint villages
- Opportunity to experience various Icelandic ecosystems in one day
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour offers a comprehensive Icelandic experience, showcasing the country’s varied natural beauty and cultural heritage in a single, manageable trip from Reykjavik.
Overview
Travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations, and can involve travel by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.
The origin of the word “travel” is most likely lost to history. The term “travel” may originate from the Old French word travail, which means ‘work’. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the first known use of the word travel was in the 14th century.
It also states that the word comes from Middle English travailen, travelen (which means to torment, labor, strive, journey) and earlier from Old French travailler (which means to work strenuously, toil). In English we still occasionally use the words “travail”, which means struggle. According to Simon Winchester in his book The Best Travelers’ Tales (2004), the words “travel” and “travail” both share an even more ancient root: a Roman instrument of torture called the tripalium (in Latin it means “three stakes”, as in to impale).
Trip Highlights
- The Glacial Lake of Floating Icebergs
- Icy Gems on Obsidian Sands
- The Black Falls Amidst Columnar Basalt
- Panoramic Viewpoint of Europe's Largest Ice Cap
