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ICELAND | Olafsvik and Rif, Iceland Travel Guide
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
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Sightseeing in Olafsvik
Sightseeing in Olafsvik
Olafsvik, today, has a number of shops, a bakery, a bank, a pharmacy, a laundromat, a Community Health Center, and a post office. A hydroelectric plant is near a small mineral spring on the Rjukandi river, and there are archaeological remains from the settlement of Iceland 1,100 years ago, including the Forni-Saxholl farm, Berutoftir, and Irskubudir. Indeed, ghosts of old fishing villages can be found all over the area, but most pronounced are at Djupalonssandur and Dritvik.
The town has a beautiful beach, a nearby waterfall, and an unusual triangle-shaped church.
A wooden warehouse built in 1841 houses the Pakkhusid (Old Warehouse) Folk Museum, which also is the site of the town's tourist center. The museum is open only during the summer. While the museum is on the second and third floors of the building, the tourist center, a store, and various exhibitions can be found on the first floor.
For outdoor recreation, there are hiking trails, long sandy beaches, sea angling, snowmobiling on the Snaefellsjokull volcano, glacial tours from Arnarstapi, and whale-watching tours that offer an excellent chance to see blue and humpback whales.
The town holds an annual Blues Festival and celebrates Faroese Days with a week-long summer Festival that is held in June or July.
A road leads from Hllnar to Songhellir (the Singing Cave), and a Jeep road runs from the main road east of town and onward to the Snaefellsjokull glacier.
The Serleyfisbifreidar Helga Peturssonar bus company makes trips from Reykjavik to Snaefellsnes along two routes. One passes through Hvalfjordur and Borgarnes to Vegamot in Miklaholtshreppur, then goes on to Grundarfjordur via Kerlingaskard and Stykkisholmur. The second route goes to Hellissandur by way of Budavegamot, Frodarheidi, and Olafsvik. There are two trips daily, year-round, plus two trips on Friday to Snaefellsnes and two trips on Monday to Reykjavik during the summer. In the summer, there are trips on Monday and Friday from Stykkisholmur to Hellissandur and back.
Last updated April 17, 2008
Posted in Iceland | Olafsvik and Rif
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