Wow I didn't realize how much we did (and saw) on Day 4 until I started going through all the photos. So, if you are reading this, be prepared for a real long blog post with tons of photos! After a restful night in Hoffell, we embarked on our journey to Seyðisfjörður. Our first stop along the way was Hvalnes. Hvalnes is a small peninsula where you will find a black pebble beach, an old yet picturesque orange lighthouse, and the infamous "horny mountains" (Vestrahorn, Eystrahorn and Brunnhorn) in the background. The great thing about Iceland is that once you are outside of Reykjavík and Golden Circle, you rarely see anyone around, and even less as you head east. We had Hvalnes all to ourselves and it was so beautiful. One thing to note though is once you spot the lighthouse, be on the look out for the pull off area to the right where you can safely park because once you pass it, it's hard to turn around. We missed it and there was nowhere to turn around, we tried making a u-turn on the narrow road and drove off onto the black pebbles and almost got stuck! So be careful!
We drove another hour and a half or so and arrived at Egilsstaðir where we were staying for the night. We grabbed a bite to eat, had some coffee, and checked into our hotel before driving through Fjarðarheiði mountain pass over to Seyðisfjörður. Fjarðarheiði has an elevation of over 2,000 ft above sea level, therefore it was very cold and snowy up there. We stopped and took some photos in the snow and in the middle of the road.
Right outside of Seyðisfjörður lies Gufufoss. Again, no one was there and we had the entire waterfall to ourselves! Gufufoss is one of 25 waterfalls in the river Fjarðará and is derived from the mist that often accompanies the area. I was frolicking around the rocks like a happy little kid and I just didn't want to leave but alas we had to continue our journey down to Seyðisfjörður.
Seyðisfjörður, you are such a quaint little town! With a population of only about 700, Seyðisfjörður has a sizable harbor surrounded by snow capped mountains and is known for its rich fishing and cultural history. Although one of its most popular attraction is the rainbow road in front of Bláa Kirkjan (Blue Church) which was painted in support for its LGBTQ residents, the real hidden gem (to me) is Tvísöngur. Tvísöngur is a site-specific sound sculpture by German artist Lukas Kühne and is located on a mountainside right above Seyðisfjörður. We parked at the gravel lot across from the Brimberg Fish Factory and after a 15-minute hike passing many little streams and small waterfalls, we arrived at the sound sculpture. It has 5 individual domes/chambers constructed of concrete that are supposed to mimic the sounds of a five-tone harmony. The best part of this site though... the breathtaking view of Seyðisfjörður below!
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