Stokksnes Beach & Co
On day 9 a long drive through the East Fjords was on the agenda. We left Höfn after breakfast and hoped to arrive in Egilsstaðir late afternoon. The first stop of the day was Stokksnes Beach where we had to buy an entrance ticket with a QR code at the Viking Café for opening the gate towards the beach.
We decided to drive to the Rocky Cliffs first for a walk and hoped to spot some seals. We were so lucky and saw several. We had to climb carefully over the rocks to get a better view but it was worth it to see them swim in front of us. The distance still was not close enough for great photos, but at least we saw them.
An hour passed and we decided it was time to drive to the black beach to photograph the Vestrahorn. We did not seem so lucky at first since the mountains were covered by clouds, but after a while they disappeared like ice before the sun. Yessss ! Finally we were able to take some stunning pictures.
As a last stop we walked to the Viking village that was built but never used as a movie set. Still a nice place for a photoshoot. Before continuing our drive along the fjords we decided that it was first time for carrot cake and coffee in the Viking Café.
Hvalnes Lighthouse & Djúpivogur
Then we set course for the lighthouse of Hvalnes. On the way we passed the famous red chair in the middle of nowhere. OK this was definitely worth a picture! We continued and parked near the lighthouse and after a short walk we stood in front of the impressive orange construction… Well the least we could say is that it certainly stood out.
Last stop of the day was Djúpivogur. Here we found along the quay the Eggs of Mary Bay, 34 different sculpted eggs of birds from the area. They were not in a picturesque place, but we could say that they brightened up the industrial neighbourhood. Before we continued to our stay in Egilsstaðir, we ordered some snacks in a restaurant with a view at the harbour.
Vök Baths
After checking into the Skarðás Country Cabins for the next 2 nights, which by the way was really recommended as accommodation, we decided to visit the baths of Vök. That was a fantastic idea!
The baths were located at a short drive from Egilsstaðir, it were floating pools on the Urriðavatn Lake. For those with enough courage, there was the possibility to take a dip in the ice cold water of the lake. Koen gave it a try… but it did not last very long…. As a side note, the changing facilities also had some private showers. All in all our visit to the baths was a fantastic warm end to the day.
