Make a holiday rental, home, or cottage in Northwest, Iceland your home away from home
Holidaymakers looking for somewhere different to travel to in the far north of Europe should pay a visit to Northwest Iceland. Although not commonly considered as a popular tourist destination, this part of Iceland has many fantastic things to do and see. Visitors will find numerous different places to stay including self catering accommodation, cottages and apartments.
Things to do on holiday to Northwest, Iceland
Holidaymakers can enjoy some winter fun in this part of the country with good skiing to be had near Saudarkrokur. During the warmer months there are many scenic areas for holidaymakers to go hiking, cycling and horse riding. Various watersports are also available such as sailing and rafting as well as salmon and trout fishing.
There are three nine-hole golf courses in the area at Vatnahverfisvollur, Haagerdisvollur and Saudarkroksvollur. Various jeep tours are offered in Northwest Iceland or for a bit of fun and action visitors can try paintballing. Nature lovers will also be able to go whale watching off the coast here and this is also a good place for bird watching.
Numerous bars, cafes and restaurants can be found in this part of the country with a variety of dining options including plenty of seafood and Scandinavian dishes. Self catering holidaymakers can purchase food and drink from grocery stores and supermarkets. Tourists will also find some places selling souvenirs and gifts.
Places to visit on holiday to Northwest, Iceland
This part of Iceland has some wonderful places to visit including several museums such as the Textile Museum in Skagastrond and the Icelandic Textile Centre in Blonduos. There are many religious buildings in Northwest Iceland including Hólar í Hjaltadal, which is one of the primary historical places in the country. A visit to Iceland wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of the many hot springs including in the Hveravellir area.
Tours are offered to the island of Dragney just off the Icelandic coast, where there is a huge bird population. A couple of hour’s drive will take visitors to the nation’s capital city, Reykjavik. There are many fantastic places to visit here including museums, buildings and natural features. Museums here include the Art Museum and the ASi Art Museum. The Botanic Gardens here houses over 5,000 species of subarctic plants.
Weather in Northwest, Iceland
The mildest time of the year in this part of the country is July and August when the average high temperature is approximately 13 degrees centigrade. The coldest month of the year is January when the average minimum temperature is approximately -3 degrees centigrade. Precipitation is quite evenly spread throughout the year. October is usually the wettest with an average of 85mm of rainfall spread over 14.5 days.
Travel to Northwest, Iceland
Keflavik International Airport (KEF) is located in south west Iceland and 50 kilometres from the capital city, Reykjavik. Flights arrive here from various international airports including Amsterdam (AMS), Berlin-Tegel (TXL), London-Gatwick (LGW), London-Heathrow (LHW), New York (JFK), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Stockholm-Arlanda (ARN), Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) and Vienna (VIE) amongst others. Visitors should fly to Keflavik and either drive to their holiday destination in Northwest, or transfer to Reykjavik Airport (RKV) and fly to Saudárkrókur Airport (SAK). Several car hire firms are located at Keflavik airport including Avis, Budget, Car Rentals, Europcar and Hertz.