Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Flókalundur is a tiny settlement at the junction of Route 60 and Route 62 in Vatnsfjörður nature reserve, on the south coast of the Westfjords, about 6 km from the Brjánslækur ferry landing. It has a seasonal hotel and restaurant, fuel pumps and camping, and the natural hot pool Hellulaug is a short walk away. Most travellers stop for a meal, a fill-up and a soak, or stay the night after the long drive from Reykjavík.
Flókalundur is not a village in the usual sense. It is a single hotel, a campsite and some services beside a fjord, in the middle of the Vatnsfjörður nature reserve. It stands where the road divides: Route 62 (Barðastrandarvegur) continues west along the coast to Brjánslækur and Patreksfjörður, and Route 60 (Vestfjarðavegur) turns north over the Dynjandisheiði mountain road towards Dynjandi and Ísafjörður. There is very little else on this stretch, so it is a natural break whichever way you are going.
The hot pool Hellulaug, on the shore of Breiðafjörður bay, is the main reason many people stop. It is a natural pool, reported at around 38–40°C, right by the beach, a short walk from the hotel. Bring a towel and something warm to change into.
Vatnsfjörður itself is a protected area of about 20,000 hectares, set up in 1975. It has birch and rowan woodland, wetlands, rivers, lakes and rocky highlands, with arctic foxes, seals and salmon and around twenty bird species. There are short walks, including one to the Þingmannaá waterfall.
The setting is the other reason to stop. Flókalundur looks out over Vatnsfjörður and the wide Breiðafjörður bay, and it is surrounded by birch wood, which is not common in the Westfjords. Many people use it as an overnight stop after the drive into the Westfjords and carry on to Dynjandi, Rauðisandur or Látrabjarg the next morning.
According to the Book of Settlements, a Norse explorer called Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson sailed from Norway to Iceland in the 9th century and took land in Vatnsfjörður. He is said to have released ravens to find his way, which gave him his nickname, Raven-Flóki.
He stayed only one winter, and it went badly. The story says the fishing in the fjord was so good that summer that he and his men forgot to make hay, and when the long, cold winter came their livestock died. In spring Flóki climbed a mountain above the fjord, hoping for a sign of better weather. Instead he saw a fjord to the north still full of drift ice. He named the country Ísland, Iceland, and sailed home calling it a cold and unwelcoming place.
Flókalundur, “Flóki’s grove”, is named after him. The nature reserve is also linked to the medieval Gísla saga, one of the best-known Icelandic outlaw sagas.
Roads in the Westfjords can be slow, with gravel sections and mountain passes. Check umferdin.is and vedur.is, and fill up with fuel when you can.
Flókalundur is a place to stretch your legs after a long drive. Everything here is close to the hotel and campsite.
The whole area, Vatnsfjörður fjord and Flókalundur with it, is a nature reserve. Keep to paths, and leave plants and birds alone.
The hotel is seasonal. Dates change from year to year, so check flokalundur.is.
Hotel Flókalundur has 27 rooms, a restaurant and bar, EV charging, parking and a small shop in season. There are automatic fuel pumps. Camping is available in summer. Toilets are at the hotel. Opening dates vary each year.
Hotel Flókalundur and its campsite are the obvious places to stay here in summer. Patreksfjörður, Tálknafjörður and Bíldudalur have more guesthouses and hotels, and there are farm stays around the region. Book ahead in July and August.
A seasonal hotel with a restaurant, fuel pumps, a small shop and camping, at the junction of Route 60 and Route 62 in the middle of Vatnsfjörður nature reserve.
About 1 km from the hotel, on the beach by Breiðafjörður bay. It is a short walk of around 8 minutes.
No. It is seasonal, roughly from May to late September. Check the hotel’s website for this year’s dates.
The Brjánslækur landing for the Baldur ferry from Stykkishólmur is about 6 km away.
It is named after Hrafna-Flóki, the Norse explorer who spent a winter in Vatnsfjörður and, by the old story, gave Iceland its name.
Drive the Ring Road north past Borgarnes, then Route 60 through Búðardalur and along the south coast of the Westfjords to the junction with Route 62. It takes around 4.5 hours without stops. You can also take the Baldur ferry from Stykkishólmur to Brjánslækur, 6 km away.
By the old story, from Hrafna-Flóki. After a hard winter in Vatnsfjörður, where Flókalundur now stands, he climbed a mountain, saw a fjord full of drift ice and named the land Ísland.
