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
Stykkishólmur is a fishing town of about 1,100 people on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, about 170–175 km (around 2 to 2.5 hours) from Reykjavík. It is free to walk around, open all year, and most visitors spend a few hours here.
Stykkishólmur is the main town on Snæfellsnes and one of the oldest trading posts in Iceland, with a harbour that has been in use since at least the 16th century. Its streets are lined with well-kept old wooden houses, several dating back over a century, giving it a different feel from most Icelandic fishing towns.
The small island of Súgandisey sits right off the harbour, connected by a causeway and topped with a lighthouse and wide views over Breiðafjörður's islands. The town is also the departure point for the Baldur ferry across the bay to the Westfjords, and has a couple of small museums worth an hour or two if you are not in a rush.
The town sits on a headland looking out over the islands of Breiðafjörður, and the brightly painted timber houses around the harbour are why it is sometimes called the village of colour. The harbour is still a working one, with fishing boats and tour boats coming and going through the day.
Stykkishólmur also has a name for looking after its environment. The Snæfellsnes communities were the first in Europe to earn EarthCheck certification, the harbour has flown the Blue Flag, and the town was early to turn away from plastic bags. With a good choice of places to stay and eat, it works well in winter too.
Stykkishólmur's sheltered natural harbour made it a trading centre for the surrounding district from the mid-16th century onwards, and the town grew steadily around Danish and Norwegian merchant trade in the centuries that followed. The Norwegian House, built in 1828, is one of the oldest surviving buildings from that era and now houses the local museum.
Today the town's economy still rests largely on fishing, alongside a growing amount of tourism tied to Snæfellsnes and the Breiðafjörður ferry crossing. It briefly gained wider recognition as a filming location for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, but locally it is simply known as the peninsula's main town and service centre.
The hill Helgafell, just south of town, ties Stykkishólmur to the sagas. According to Eyrbyggja saga the settler Þórólfur Mostrarskegg held the hill sacred and built a temple to Thor nearby, and a monastery later stood at Helgafell for centuries. Folklore also links the peninsula's glacier, Snæfellsjökull, with all sorts of otherworldly stories.
The town centre is easy to explore on foot, with most sights within a short walk of the harbour.
Stykkishólmur is one of the better winter stops on the peninsula. With snow on the rooftops and low sun glinting off the harbour, the pleasure is simple: dress warmly, walk between the cafés, and warm up with soup or hot chocolate.
On clear, dark nights you have a fair chance of northern lights. There is very little light pollution once you leave the streetlights behind, so drive or walk a short way out of town and give your eyes time to adjust. By day the town is a good base for the rest of Snæfellsnes, with its fishing villages, lava fields, mountains and wide open spaces.
Winter days are short and roads on the peninsula can be icy and windy. Check umferdin.is and the forecast before each drive.
The town has petrol stations, restaurants, cafés, a supermarket and public toilets, making it a natural rest stop while touring Snæfellsnes.
Stykkishólmur has hotels and guesthouses of its own and works well as an overnight base for exploring the rest of Snæfellsnes or catching an early ferry to the Westfjords.
A hotel we know and book close by: Hótel Egilsen. See all places to stay.
About 170–175 km, around 2 to 2.5 hours by car via Route 1 and Route 54.
An art installation of glass columns filled with meltwater from Iceland's glaciers, housed in a former library overlooking the harbour.
Yes, the Baldur ferry sails to Brjánslækur, stopping at Flatey island, in about 2.5 hours.
Yes, especially if you are touring Snæfellsnes; its harbour, old houses and Súgandisey island make it a pleasant stop, and it is a practical overnight base.
Walk the harbour and out to Súgandisey, see the Library of Water and the Norwegian House, visit the church, climb Helgafell and take a boat or the ferry out to Flatey.
No. The Volcano Museum has closed permanently.
Yes, on clear, dark nights between autumn and spring. Go a short way out of town to get away from the streetlights.
