Ladies and gentlemen, that in a nutshell is Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula. It is a gorgeous region of western Iceland that many people visit when they do not have enough time to see the whole island because it is only a two hour drive from the capital. It is also a region of Iceland known for its remoteness and unpredictable weather. It also happened to be our introduction to this small European nation. What a way to get to know each other! Luckily, we bought the best travel insurance possible (a lesson we learned after our three-week road trip through New Zealand), and we were able to pull up to the local repair shop five minutes before it closed for the night so that the workers could help get the door to stay shut on its own. Tip: if you are going to Iceland, get the best travel insurance. Our $2,000 USD bill was 100 percent covered by our insurance.
The Snaefellsnes Peninsula's main attractions are an abundance of Icelandic ponies, Mt. Kirkjufell, and Snæfellsjökull National Park, which boasts the Snæfellsjökull glacier. There are a handful of small seaside villages, some beautiful beaches, and a few interesting caves as well. Sadly, most of our time on the peninsula was eaten up by jet lag and repairing our SUV's door. That said, we still managed to drive around the entire peninsula and admire its beautiful and dramatic landscape.
On our first day, we explored the seaside town of Grundarfjörður. Our AirBnb was right on the water across from Mt. Kirkjufell. While this mountain is immensely popular, it is actually quite dangerous to climb. While we were in town, a tourist actually died from falling off the steep mountainside. This happens numerous times each year. Instead of getting too close to the mountain, we decided to explore the waterfall adjacent to Mt. Kirkjufell, which had stroller friendly trails. We also admired Kirkjufell from our waterfront hot tub during sunset. If you feel compelled to try to climb the mountain, you should really hire a local guide to help you do it safely.
On our second day, we drove Roads 54 & 56, which are mountainous roads that cross the narrow mountain ridge of the peninsula. We also drove the entire length of the Snæfellsjökull National Park, which allowed for us to admire the glacier at the tip of the peninsula. We also saw at least three cars in ditches along the narrow, winding roads, and we tried our very best to not join the club of disappointed, worried tourists whose cars needed to be towed.
Instead, we stopped at the top of Road 54, I carefully opened my door into the wind, but the gusts changed and the door was ripped completely out of my hands and off its hinge in less than two seconds. We took a classic Jackie-and-Sean misadventure photo (see below), and drove as fast as possible to the local auto repair shop before it closed as per our rental company's request. Our AirBnb host comforted us by telling us it has happened to every Icelander at least once, and that "stuff just happens" on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
We were very lucky to get the door fixed, and then we were able to spend the remainder of our last day and night on the peninsula wandering the water front, buying groceries from the local store, and deciding which direction we would tackle Iceland's Ring Road the following day after picking up our motor home.
On our first day, we explored the seaside town of Grundarfjörður. Our AirBnb was right on the water across from Mt. Kirkjufell. While this mountain is immensely popular, it is actually quite dangerous to climb. While we were in town, a tourist actually died from falling off the steep mountainside. This happens numerous times each year. Instead of getting too close to the mountain, we decided to explore the waterfall adjacent to Mt. Kirkjufell, which had stroller friendly trails. We also admired Kirkjufell from our waterfront hot tub during sunset. If you feel compelled to try to climb the mountain, you should really hire a local guide to help you do it safely.
Instead, we stopped at the top of Road 54, I carefully opened my door into the wind, but the gusts changed and the door was ripped completely out of my hands and off its hinge in less than two seconds. We took a classic Jackie-and-Sean misadventure photo (see below), and drove as fast as possible to the local auto repair shop before it closed as per our rental company's request. Our AirBnb host comforted us by telling us it has happened to every Icelander at least once, and that "stuff just happens" on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
We were very lucky to get the door fixed, and then we were able to spend the remainder of our last day and night on the peninsula wandering the water front, buying groceries from the local store, and deciding which direction we would tackle Iceland's Ring Road the following day after picking up our motor home.
Next Up: Iceland's Westfjords & Northern Iceland!
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