Blonduos: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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West of Blönduós the Vatnsnes peninsula sticks out into the sea, and its shores are one of the best places in Iceland to see seals in the wild. The loop goes out past the troll rock of Hvítserkur, round the tip to the seal centre in Hvammstangi, and back by a basalt fortress and a canyon. It is about 150 km, most of it gravel on the peninsula, so drive slowly and allow a full day. Bring binoculars and a warm layer: seals are best seen at low tide, and the wind off the sea is cold.

A short history of Blonduos

Blönduós is a small town in northern Iceland, where the Blanda River flows into Húnaflói bay. For centuries there were only scattered farms here, and the town began to grow only after it received trading rights in 1875. It lived from farming, slaughtering and wool processing, and today fewer than 1,000 people live there. The town has a textile museum that presents the knitting tradition of the women of the region.

The ten best sights in Blonduos

1
Textile Museum
Icelandic costume, weaving and embroidery; the best reason to stop in town
2
Blönduós Church
A modern concrete church whose shape catches the eye from the highway
3
Þingeyrar Church
A stone church on the site of Iceland's first monastery; open in summer
4
Glaumbær
A row of turf houses in Skagafjörður, on the road east; the best-kept turf farm in the north
5
Víðimýri Church
A tiny turf church from 1834, right by Route 1
6
Icelandic Seal Center
In Hvammstangi; ask here where the seals are lying that day
7
Spákonuhof
Small museum on Þórdís the seeress, the first named settler of Skagaströnd
8
Þrístapar
Site of the last execution in Iceland, 1830; a quiet hillock off the road
9
1238: The Battle of Iceland
Virtual-reality exhibition on the civil war of the Sturlung Age, in Sauðárkrókur
10
Hrútey
A wooded island in the Blanda river right in town, reached by a footbridge

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Tours in Blonduos →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Blonduos:

Free walking tours in Blonduos

Vatnsnes: seals and trolls

Þingeyrar Church · Iceland's first monastery was founded here in 1133, and many of the sagas are thought to have been written by its monks. The stone church was built between 1864 and 1877 by the farmer Ásgeir Einarsson.
Hvítserkur · Legend says a troll waded out to smash the bells of the Þingeyrar monastery, was caught by the sunrise and turned to stone. The stack is basalt, and its base has been shored up with concrete to keep the sea from cutting it through.
Hindisvík · At the tip of the peninsula seals haul out on the skerries in large numbers. The land is a private farm, so watch from the path and do not walk down to the rocks.
Icelandic Seal Center · The centre tracks the seal population of Vatnsnes and its staff can tell you which beaches are best for seals. Two species live on these shores, the harbour seal and the grey seal.
Borgarvirki · It is a volcanic plug of basalt columns, and at some point people filled the gaps in its rim with stone walls to make a fortress. Nobody knows for certain who built them or when.
Kolufossar · The canyon is named after Kola, a troll woman of local legend who was said to have dug it out herself. The falls drop into it a few steps from the road bridge.

Turf, sagas and bishops

East of Blönduós the road crosses a pass into Skagafjörður, the horse country of the north, where the medieval bishops and chieftains had their seats. This route follows Route 1 and then turns up the fjord to the old bishopric of Hólar, about 90 km out. It makes a good morning if your next night is in Akureyri. Turf houses are dark and cool inside; Glaumbær and Hólar open fully in summer only.

Víðimýri Church · Built in 1834 of turf and timber, it is one of the few turf churches left in Iceland and still holds services. Víðimýri was also the farm of the chieftain Kolbeinn Tumason, who wrote one of the best-known Icelandic hymns around 1200.
Glaumbær · Snorri Þorfinnsson, the first European known to have been born in America, around 1004 in Vínland, later farmed here. A statue in the yard shows his mother Guðríður, who sailed to America and back.
1238: The Battle of Iceland · In 1238 the Battle of Örlygsstaðir was fought a few kilometres from here, the bloodiest day of the Sturlung Age, when the great families tore the country apart. Within a generation Iceland had submitted to the Norwegian king.
Grettislaug · The pool is named after Grettir the Strong, the outlaw of the sagas, who is said to have swum about 7 km from Drangey island to fetch fire and warmed himself here after. The pool was restored in the 1990s and is open to bathers.
Drangey · Grettir spent his last years as an outlaw on top of this sheer island, where no one could reach him, until his enemies landed in 1031 and killed him. In summer boats go out from near Grettislaug, and a path with ropes climbs to the top.
Hólar · Hólar was the bishop's seat of northern Iceland from 1106 to 1798, and in 1584 the first complete Icelandic Bible was printed here. Its last Catholic bishop, Jón Arason, was beheaded in 1550 for resisting the Reformation.

Blönduós and its valley

Blönduós grew up at the mouth of the glacier river Blanda, as a trading post for the farms of the valleys behind it. The town itself is a short walk, and the stories of the district lie a few kilometres south in Vatnsdalur. This route takes the town in the morning and the valley in the afternoon, about 60 km in all. It is open country with little shelter, so carry a windproof jacket even on a fine day.

Textile Museum · The museum grew from the collection of Halldóra Bjarnadóttir, a teacher who spent her long life, more than a hundred years, promoting Icelandic handcraft. Blönduós also had a women's school where girls learned weaving and sewing.
Blönduós Church · The church was consecrated in 1993, and its curving concrete shape is often compared to a volcanic crater.
Hrútey · The island sits in the middle of the Blanda, a cold glacier river that comes down from Hofsjökull. It is a nature reserve with planted woodland and paths, reached by a footbridge from the road.
Þrístapar · On 12 January 1830 Agnes Magnúsdóttir and Friðrik Sigurðsson were beheaded here for the murder of the farmer Natan Ketilsson, the last execution in Iceland. Their story became the novel Burial Rites.
Vatnsdalshólar · The hillocks were left by a huge prehistoric landslide from the mountain behind. Icelanders long said there were three things in the country that could not be counted, and these hills were one of them.
Spákonuhof · Þórdís the seeress lived at Skagaströnd in the 10th century and appears in several sagas as a woman of power and second sight. The museum tells her story and that of Icelandic fortune-telling.

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Getting to Blonduos and getting around

Blönduós bus stop · By the fuel station on Route 1; buses between Reykjavík and Akureyri stop here
Sauðárkrókur Airport · The nearest regional airport, about 45 minutes east; check whether Reykjavík flights run that season

Cheap eats in Blonduos

Blönduós is a small service town on Route 1, and its food is what drivers need: a café, a grill at the fuel station and a grocery. Iceland is expensive, so soup with bread or a hot dog are the cheap lunches, and tap water is free and excellent. Out on the Vatnsnes loop and in Skagafjörður there are a few farm cafés, but long stretches with nothing, so pack food before you leave.

Ömmukaffi · Coffee, cakes and light lunches, about 1,000-2,500 krónur
Nesti · Grill at the N1 station: hot dogs and burgers, about 700-3,000 krónur
B&S · Diner by the highway, burgers and fish, about 2,500-4,500 krónur
Kjörbúðin · Skyr, bread and fruit for the road, about 1,000-2,500 krónur
Geitafell · Restaurant on the Vatnsnes loop, lunch near the seals, about 3,000-5,000 krónur
Hlaðan Kaffihús · Café in Hvammstangi by the seal centre, about 1,000-2,500 krónur
Áskaffi · Coffee and traditional cakes at Glaumbær, about 1,000-2,500 krónur
Grettis Café · Soup and coffee by the Grettislaug hot pool, about 1,500-3,000 krónur

Museums in Blonduos

Textile Museum · Costume, lace and wool; an hour
Glaumbær · Turf farm museum, 40 minutes east; best in summer
Icelandic Seal Center · Seals and their coast; ask where to see them
Spákonuhof · The seeress of Skagaströnd; small and charming
Hólar · Cathedral of red sandstone at the old bishop's seat

Nature and day trips near Blonduos

Hvítserkur · Steep path down to the beach; low tide is best
Vatnsdalshólar · Drive-by hills at the mouth of the valley
Kolufossar · Canyon falls right by the road bridge
Hrútey · Island walk in town, half an hour
Borgarvirki · Short climb for a view over the whole district

Things to do in Blonduos with kids

Hindisvík · Seals on the rocks; binoculars and quiet voices
Grettislaug · Hot pools on the beach; small entry fee
Hrútey · Footbridge, woods and a fast river; hold hands near the water
1238: The Battle of Iceland · Virtual-reality battle in Sauðárkrókur
Borgarvirki · A real stone fort to climb into; windy on top

Where to eat in Blonduos

Teni · Restaurant in the centre of town, open in the evening
Kiljan · Dinner in the old part of town by the river mouth
Borgin · Restaurant in the old town, a few steps from Kiljan
Hólanes Restaurant · Dinner in Skagaströnd, 20 minutes north
Gauksmýri · Country lodge dinner on the Vatnsnes side

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Frequently asked questions about Blonduos

What is there to see in Blonduos?

The top sights in Blonduos are Textile Museum, Blönduós Church and Þingeyrar Church. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Blonduos?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Blonduos without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Blonduos?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Blonduos, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Vatnsnes: seals and trolls.

How do you get to Blonduos and get around?

The main ways are Blönduós bus stop and Sauðárkrókur Airport. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Blonduos, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Blonduos that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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