Iceland - Day Five
Drive to Snaefellsness - Gerðuberg Basalt Cliffs - Arnarstapi Cliffs Walk - Bjargarsteinn Mathús Restaurant - Airbnb in Grundarfjordur
Gerðuberg Basalt Cliffs
The basalt cliff formations are most famous at the Black Sand Beach but we found an impressive example of these rock formations on Snaefellsness Peninsula. The Gerduberg cliffs are massive and you have the ability to climb to the top of them for incredible views. It makes for a quick but very fun stop.
Parking and restrooms: There is plenty of parking, but you will drive down heavily graveled roads to get there. Our hatchback handled it just fine. There aren’t any restrooms - you're in the wild on this one.
Time spent: We spent about 20-30min exploring, climbing to the top, taking pictures.
Arnarstapi Cliffs Walk
Arnarstapi was a great stop. Easily walkable paths, beautiful views, and there’s a couple of cafes and a tiny gas station to refuel. Our friends actually got engaged at this very location! Highly recommend the stop.
Parking and restrooms: Plenty of parking but bathrooms are only available at the cafes where you’re required to make a purchase.
Time spent: We were at the Cliffs and trails for closer to 2.5-3hrs. The wildlife, especially birding, (birds was fantastic. We saw razorbills, harlequin ducks, and much more.
Bjargarsteinn Mathús Restaurant
After our friends got engaged at Arnarstapi, we knew we needed to go somewhere special and Bjargarsteinn Mathús is everything you'd want and expect from fine dining, with some fun Icelandic twists, if you dare. The food is beautifully plated with a menu that changes daily depending on what is pulled from the sea that day. The staff hand-sketch each dish onto menus. We loved every bite. We indulged in dried fish skin with neighboring tables ordering other Icelandic delicacies like horse and puffin. We weren't feeling that brave so stuck with fresh scallops, fish and lamb, and were not disappointed. The restaurant is extremely quaint with incredible views of Kirkjufell mountain. This would definitely be some of the best dining you can find in the region.
Reservation needed: Yes - we called ahead as we were leaving Arnarstapi (20ish min drive) to secure a table and glad we did, as they got very busy. They open for dinner and start accepting call ahead reservations in the late afternoon - you can check their website and Facebook for the most up to date info.
Staying in Grundarfjordur
While in Snaefellness, a few advantages to staying in the town of Grundarfjordur. There are a few restaurants and a grocery store, essentials for travelers. The town is centrally located on Snaefellness so all locations were easy drives. And finally, the view of Kirkjufell is unmatched. AirBnbs on Snaefellsness are a little limited, but we found one with absolutely insane views of the mountain. I can't say I'd fully recommend this particular AirBnb, as we had a little trouble at check in and the condition of the home was just a little older than the photos made it out to be. It was lovely enough though and had the without a doubt has the best view of the mountain.
Where to Eat:
Bjargarsteinn Mathús Restaurant: As seen above, we loved this place. Fine dining, pricier, but great for a special occasion.
Kaffi 59: Casual fare like fried chicken sandwiches, French fries, pizza. The food was pretty darn good. But they were limited on staff when we visited so you need to be patient or be ok checking in.
Harbour Cafe: Small coffee shop, limited options. They had a continental breakfast for their corresponding hotel, but it was very pricey and not much to offer. But they did have a cappuccino machine and we took full advantage.
Grocery stores/gas stations: Our timing must have been unlucky, but every time we were back in town, neither the gas station convenience store or grocery store was open, so we never visited, which made things pretty tricky. We ended up going to a gas station a town over on the way to a whale watching tour to grab breakfast.