{"id":81417,"date":"2020-02-04T14:45:10","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T14:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.icelandaurora.com\/phototours\/?p=81417"},"modified":"2023-11-19T13:35:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T13:35:13","slug":"londrangar-svalthufa-thufubjarg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icelandaurora.com\/archive-phototours\/londrangar-svalthufa-thufubjarg\/","title":{"rendered":"L\u00f3ndrangar-Sval\u00fe\u00fafa-\u00de\u00fafubjarg – Sn\u00e6fellsnes Peninsula"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As you stand on the edge of the \u00de\u00fafubjarg cliff, you can witness one of Iceland\u2019s most dramatic coastlines.\u00a0 There is a sheer drop to the wave-battered rocks.\u00a0 The stench of the bird poo clings to your throat. The L\u00f3ndrangar\u00a0 rock pinnacles in front of you obscure a lighthouse, which can be accessed from the next road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u00f3ndrangar are strange volcanic stacks on the southern coast of the Sn\u00e6fellsnes peninsula. The name roughly translates to \u2018Lagoon Pinnacle\u2019. These tough basalt rock pinnacles are up to 75 feet tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u00f3ndrangar rocks are the remains of an ancient crater that had eroded after many thousands of years by glacier ice, the sea, and new lava flows from Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull Volcano eruptions.  Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull Volcano  is 700,000 years young. This area offers some of the best views of the Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull Glacier on the Sn\u00e6fellsnes peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"L\u00f3ndrangar<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sval\u00fe\u00fafa Hill<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The hill is named after two of the original Viking settlers who settled here with Bardur. Their names were Sval & \u00fe\u00fafa. Bardur was a legend who became endowed with \u201cGod-like\u201d qualities. A monument stands in Arnastapi to honour \u2018Bardur \u2013 the protector of Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull Volcano\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trail up Sval\u00fe\u00fafa Hill starts at the car park which is close to the main road that circumnavigates Sn\u00e6fellsnes and is just a few minutes drive west from Dj\u00fapal\u00f3nssandur Beach<\/a>.  It is best to veer left on the path up to the sea cliffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This photo (above) was taken from \u00de\u00fafubjarg cliffs on Sval\u00fe\u00fafa hill and is facing West towards L\u00f3ndrangar. This spot is all that is left of the ancient crater and is home to Kittywakes, Common murre, Northern fulmar<\/a> and occasional puffins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Snaefellsnes Tours<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

From the earliest folklore, Sval\u00fe\u00fafa Hill is believed to be inhabited by elves.  It is forbidden to mow the grass on the hill.  Anyone attempting to disturb the dwelling intentionally risks extreme bad luck.  I have experienced this in other parts of Sn\u00e6fellsnes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are thinking of removing a lava rock, think again.  The top of Sval\u00fe\u00fafa Hill is the setting for more Icelandic folklore.  One night, the Devil Challenged a guy called Kolbein to a rhyming contest as the waves battered the rocks below.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contest went on all night, and Kolbein was the glacier poet. The Devil would have to complete the rhyme when Kolbein said the first lines of a rhyming verse. As Kolbein experimented with some cunning declension, he managed to catch the Devil with a term that had no rhyme and then threw him into the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and something about the moon.  Anyway, the Devil never challenged Kolbein to any rhyming games ever again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Landscape Prints<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Protecting Sn\u00e6fellsnes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the top of \u00de\u00fafubjarg cliffs there are viewing platforms for your safety and to protect the landscape.  You will see a trench that has been worn away by photographers trying to get the best wide angle photos of the cliffs (including me). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The construction of the viewing platforms was started in 2014.  This slight inhibition of freedom and our right to roam will, ultimately, allow future generations to enjoy the natural landscape and hopefully reduce fatalities.  Photographers and bird lovers have been known to plunge to their deaths from the top of Icelandic bird cliffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malarrif<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is also a lighthouse which is hidden in this landscape photograph behind the smaller pinnacle. The lighthouse is at Malarrif, an abandoned fishing port just a few minutes drive from L\u00f3ndrangar. Malarrif was notorious for dangerous fishing and hasn\u2019t been used for over 100 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Malarif
Malarrif lighthouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is a Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull Visitor Centre with lots of information about the Sn\u00e6fellsnes National Park at Malarrif.  The Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull Visitor Centre is open everyday from 11.00 \u2013 16.00.  Phone: +354 436 6888<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull
Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull Volcano from Malarrif.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hotels Near L\u00f3ndrangar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

L\u00f3ndrangar is quite remote, but the hotels listed below are just a short drive along the southern Snaefellsnes coastline.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sn\u00e6fellsness Hotels<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

These hotels and guesthouses are a short drive from L\u00f3ndrangar. Hellna hotel is just a few minutes away. The top hotel is Budir Hotel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n \r\n Booking.com<\/a>\r\n<\/ins>