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Things to do in Seydisfjordur | Iceland's Blue Church Village
Seydisfjordur is a colorful fishing village of eastern Iceland with only 700 inhabitants that has managed to become the bohemian capital largest economy and one of the obligatory stops for many of the tourists who travel the Ring Road complete in one 10 day route how are you.
En In this little town you can find streets painted with Rainbow, street art, crafts, delicious food, the only cinema in eastern Iceland, some hiking trails and the ferry that connects Iceland with the Faroe Islands and Denmark. Do you find it interesting? Well, keep reading this post to find out what to do in Seydisfjordur.
- … brief history
- What to see and do in Seydisfjordur
- Tour the lake surrounded by the fjord
- Visit the Blue Church of Iceland
- Make stops along the carretera until Seydisfjordur
- Visit the back of Fargadafoss
- Views from the avalanche barrier
- Hike at Seydisfjordur, Vestdalsfossar waterfall
- Eat the best sushi in Iceland
- Skiing in Iceland with sea views
- Attend the LungA Festival
- Where to sleep in Seydisfjordur
- How to get to Seydisfjordur
… brief history
The founding of this little fishing town dates back to the 19th century when Norwegian fishermen They settled in the fjord because of the abundant herring fishing. The port quickly became a point of commercial interest which attracted more and more Norwegian sailors. These first settlers brought materials from Norway and built some of the Scandinavian style houses that are still standing.
During World War II he served as military base for the English and American armies, there are even remains of a British tanker known as "Cricket" which was sunk in the waters of the fjord by a German plane.
Years after the war the fishing industry went into decline, many of the inhabitants left the city and some buildings were abandoned. Currently, tourism is one of its largest sources of income, although fishing and maritime transport remain important.
What to see and do in Seydisfjordur
We tell you the best things to see and do on your visit to Seydisfjordur, keep in mind that with one or two hours will be enough to take a walk around the town and its surroundings.
▷ What to do in East Iceland Complete Guide!
Tour the lake surrounded by the fjord
In the heart of the place there is a small lake surrounded by typical scandinavian houses painted in very bright colours. Walking around this small lake transmits a lot of tranquility and is like a postcard with the lake, the houses and the mountains of the fjord in the background.
Visit the Blue Church of Iceland
This pastel blue church It is surely the most famous building in all of East Iceland. The rainbow that decorates the asphalt of the main street of Seydisfjordur ends at the entrance of the church, becoming another typical photo of the place.
The history of this building is quite tragic since in less than 150 years it has been destroyed twice, once by a strong storm and another by a fire.
During the summer the church is open from 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon on weekdays. Once a week they hold classical or jazz music concerts inside.. They start at 20:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased directly at the church for 3000 crowns.
Make stops along the carretera until Seydisfjordur
Iceland is one of the best places I have ever driven through and carRetera 93 is another clear example of this. This carThe 25-kilometer route is wonderful. Shortly after leaving Egilsstadir, you begin to climb for several kilometers until you reach a viewpoint overlooking the lake, Egilsstadir, and mountains in the distance. You can even see Snæfell, the highest mountain in the country.
Then you reach a rocky plain where at the beginning of summer you will only see snow and Lake Heidarvatn completely frozenShortly afterwards, a beautiful descent into the fjord begins, where on both sides of the carAlong the way you'll see dozens of waterfalls that probably don't even have names. About halfway down, I recommend stopping to... visit Gufufoss waterfall which is located at the foot of carYou can also stop at one of the viewpoints to see Seydisfjordur from above.
This descent is so beautiful that it even appears in a scene in the movie The secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Visit the back of Fargadafoss
Shortly after taking the carRoute 93, which connects Egilsstadir with Seydisfjordur, you will find the parking lot to visit the Fargadafoss waterfall.
Although this waterfall does not appear in any guidebook about Iceland and Very few tourists visit it. We recommend it!
It will only take you an hour round trip from the parking lot, once there you can go to the edge of the waterfall and enter the cave that forms inside.
Views from the avalanche barrier
If what you are looking for is to have spectacular views of the fjord from the top of the mountain, you can get them by visiting the anti-avalanche barrier built in 2002 to protect the town from the usual snow avalanches that it had suffered throughout its history.
to get to her you will need an SUV or 4 × 4 capable of traveling the F-road that reaches the beginning of the route. From the starting point it takes only 15 minutes to get to the barrier, otherwise you can leave the car earlier and walk an hour approx.
Hike at Seydisfjordur, Vestdalsfossar waterfall
In this fjord in the east of Iceland there are several hiking routes, such as the avalanche barrier that I showed you above. In several places in the town you will find this map with marked trails.
I recommend you visit the Vestdalsfossar waterfall and the ones that follow it. Cso at foot of caryou can Visit the canyon where Vestdalsfossar is located and if you follow the trail you will pass many other waterfalls. In approximately 4km one way you will see them all. It is a path with hardly any unevenness, beautiful and very quiet. We took the tent and slept to the sound of one of the waterfalls.
Eat the best sushi in Iceland
In this fishing town you will find the best sushi restaurant in the country, or at least that's what they say in eastern Iceland.
At the Nord Austur Sushi Bar restaurant you can find sushi and other Japanese cuisine dishes made up of the best fresh local fish and some locally grown vegetables. Asian dishes but Icelandic price.
Skiing in Iceland with sea views
If you visit Iceland between December and May and are curious about what it's like to ski on the island of ice, Seydisfjordur is the place to find out. Located in the carThe road that connects Egilsstadir with Seydisfjordur is located Stafdalur Ski Area, one of the best slopes in East Iceland. But be careful, despite being one of the best, don't expect alpine mountains with many kilometers and slopes of all levels, it only has about 1600 skiable meters divided into three descents.
Prices are quite low for Iceland's standard of living. Admission on weekdays costs 2000 crowns, 3000 on weekends and 4000 for full equipment rental.
Attend the LungA Festival
LungA is an art festival that It is celebrated in the middle of July in Seydisfjordur. The festival lasts a full week and is made up of many different art workshops throughout the week and simultaneous concerts on stages throughout the town over the weekend.
This festival is gaining a lot of reputation locally and even internationally thanks to the participation of some foreign artists and the tourism that visits the town. We worked in a bar in the summer of 2023 and it was very cool to see the atmosphere of the town.
Where to sleep in Seydisfjordur
$ Seydisfjordur campsite: It is located very close to the center and has showers, kitchen and electricity. The price per adult is 2100 crowns and the ferry day is quite busy so it is best to arrive early.
$$ Hafaldan HI Hostel: It is the cheapest accommodation of the town located at one end, but since it is such a small place you can reach the center in just a few minutes walking. The best thing about this hotel is its views of the sea and the Budareyrarfoss waterfall.
$ $ $ Hotel Aldan – The Bank: Located in a 19th century building that served as a bank in the past, it is one of the most emblematic hotels. It is located in the center and has views of Rainbow Street, the church and the lake.
How to get to to Seydisfjordur
To get to Seydisfjordur by car you will need to take the carRoute 93 near Egilsstadir. The journey takes half an hour and the carThe retera is suitable for any vehicle.
If you come to Iceland in your own vehicle you will arrive at Seydisfjordur on the weekly ferry.
We hope that our guide has been useful to you in organizing your trip. If you have any questions you can join the group of WhatsApp and we will all try to help. To continue organizing your route, we leave you the Iceland guides and for this specific region we recommend you read What to do in East Iceland.
