While we were in Iceland we decided to maximise our time there – so, we booked a fairly spontaneous tour with Reykjavik Excursions to Snaefellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland. If you’ve spent some time researching Iceland online – especially on Instagram – you might have already come across the recognisable stone bridge at Arnarstapi that has put the small village on the map. Arnarstapi was a few hours drive away from Reykjavik, with an early 7am tour start kicking off our long day exploring.
After driving past beautiful snow-covered mountains, frozen rivers, fjords and through an underwater tunnel, we arrived at Arnarstapi and parked up, ready for a cold coastal walk. There is a small scattering of houses dotted around the village, with views across to the nearest mountain and the nearby coastline.
If you’re visiting Arnarstapi with Reykjavik Excursions, your tour guide (who were all very friendly & knowledgeable) will show you the best route to walk along the coast. If you’re visiting on your own, then it isn’t hard to find!
Along the coastal walk you will see rugged rock formations – the most well known of which is the stone bridge.
Well known across many social media channels, this stone bridge is a beautiful piece of coastline that we absolutely did not dare to cross – regardless of how icy it was (the answer is – very icy), the locals don’t like tourists to take unnecessary risks to try to get the perfect photo. So, we admired it from a safe distance!
Wandering further along the coastline – which takes longer than expected if you’re walking on snow – you’ll come to a breathtaking view along the cliffs. Basalt columns with icy waves crashing against them – it was incredibly cold and very beautiful.
Further along still, you’ll come across a stone archway, worn by the waves and reminiscent of the famous Durdle Door (all the way back in England!).
The rugged basalt columns along here were very impressive and well defined – long, sloping geometric shapes unlike anything I’d ever seen before.
After our very, very cold walk we headed back to Arnarstapi village and had lunch at a cafe. Fish & chips for me (which I must say, is delicious in Iceland!) and a traditional lamb stew for Tom.
You might also like this post, Entering the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
That marks the end of our time exploring Arnarstapi! Our Snaefellsnes tour also took us to some other view points, including the iconic Kirkjufell – but I’ll be tackling those in another blog post.
If you’re planning a trip to Iceland in the future, I’d definitely recommend booking some tours through Reykjavik Excursions – we were very impressed with their service.
If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read the rest of my Iceland posts.
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What an amazing place, superb pictures, so glad you were able to go before the lock down. 👍