Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur is a town in West Iceland, on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It is often called "the gateway to the islands" of Breiðafjörður. The population is a little over 1,200.

Understand

Get in

Driving is the easiest way to get to Stykkishólmur. The town is not on the ring road, but it should be simple to follow signs. If approaching from Reykjavík or South Iceland, take Route 54 out of Borgarnes and then cross the peninsula on Route 56. From North Iceland take Route 59 over Laxárdalsheiði. Stykkishólmur is about two hours from Reykjavík by car, and four hours from Akureyri.

Scheduled buses should leave at least once a day from BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavík.

It is also possible to go to Stykkishólmur via car-ferry from the West Fjords. The name of the ferry is Baldur and it sails from Brjánslækur on the south coast of the Westfjords with a stop in Flatey, operated by Sæferðir.

Get around

Stykkishólmur is very small, and easily covered by foot.

See

Walk around the centre of Stykkishólmur. It has some remarkably well-preserved Danish trading houses, which offer a glimpse into how most Icelandic "towns" would have looked in the 18th and 19th centuries (when most of them were little more than a few houses).

• Library of Water (Vatnasafn), Bókhlöðustígur 17, ☎ [phone]. 1PM-6PM June–August, 1PM-5PM September. The old town library houses a permanent art exhibition on water and weather by Roni Horn. 
• Norwegian House (Norska húsið) (Hafnargata 5), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 11AM-5PM May 31-September 7. The local folk museum. 

Do

• Danish days (Danskir dagar) is the name of Stykkishólmur's town festival, held in August each year and celebrating its heritage as a Danish trading post.
• Island tours are available from the harbour in Stykkishólmur. These sail around the many small islands of Breiðafjörður and sometimes include fishing for shellfish or other sea creatures.

Buy

Eat and drink

Look out for the locally-produced Jökull beer.

• 🌍 Narfeyrarstofa, Aðalgata 3, ☎ [phone]. A cozy new restaurant and bar in a beautifully renovated old timber house. 3000-4000 kr.. 
• Meistarinn, by Aðalgata. There's more to this small hot dog stand than meets the eye. It's famous for innovating on the traditional Icelandic fast food of a hot dog in a bun, and the menu includes porridge. 

Sleep

• Stykkishólmur Campsite, Aðalgata 27, ☎ [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. On the outskirts of town, the campsite has WiFi in addition to more traditional facilities. 
• Hólmur-Inn Guesthouse, Skúlagata 4, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 10,000 kr. 
• Hótel Stykkishólmur, Borgarbraut 8, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. €110-170. 
• Sjónarhóll Hostel, Höfðagata 1, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 

Connect

Mobile phone coverage is good in Stykkishólmur and across Breiðafjörður. The town library at Hafnargata 7 offers internet access for the public, but it's closed during weekends.

Go next

Visit Snæfellsjökull National Park, at the end of the peninsula, or take the ferry to Flatey. Hiking can be a good option in the many mountains of Snæfellsnes. A trip to the southern coast of the West Fjords on the other side of Breiðafjörður wouldn't be out of the way either.