The charming fishing village of Grundarfjörður sits on on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula backed by snowcapped mountains in the distance. In the foreground just across the water stands the town’s landmark, Mount Kirkjufell, rising from the bay. The most photographed scene here is the picturesque waterfall nearby with the solitary, striated peak as a backdrop. A scenic coastal drive takes you to Snæfellsjökull National Park, named for the glacier-crowned stratovolcano at its center. Here you can hike along pebbled beaches and moss-covered lava fields amidst jagged volcanic craters and into lava tube caves. The landscape is so striking that it inspired Jules Verne’s novel Journey to the Center of the Earth. The region is also known for abundant bird life, which can be observed ashore or on a boat to the island of Melrakkaey just off the coast. This protected nature reserve is home to guillemots, shags, kittiwakes and the Icelandic favorite – adorable orange-beaked puffins.
