Borgarfjörður eystri

A hiking paradise, an easily accessible puffin colony and some elves and hidden people make Borgarfjörður Eystri a magical destination

 

The Hostel in Borgarfjörður Eystri is situated in the small town Bakkagerði, with appr. 150 inhabitants. Borgarfjörður has an extremely beautiful surrounding area and majestic mountains. Bakkagerði offers services like a grocery shop, gas station, restaurant and a post office. In the area there are many beautiful marked hiking routes. There are various possibilities of hiking tours, day tours or tours that take up to 5 days. The altarpiece in the church at Bakkagerði is made by the famous Icelandic painter Jóhannes S. Kjarval. In Bakkagerði is also a museum dedicated to his work as he spent a lot of his time painting in Borgarfjörður Eystri.

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Opening times

Opening times (over the year):  January 1st - December 31st

Next Hostels

Húsey 73 km (ca. 1 hour) - Seyðisfjörður 92 km (ca. 1 hour 10 min) - Reyðarfjörður 95 km (ca. 1 hour 10 min) - Ytra Lón 215 km (ca. 2 hours 50 min)

 

Distance from Reykjavík

691 km (ca. 8 hours 5 min)

Family rooms available		Laundry facilities		Non smoking room/area
Sheets for hire		Individual traveller welcome		Basic store available at or near the hostel
Self-catering kitchen		Luggage Store		Garden
Common room(s)

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Bed capacity

Beds per room:					Total beds
Number of rooms:	1	1	1	1	17

Directions

Bus:	During summer there are daily bus connections from Egilstaðir to Borgarfjörður Eystri.
Parking:	At or near hostel.
Location:	For those who travel by car take road no 94 from Egilsstaðir, distance appr. 70 km.

Magnificent views

Borgarfjörður eystri is one of the most remote places in Iceland. To get to the fjord, where the village lies, you have to drive over a mountain pass with steep roads and serpentines. Luckilly for you, there are several viewpoints along this road

Hiking

There are many hiking trails around the village that are carefully marked and varie in lenght and difficulties. Pick up a local hiking map in the convenient store in the village.

Geology and flora

Borgarfjörður eystri is a short, wide, grassy and fertile fjord. All around the village you can see magnificently colorful mountains of rhyolite and basalt and for the nature lovers there are a few plants around the village that can't be found anywhere else in Iceland.

Arts and Culture

The famous Icelandic painter Jóhannes Kjarval (1885-1972) was born in Borgarfjörður eystri. You can find an exhibition on him in the community center along with an altarpiece painted by Kjarval in the local church.

Near the center of Bakkagerði there is a picturesque rock called the rock of elves or Álfaborg. It is believed that elves live in this rock but theres a walking path around it.

Birdwatching

At the harbor a little outside the village there are excellent bird watching conditions, especially for spotting puffins.