Eyrarbakki

Enjoy the old colorful houses and the proximity to the sea at Eyrarbakki hostel

The Eyrarbakki Hostel has 4 apartments, each accommodating up 6 persons. The apartments are nicely furnished with a dishwasher, refrigerator and all main kitchen supplies, two single beds in the bed room and a double couch in the living room, television and wireless internet. The Gónhóll café in the adjacent house is open every day from 11 – 18 from May 1st to August 31st and upon agreement for bigger groups. It also houses a culture centre, a handicraft market and a vegetable market.

Eyrarbakki is one of the oldest trading towns in Iceland but the towns’ prime time was from middle of the 18th century to the early 19th century. During that time the town expanded around the houses of the Danish trading and the population grew fast. At its peak, the inhabitants were around 1000 at 1920, but have reduced from then and have been around 530-550 for the last years.

There are two museums in Eyrarbakki; the Maritime Museum’s most noteworthy piece is the rowboat Farsæll. The museum also holds many pieces related to the sea and fish-processing in Eyrarbakki area. The District museum in Húsið has exhibitions on the history of Húsið building and the people that used to work and live there, but also about the history of trading in Eyrarbakki as well as various items related to the history of Árnessýsla. 3 km out of town is Flói Nature Reserve, a paradise for wetland birds, with a marked circular hiking trail through the marshes.

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Opening times:

Opening times (daily/weekly):    The reception is at Café Gónhóll in the house next door and is open 11.00-18.00 hrs.
Opening times (over the year):    Open all year round.

Nearest hostels:

Gaulverjaskóli 16 km (ca. 15 min) - Árnes 55 km (ca. 40 min) - Selfoss 13 km (ca. 10 min)  - Laugarvatn 52 km (ca. 40 min)

 

Distance from Reykjavík:

60 km (ca. 45 min)

Family rooms available	Credit card accepted	Non smoking room/area
Sheets for hire	Café/Bar	Basic store available at or near the hostel
TV room	Meals available	Playground
Self-catering kitchen	Currency exchange at or near hostel	Rates include local tax
Groups welcome	Individual traveller welcome	Cycle store at Hostel
Common room(s)	Luggage Store	BBQ
Internet access	Lockers available

 

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Bed Capacity

 

Beds per room:				Total beds
Number of rooms:	1	1	1	12

Directions

Bus:		Daily bus connections with Reykjavík, Hveragerði, Selfoss and Stokkseyri. Free buses run between Selfoss, Eyrarbakki and Stokkseyri.
Parking:		By the hostel
Location:		To get to Eyrarbakki, turn off route 1 to road no. 34 by Selfoss. If coming from Hellisheiði take road 39 and then 34, if coming from Hveragerði take road 38 and 34.

Museums

Húsið (The House) at Eyrarbakki is one of Iceland's oldest buildings, built in 1765 when Danish merchants were allowed to overwinter in Iceland for the first time. Merchant families lived in the House for almost two centuries and over that period the House was the center for art and European culture in Iceland; fashion, music and literature spread from there throughout the country. Eyrarbakki village was at that time one of the largest harbours and trading places in Iceland, serving farmers along the coastline from the extreme west to the extreme east. At the Árnesinga Folk Museum's varied exhibitions in The House, visitors can experience past times and learn about the remarkable history of the building.

The Maritime Museum in Eyrarbakki takes the visitor back to old times in a small Icelandic fishing village. On display is a fine collection of artifacts connected with fisheries, crafts, the social and cultural life of the people during the last 100 years. The largest and most remarkable item on show is an open fishing boat named Farsaell which had 12 men at the oars.

The Wildlife Museum in Stokkseyri is the only museum in Iceland that is dedicated to hunting and wildlife. The museum is not only established to entertain and inform the public but as a testament to ethical hunting, the right to hunt and to pass the skill of hunting on to future generations,
The collection contains a large number of Icelandic mammals and birds as well as mammals from Africa and Greenland, including a shoulder mount of muskox, full mount polar bear, giraffe as well as full mount lions, male and a female.

The Ghost Center in Stokkseyri is a ghost museum that features all of Iceland’s most famous ghosts. The third floor of a 1000 square meter building is devoted to the tales of Iceland’s ghosts. The entrance is located on the south side of the building by the harbor.

Kayaking

In the next town of Stokkseyri you can find a kayaking company that offers tours to anyone who's willing to give it a go. Icelandic kayaktours (Kajakaferðir) has been in operation for 10 years and offers a new way to explore the nature. You will travel on kayaks along the unique lagoons of one of Iceland's most beautiful coastline and through a broad water area west of Stokkseyri. The area consists of small and big ponds connected by narrow canals, and is the ideal surroundings for enormous numbers of birds and plants.