Accommodation

The hotel is located in an old boarding school that has been extensively renovated, with 16 double or twin rooms, 11 of which are en-suite rooms and five have access to a shared bathroom. Extra bed available in double/twin room. A room with wheelchair access and necessary facilities. There’s a comfortable sitting room with a TV and free Wi-Fi at the hotel. Guests have access to a gymnasium, where you can enjoy a game of basketball or a round of table tennis. There’s furthermore a campsite by the hotel with running water and bathroom facilities.

 
Swimming pool and natural pools

Not much is as comfortable as relaxing in a hot natural pool after a long day of hiking. All fatigue slips away while you gaze at the blinking stars on a crisp autumn evening. The hotel also has a 25-metre outdoor pool, geothermally heated (32°C / 89.6°F), locally known as “Gvendarlaug”, as well as a naturally hot pool (42°C / 107.6°F). A smaller, shallow children’s pool is right next to the natural pool.

 
Board

A bright and cosy dining hall with splendid valley views. The hotel serves homemade meals with local ingredients, such as fresh seafood, lamb dishes, homemade soups, freshly baked bread and herbs from the garden, as well as other, less traditional courses.

 
Service and recreation

You can purchase fishing permits for sea char fishing in river Bjarnarfjarðará. Visit gallery Kúla that displays and sells modern Icelandic art. The hotel’s gymnasium is a good size for meetings, conferences and concerts, and can also be rented for various gatherings. The gym has a stage. You can go sea angling, riding, or puffin watching, or hike through the valley or along the shore. The nearest villages are Drangsnes (18 km / 11 mi), Hólmavík (25 km / 15.5 mi) and Norðurfjörður (75 km / 46.5 mi).

 
The northern parts of Strandir – on a date with rural Iceland

You can easily go on a number of day tours through neighbouring regions and along the northern shore. You could for example stop by an old herring plant in creek Djúpavík in Reykjafjörður, or drive to creek Trékyllisvík and take a swim in natural pool Krossaneslaug in Norðurfjörður fjord. This is where the ocean meets the sharp peaks of mountains, and roads wind through hills and steep cliffs, past creeks and along fjords, now mostly deserted. You’ll remember the harsh, untouched and terribly beautiful landscapes forever.

 
Ghosts, trolls and sorcerers

To Icelanders, the Strandir region is wrapped in an aura of mystery. According to lore, it’s not only home to ghosts, elves and trolls, but many thought witchcraft was rampant here, used for both good and evil. In village Hólmavík, you can visit the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft that attracts a number of visitors each year, as well as The Sorcerer’s Cottage at farm Klúka by fjord Bjarnarfjörður. Located just next door to Hotel Laugarhóll, it’s a turf cottage, modelled after the dwellings of the poor public in the 18th century.

 
Hosts:  Viktoría Rán and Hlynur