Go West
PHOTOGRAPHING SNÆFELLSNES PENINSULA Where waterfalls spread their glistening trails over wild landscapes and rugged coastlines weave beneath volcanic craters… Welcome to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Text and photos by Lisa Michele Burns
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enturing off the Ring Road and driving to the west coast of Iceland reveals a quieter side of the country. The crowds disperse, vast landscapes appear and little pockets of magic appear when you least expect them. When it comes to photographic opportunities, you’re spoiled for choice. Tucked in behind the shores of Grundarfjörður you’ll find Kirkjufellsfoss, one of the most popular locations for landscape photographers visiting Iceland. From there, it’s a combination of rocky coastlines, mountain peaks, volcanoes and quaint seaside villages.
SAXHÓLL CRATER Visible from the drive along the western tip of the peninsula, Saxhóll Crater rises above a pancake flat section of land near Snæfellsjökull Glacier. An out of use quarry at the base of the crater is now a car park and you can take a steep but quick climb to the top for views inside the crater’s rim. The sound of red volcanic scoria crunches as you wander along the track, peering into what was a volcano some 3000-4000 years ago. Views from the top look over the surrounding landscape which varies in tones of green, brown and white when peering up towards the glacier on a clear day.
If you’ve seen The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, you’ve no doubt seen this picturesque coastal village before. Grundarfjörður is a little dazzler that’s most visited due to its proximity to the photogenic Mt. Kirkjufell.
GRUNDARFJÖRÐUR If you’ve seen The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, you’ve no doubt seen this picturesque coastal village before. Grundarfjörður is a little dazzler that’s most visited due to its proximity to the photogenic Mt. Kirkjufell. The town itself is a great base for photographing the Snæfellsnes Peninsula with whale tours departing the harbor and on occasion, orcas swimming past the village. Driving into Grundarfjörður from the west, the road journeys down a valley framed by dramatic mountains and fjords that fall into the sea below. One particular hut with a red rooftop and friendly horses in the surrounding paddock is just a few minutes from the town—a beautiful place to stop and capture the scenery.
Saxhóll Crater.
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Arnarstapi.