Holt Inn

Sæunn the wonder-cow is a special cow which saved her own life from getting slaughtered by swimming over the cold Atlantic ocean fjord of Önundarfjörður in october 1987. The cow lived sex years after the big achievement but when it died this wonder-cow was buried near the ocean where it reached shore. Now this area has the name Sæunnarhaugur or Sæunn burial ground. This swim achievement was in Icelandic news as well as world news because of the rareness of cows willing to swim such a long distance in the cold Atlantic ocean.

The garden was officially opened on August 7th 1909. In 1992, a group of people decided on their own to restore the garden, and on August 18th 1996 they formally returned the garden to its owner - the Ministry of Education. In November of the same year the Ministry handed over the garden to the town of Ísafjörður to own and care for. The formal aim of the garden is to be a memorial to itself and to the concept of school gardens where the sustaining of nature's bounty and environmental education are linked to the operations of public schools. The garden is also an example of successful horticulture in such northern climes, and as such, a notable part of the country's horticultural history.

Skarfasker is a viewing point on the way to Óshlíð. It's nice to stop the car at Skarfasker and take a look at the viewing point and sit down for coffee. After a quick coffee stop it's perfect to walk onwards to Óshlíð.

Óshlíð is the old road between Bolungarvík and Hnífsdalur. The construction of the road started in 1950s and it served the people of Bolungarvík as the only connection to Iceland's roadsystem. Since 2010 the road is not used by cars any more because of the new Bolungarvík-tunnel but people have been using Óshlíð as an outdoor recreational area. The paved road gives perfect conditions to bikers and runners that want to be closer to nature. You feel really small under the enormous cliffs that seem to be hanging by a thread 300 - 400 meters higher. Óshlíð is known for the bad road conditions due to avalanches, rock slides and stone falling. The road has also lost a part of the paved lane in some places due to bad weathers and the sea has been eating it's way into the land. Tourists are therefore advised to take care on the way and leave the car on either side of the pass. If you will drive the road and something happens, neither the car or the passengers are insured. We recommend Óshlíð especially during the bright summer nights, because you will nowhere get a better glimpse of the sunset then from Óshlíð and Óshólar. Information signs are at Hnífsdalur where Óshlíð road begins and there is also a perfect place to stop and have a little coffee after you park the car and start walking into the sunset.

Dýrafjörður is a fjord in the Ísafjarðarbær municipality. At 32 kilometres long, it is among the harder fjords to miss, and even more so because of what's along its shores. This is where you'll find the village of Þingeyri. Like in most other seaside villages in Iceland, the culture and industry have been shaped by the sea throughout the centuries. Þingeyri has a Viking festival ground, friendly swimming pool, a campsite, and a renowned golf course close by.

Between the fjords of Dýrafjörður and Arnarfjörður are the Westfjords Alps, so-named because they are some of the region's only mountains which are not flat topped. Driving towards Þingeyri over Gemlufjallsheiði pass, you will almost certainly need more than one photo stop.

If you're all in for the real nature experiance and the family wants to do something magnificent then you should talk to the people at Fisherman, buy a bag of fish and go feed the cod in the lagoon. You could even fish them out of the lagoon using it as bait.

The town of Ísafjörðurlies in Skutulsfjörður fjord. The fjord ends in two distinct valleys: Engidalur to the left and Tungudalur to the right. Tungudalur is the playground of Ísafjörður - and a very pretty place to boot. This is where you'll find a small but perfectly formed waterfall, one of the region's best established and maintained forests, a full scale golf course, dozens of beautiful summerhouses, and the town's famous skiing centre. The towns excellent campsite is located in Tungudalur, great camping facilities, a playground and a beach volleyball course.

Önundarfjörður is a particularly pretty fjord, even by Westfjords standards. This is partly due to Holt beach, which is a sweeping golden-sand beach and dune system which curls out into the fjord and is a bit likeSpainfor a few hot days of the year. The rest of the time it's a great walk and the dunes are a protected eider duck nesting area.

Önundarfjörður is a 20 km long fjord, located between Dýrafjörður and Súgandafjörður. The fjord has a few small green valleys and quite a few farms, far out in the fjord stands the village Flateyri. Önundarfjörður is beautiful to look at and it is surrounded by magnificent mountain range. In the fjord is a golden sand beach, Holtsfjara, which is a sweeping golden-sand beach and dune system which curls out into the fjord. On the golden beach stands a large wooden pier, Holtsbryggja.

To get to Önundarfjörður from Ísafjörður, drive through the Vestfjarðagöng tunnel.

Arnarnes is the outermost point of Skutulsfjörður and offers fantastic views over Ísafjörður and surroundings. Arnarnes is also an amazing place to capture photos of the midnight sun during the summer months an the phenomenal Northern Lights during winter. The road by Arnarnes goes through the first road tunnel made in Iceland in 1937, through Arnarneshamar, a steep basalt cliff.

If you've ever visited the town of Ísafjörður, you will certainly have noticed the immense rim of flat-topped mountains which surround the fjord. A notable feature of the mountains is a massive depression, like half a bowl, just over the road from the airport. This is Naustahvilft - often known by its nickname: 'the troll seat'. The story goes that a troll was hurrying home before the morning sunlight could turn her to stone. Having run fast and got back early, she sat and rested with her aching feet in the fjord. What was left was the peninsula of Ísafjörður town between her feet, the deep harbour where her feet had been, and the "seat" where her backside had been. Either that or it's a hanging valley left over from the last Ice Age. It's a short but challenging climb, so why not go up there and decide for yourself and don't forget to sign the guest book.