Things to do in Borgarnes. Borgarnes is a small town located on a peninsula at the shore of Borgarfjörður in Iceland and is the largest town there. The population is around 3800 residents. Borgarnes is the main junction in Iceland and the gateway to the west side of Iceland as well as the North. Reykjavík the capital of Iceland is 74 kilometers from the center of Borgarnes.
Egill Skalla-Grímsson Saga
Borgarnes is most famous for Egill Skalla-Grímsson Saga, which profiles the hero who gives his name to Egil´s Saga as one of the biggest saga heroes. Egill was the son of Skalla-Grímur Kveldúlfsson, who was one of the very first Viking settlers, and who claimed the land around Borgarnes. A museum in Borgarnes, the Settlement center is devoted to the region’s ties to Egill skallagrímsson. In the same house, there is a small tourist shop and a restaurant that offers traditional Icelandic food meat soup with homemade bread among other delicious dishes.
Skallagrímsgarður
Skallagrímsgarður is a small amusement park in the center of Borgarnes, up from Kveldúlfsvík. The park plays an important role in Egil’s Saga as his father Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson is situated there in a burial mound. The park is ideal for picnics and for playing. There are a lot of beautiful trees that kids love to climb in. In the park, there is a small pond and a beautiful fountain witch are fun to play in. Next to the park, there is a swimming pool, and between the swimming pool and the sports field, is a big inflatable trampoline which is amazing to jump on!
The swimming pool has both an outside and an inside swimming pool, outside you’ll find the children´s pool and water slides, hot tubs, the cold tub, a steam bath which is fed with steam straight from the hots spring Deildartunguhver and recently they added a sauna cabin at the outside area.
Bjössaróló
Bjössaróló, the best secret in Borgarnes. The playground was designed and built by Björn Guðmundsson. He thought much about recycling and built the playground only from material that had been thrown away or was no longer used. There you can find swings, slides, a seesaw, an old boat, and a car, a bridge, and more. The location is an adventure in itself, it is right by the beach where there is so much to explore.
The old part of Borgarnes
In the old part of the town, you will find a magical house called Blómasetrið – Kaff kyrrð. This place is a coffeehouse and a gift shop, no just wait, there is more! They also offer homestay and apartments. This place is just magical, there you will find friendly warm accommodation with various room types, all in one house! They offer different types of coffee drinks, sandwiches, Paninis, soup of the day, and delicious desserts. Let’s talk a little about the gift shop, no matter how well you explore the shelves you always see something new. You can buy flowers, all kinds of statures, tarot cards, oils, candles, and more.
Borgarfjörður Museum
Borgarfjörður Museum is a collection of five museums where new methods are used for dissemination on the basis of initiative, activity, and collaboration. The museums are:
• Borgarfjörður District Library
• Borgarfjarðar Public Archives
• Regional Museum of Borgarfjörður
• Borgarnes Art Museum
• The Museum of Natural History in Borgarfjörður
Hamarsvöllur Golf Course Borgarnes
If you’re a golfer you want to go to Hamarsvöllur, which is an 18 hole, very fun golf course that is rather easy to walk. The field runs along the hills and axes around the old town of Hamar. Icelandair Hotel Hamar stands at the eighth green. Water is involved in several holes and the 16th green is surrounded by water in every way.
Ljómalind Farmers Market
Ljómalind is a Local farmers Market, all the products there are made by the locals and about 70 of them sells their goods there. All delicacies are straight from the farm, or the sea. Most of the products, food and other, are only available at the producers and at Ljómalind. So if you want to buy a home knitted Icelandic wool sweater or other clothing, Ljómalind is the place where you can buy it among other amazing native homemade products.
Hiking in Borgarnes
If you like hiking, you’re in for a treat! Because Hafnarfjall Mountain is near Borgarnes. The mountain is mentioned in The Book of Settlements as the land of Skallagrímur reached to it. Hafnarfjall Mountain is a part of the same extinguished central volcano as Skarðsheiði and it’s about 4 million years old. The mountain is 844 m in height and its sides are rather eroded.
Hotels in Borgarnes
In Borgarnes you will find three hotels, one hostel, Guesthouses, and apartments. The newest hotel in town is called B59 hotel that opened in 2018. The name drags its name from its location since it is located at Borgarbraut 59. It’s a 4-star hotel with a total of 81 rooms, three hotel suites, and eight other rooms. In the basement, you’ll find a gym and a spa where you can also book massages among other cosmetic treatments.
Camping Borgarnes
If you are planning on camping in Borgarnes, you will find a beautiful camping site in Borgarnes by highway 1 on the way north out of town. At the campsite, there is a lawn and a plan for motorhomes. Toilets, electricity, barbecue, hiking trails, lavatory disposal, birdlife, and a beautiful view. The age limit in the area is 20, and they have open internet available free of charge.
BARA Ölstofa Lýðveldisins
BARA Ölstofa Lýðveldisins is a brand new bar located in the old part of the town. It just opened a few weeks ago, and so far it’s great! Regularly there are all kinds of musicians that perform there, the selection of drinks is great, so far they offer a few light dishes. What I love about this place is that the waiters are all welcoming and happy.
Reykholt
I just have to mention a few places located in Reykholt which is a small town that is a part of the same municipality as Borgarnes called Borgarfjörður, It’s just 34 km from Borgarnes. Since I work in Reykholt I just have to tell you about my favorite places in that area.
Krauma
First we have Krauma, natural geothermal baths and spa. The hot water originates in Europe´s most powerful hot spring called Deildartunguhver, at a temperature of 100°C (212°F). They have a total of six baths five warm and one cold, and the best part on my opinion is that there are no extra chemicals added to keep the baths clean. Why? Because the water is constantly replaced by the rapid natural flow rate of the hot spring.
The restaurant in Krauma serves Icelandic cuisine from fresh local farm-produced ingredients. The environment is comfortable and relaxing, and the view over Europe´s most powerful hot spring is just something you will never forget.
Sólbyrgi
2.5 kilometers from Krauma there is a hidden secret called Sólbyrgi located in the center of Kleppjárnsreykir is a local horticultural station. In front of it, there is a small self-service lodge where you can buy fresh strawberries and vegetables grown in the greenhouses right next to it. The fresh goodies are harvested daily and carried into the lodge just for you to buy and eat.
There are so many other great places around Borgarnes, the municipality Borgarfjörður is so big! It doesn’t only include the towns, Borgarnes and Reykholt like mentioned before but also: Hvanneyri, Bifröst, Varmaland, and Húsafell. But that is a subject for another article.