Iceland: The East Fjords

From the JökulsárlónGlacier Lagoon we still had a long road ahead of us, and for the first time we couldn’t see too long ahead on the road as we were either in the mist or in the middle of downpour. Obviously it’s not really an ideal driving condition especially in Iceland due to the amount of sheep wandering aside of the road as well as crossing it (or simply just standing in the middle of it)- we had one really close call and if it wasn’t for our chauffeur’s quick reflex, we would’ve end up hitting the sheep (and for the record, the honking doesn’t always guarantee that they’ll move away)! After surviving the different sheep scares, we began to get really nice views as the road started following the coastline and we were approaching the first fjord. Imagine the ocean on your right, the mountains on your left and the road twisting and turning through the mist- pure magic! 

Driving around the long and narrow fjords can be pretty slow and time consuming but more than that it’s incredibly scenic. Up until the last fjord and the tunnel we took to get to the Eskifjordur, the sky was filled with dark clouds but miraculously it all cleared up the moment we got out of the tunnel. As soon as we saw the cottages of Mjoeyri lined up on the other side of the bay, we couldn’t help but get all excited- what an excellent place for the next couple of nights!

We had probably one of the funniest welcomes at the Mjoeyri’s guesthouse; we got greeted by two adorable baby lambs and then we found a little note that was left for us as a welcome message. How nice. We fell in love with this place immediately and everything about this place was just so spectacular; we got to relax and enjoy the sunset in a hot pool (that was built inside of a boat), have a real good sauna, dip ourselves into the ice-cold fjord to cool off, and later on we even got to feed the baby lambs! Furthermore we heard that it’s possible to spot whales in the fjord next to the cottages if you’re lucky, but even though we sat in the hot pool till the early hours, we didn’t spot a whale but we did caught a beautiful sunrise…

The next day we wanted to explore the area and especially the fjord town called Seyðisfjörður. On our way there we passed a couple of interesting places such as the lake Lagarfljót (which also happens to be home to Iceland’s biggest forest), and the road through the Fjarðarheiði mountain pass leading us to the town itself. That was maybe the strangest short drive we have ever had in terms of changing scenario; climbing only few minutes up from the forest area, we had views down to the lake and then suddenly we were driving in the middle of a snowy mountain pass- all within some minutes! The same exact thing happened on the way down as the snow all of a sudden just disappeared and we were gazing at the numerous waterfalls, greeneries and flower fields.

Seyðisfjörður is as full of charisma as it gets; from its bohemian fisherman town vibe and idyllic wooden houses to its surrounding waterfalls and mountains. Also, it’s pretty big on handcrafts of all kinds and has several boutiques worth dropping in for traditional souvenirs! We hung out the afternoon going around the town and its milieu, and finally took the mountain pass back towards Eskifjörður and our little cottage. 

For the rest of the day we had pretty straightforward plan to just savor this fantastic place by sipping our drinks in the hot pool overlooking the impressive landscapes of our new favorite spot- The East Fjords!

Although we never wanted to leave this place, we knew that our next destination was nonetheless going to be out of ordinary, to say the least- The Lake Myvatn. A place that's considered as one of the most exceptional in all Iceland...

TIPS & LINKS

The East Fjords

- Travel guide to East Iceland
- Visit Iceland 

Seyðisfjörður
- Visit Seydisfjordur

Our Accommodation
- Mjoeyri (The official page)

- TripAdvisor

Road Information:

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon – Eskifjörður: 340km, 4h (estimations)

Eskifjörður – Seyðisfjörður: 75km, 1h