We spent most of the day at Húsavík doing the Whale watching tour & having our dinner there before driving about 1hr 30mins to get to Grenivík for our overnight stay. We arrived close to 10pm & it was still light & we were happy we could park right in front of Grenivík Guesthouse as it made off loading our luggage much easier.This is the main entrance & reception of Grenivik Guesthouse which was a welcome sight as the exterior looked a little austere & spartan.Walking pass the common toilet & Laundry/ Utility room was this warm Dining Area where we met & had a nice chat with our friendly & hospitable host, Ingólfur.I sat here unable to tear myself away from this breathtaking panorama of Eyjafjörđur, the setting sun & the snow capped mountains all right before me.There is an outdoor patio between the two segments of the house & I learnt from Ingólfur that he bought the old house which he renovated & the Dining cum Reception area was an extension of the original house which he built.Opposite the patio on the street front side of the house is a Hot Tub where you can unwind & enjoy the magnificent view of the fjord & surrounding mountains.This passageway leads to the four bedrooms with en-suite facilities.This corridor runs from the Dining area & leads to the four rooms. I like the fact that it is a small guesthouse & I need not contend with hordes of tourists. One of the plusses of Grenivík Guesthouse is that it remains quiet & peaceful.I love the little details like this Motif – Map of Iceland on the wall.As this guesthouse is new & has been operating for about a year, everything is immaculately clean & in perfect working condition.The super single beds are very comfortable & dressed up prettily. There is a flat screen TV, a fridge, en-suite bathroom & a wonderful view of Eyjafjöđur from the window.This 12sq m room may not be large compared to others but it makes up for being charming, comfortable & cozy.This is the Breakfast spread that is included in the room stay. Arrangements for dinner can be made in advance with the host. As we were arriving late the night before, Ingólfur called to inform us that the kitchen would be closed by 9pm worried that we might go hungry!It was a lovely buffet-style spread with cereals, breads, fruits, salad, cheeses & salami with coffee or tea.Our Breakfast treat included Rúgbrauđ (Icelandic dark rye bread) & Kleinur (Icelandic Donuts) which were specially made for us by Ingólfur’s mother. How much more personal can they get?Here I am standing in front of Grenivík Guesthouse with Ingólfur Kr Ásgeirsson the owner. What impressed me the most was the fact that he built this beautiful house all by himself with plans drawn by his architect friend.Across the road from the guesthouse is Grenivík Fishing Museum, a long-line fishing museum. This is the old baiting shack called Hlíđarendi built in 1920 which now houses the museum.An interesting array of artefacts, fishing equipment & tools used in smaller boats, long-line fishing & processing fish are on display.Most of the exhibits in the museum & the two fishing boats on display, date back to the early 1900s.This old baiting shack served many purposes in its heydays. Baiting, salting, packing, skinning fish, sleeping & dancing were but some of the activities carried out here right smack in this small fishing hamlet of Grenivík. Drying Salmon (Lax in Icelandic) at Grenivík Fishing Museum.Eyjafjöđur located in the central north of the country, is the longest fjord in Iceland. From its head to its mouth, it measures 60km with the widest section of 15km between Ólafsfjörđur & Gjögurtá at its mouth. The fjord is surrounded by hills & mountains on both sides with the island of Hrísey in the middle of Eyjafjöđur which is the 2nd largest island off the coast of Iceland & often referred to as “The Pearl of Eyjafjöđur”.The area of Eyjafjöđur is the 2nd most populous after Greater Reykjavík in Southwest Iceland. About 24,000 live in this region with the largest town Akureyri & other settlements like Dalvík (over 1000 inhabitants), Ólafsfjöđur, Hrísey, Árskógssandur, Hauganes, Hjalteyri, Hrafnagil, Svalbarđseyri & Grenivík.The township of Grenivík has about 300 people & it lies under the 1,173m high mountain Kaldbakur where many excellent hiking routes are found but there are easier paths up Pengilhöfđi which is a 260m high mountain south of Grenivík.
Grenivík is a fantastic place to visit just because it is picturesque & has much to offer to the adventurous like kayaking, fishing, horse-riding & hiking in the warmer summer months & skiing, snowboarding & snowmobiling during the colder wintry months where snowfall is abundant.
There is an elementary school, a swimming pool & a camping site, Coffee places, restaurants & a grocery store Jónsabúđ run by Ingólfur’s uncle available in Grenivík. The Old Turf Farmhouses of Laufás 9km away from Grenivík are worth a visit too. They have a souvenir store, cafe & restaurant at the Old Rectory.
Grenivík Guesthouse is such a warm & wonderful experience & it made my visit to this little town memorable & it really felt like my home away from home! Don’t miss out on this charming hamlet just half an hour away from Akureyri!
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