DAY 1: Father, Son, Holy Ghost (South Snaefells)
Glanni Waterfall
Like every other hidden gem in Iceland, this virgin paradise is said to be crawling with dwarves and trolls, which, conveniently, we cannot see. Take the short walk from the parking lot to the falls and continue to Paradisarlaut, a natural oasis in the middle of an otherwise ordinary lava field. It's a nice place to enjoy some lunch, but bring extra for the trolls or they will make lunch out of you.
Suggested duration: 90 minutes. Visit www.west.is for more information.
ytri tunga (summer only)
If you're more into non-fictional, non-invisible creatures, you'll find plenty to "seal" your interests at this beach, home of the most-accessible seal colony in Iceland, best seen in June and July. The beach also has golden sand, in the unlikely event you're getting tired of seeing black sand. It's more typical of a normal beach experience. Even the seals are just laying back, soaking up the sun.
Suggested duration: 60 minutes. Visit www.west.is for more information.
budakirkja
There are many photo-worthy churches in Iceland (did you think churches were for praying?) but this jet black church, originally built in 1703 and rebuilt in 1987, set against green grass or white snow takes the cake as being most worthy of your photography. After you're done snapping, take a walk along the picturesque coastline, where you may just have an actual religious experience.
Suggested duration: 60 minutes.
RAUDFELDsGJA gorge
Normally, if you see a random rocky pathway on the side of the road, you wouldn't think anything of it, but this is Iceland, where every corner holds a hidden surprise. In this case, a narrow path leads you through a gorge along a ravine to a hidden waterfall; the trail is about a half hour each way but take caution as it can get pretty slippery. The gorge is named after a legend of a boy, named Raudfeld, who pushed his sister Helga onto an iceberg drifting to Greenland. (She started it!) She ended up surviving, but their father Bardur was so angered that he banished Raudfeld into the gorge, where he disappeared forever. That will teach him!
Suggested duration: 90 minutes.
ARNARSTAPI (Bardur Snaefellsas statue)
The first thing you'll see when you approach this town is a statue of Bardur, the father from the legend of Raudfeld, not because of its sheer size, but because that's where the parking lot is. If you're wondering why his statue is so large it's because this Bardur fellow is said to have been half-man, half-troll, which suddenly explains his harsh punishment methods. Why he is being honored with a statue is another story - perhaps as a half-troll you have to commend him for fighting his instincts to eat his own children. From there, take a walk alongside the coast, teeming with wild birds, unexpected crevices (watch out!), natural stone bridges you can walk across and Gatklettur, an impressive rock formation. You can continue the walk another 1.5 miles to Hellnar where you'll see some even more impressive rock formations, along the beach. You can also drive to Bardurlaug Pool, where Bardur is said to have bathed. You can bathe in it yourself but it's deceptively deep and probably filled with troll bacteria; soak in the views instead.
Suggested duration: 2-3 hours. Visit www.west.is for more information.
STAY THE NIGHT IN: arnastapi
DAY 2: Above, Below, At Sea Level (Snaefellsjokull National Park)
bonus: vatnshellir cave
This 8000 year old lava tube extends over 600 feet in length and up to 120 feet in depth. A guided tour equips you with a helmet and flashlight, so you can feel like you're digging up something important or alternatively, like you're in a horror movie and next to be killed. Speaking of pure horror, it's very dark down there so if you're afraid of the dark, grow up. If claustrophobic, stay out.
Tour duration: 45 minutes. Visit www.summitguides.is for schedule and more information.
Dritvik DJUPALONSSANDUR
It's not as pristine as Reynisfjara (Iceland: Part Three) but it's the rugged quality that makes this black sand beach unique. You will notice on approach that the beach doubles as a lava rock field - luckily you weren't lounging around when these bad boys landed. Once at the beach, your metal detectors will probably lose their chill with all the rusted metal shards strewn about. If you're asking why they don't clean up this mess, it's because they want to preserve these remains of a British ship that crashed here in 1948, just don't pick up any of the shards unless you're actively trying to get hepatitis. If you feel the need to pick something up you may try your hand at one of the four lifting stones, each of different weight, which were used to test the strength of sailors, in training. Feel free to show off but don't blame us if you throw out your back; it's probably best to leave them where they are. In other things you can look at but can't touch, definitely don't swim or enter the water here or any ocean water around Iceland; the current is deadly.
Suggested duration: 1-2 hours. Visit www.west.is for more information.
SNaefellsjokull (summer)
This 7000 year old, glacier-capped volcano was featured as the entrance to the earth's core in Journey to the Center of the Earth. You may be disappointed to learn that there is no actual entrance to the center of the earth, but who wants to spend the next few hours fending off giant insects anyway? Instead, you'll be taking a snow CAT tour, which unfortunately is not a cat-led tour but an all-terrain vehicle that will carry you on your journey, not to the center of the earth, but to the peak of the glacier then back down.
Tour duration: 2.5 hours. Visit www.theglacier.is for booking, schedule and more information.
saxholar crater
A short climb takes you to the rim of this dormant volcano, where you can take a peak into its crater. From here, you can also get a great view of Snaefellsjokull, another dormant volcano, in the distance. All these dormant volcanos
Suggested duration: 30 minutes Visit www.west.is for more information.
STAY THE NIGHT IN: olafsvik
DAY 3: Mountains upon Mountains (North Snaefells)
KIRKJUFELL
There are two paths to climb the most photographed mountain in the country but one requires a hired guide and advanced rope-climbing skills (which rules out the majority of you who couldn't even get off the ground while rope climbing in gym class) so take the beaten path for once. There's also a trail that goes around the mountain, allowing you to capture photography from different perspectives, including in the reflection of a lake, but the best shot comes courtesy of Kirkjufellsfoss, a waterfall photobombed by the mountain in back. Be warned: it's amateur photography hour over there so you might have to wait in line to get a decent shot.
Suggested duration: 3-4 hours. Visit www.west.is for more information.
BJARNARHOFN SHARK MUSEUM
You may have heard that fermented shark is a popular delicacy in Iceland, but if you've tried it before you've probably discovered that it tastes absolutely miserable. Adding insult to injury is the fact that you'll only ever see tourists eating shark so you can't help but wonder if it's just an elaborate prank that native Icelanders play on tourists. Regardless, it's something that you do, just so you can say you did it and if you haven't done say, what better place to do it than the shark museum and fermented shark production facility. You'll learn all about the sharks themselves, and the history of shark meat production, before you finally sample some. See if you can pretend to like it so as not to offend the guide. Lime slices and salt may help. Heck, even straight tequila will taste better.
Suggested duration: 1-2 hours. Visit www.west.is for more information.
HELGAFELL
At the top of the "the holy mountain," you'll find the last remaining wall of a monastery from the late 1100's. It's only 30 minutes to the top, but only the pure of heart can approach the holy of holies. It is said that you must ascend the hill without looking back, or even uttering a word. Once at the top, face east, and you're allowed to make three wishes. You may only make three wishes upon your first ascent, and the wishes must not be selfish in nature because obviously. If you could somehow remember all of the rules and follow them exactly, all your wishes will come true. But careful - if you make any mistakes, you'll instantly turn into a skeleton.
Suggested duration: 1.5-2 hours. Visit www.west.is for more information.