Everywhere in Iceland is photogenic. Literally, I dare you to find one corner of the country that isn’t beautiful. So, describing any place in Iceland as “photogenic” or “picturesque” may not feel like I’m saying much. But when it comes to Seydisfjordur, there are no better words to describe it.
Seydisfjordur is a tiny town on Iceland’s east coast, just a short jaunt off the Ring Road. We decided to spend one night here on our trip around Iceland, and it is undoubtedly one of the prettiest towns I have ever seen. With charming buildings, lovely little waterfalls, and the famous rainbow road, there are pretty things to look at everywhere you turn! Our time in Seydisfjordur was short, but it’s a small place, and we were able to see a lot in a short time.
We drove to Seydisfjordur from Höfn, stopping along the way at Vestrahorn, an incredibly scenic area with a large mountain rising dramatically over a black sand beach, plus a replica Viking village. We spent a few hours exploring this area, which was a nice way to break up our drive, before arriving in Seydisfjordur a little after noon.
We stayed overnight in a private room in the Hafaldan Old Hospital Hostel, which is located right in the middle of town in a building that used to be, you guessed it, a hospital. There are not a ton of accommodation options in Seydisfjordur, and many of them are very expensive, but this hostel was very nice for a reasonable price. My hostel days are mostly behind me, but here we had the option of staying in a private room, so it was a bit more upscale than a dorm room. If you want to stay in Seydisfjordur itself, make sure you book accommodation way in advance, because there are not a lot of options, and they fill up quickly.
After checking in, we set off to explore the town. It didn’t take long. This place is seriously tiny! All of the buildings in town are painted in fun colors, and house cute shops and restaurants to enjoy. The most famous building is a blue church at the end of a rainbow-painted road, which makes for a lovely photo opportunity.
Something I didn’t expect was the large number of cruise ships docked in the small fjord. I had never thought about doing a cruise around Iceland, but what a unique way to see the island!
After exploring the town itself, we went for a walk in the hills surrounding the fjord. Seydisfjordur is surrounded on all sides by beautiful waterfalls, which was the most beautiful thing about the town, in my opinion.
We then walked up to Tvisöngur, a concrete sculpture that overlooks the town. Wild blueberries grew all along the path, and there were people out collecting the ripe fruits, which, come on, does it get more charming than that! We explored the area for a little while before heading back into town for dinner.
The next morning, it was already time to pack up our belongings and start driving north. Though we spent only a short time in Seydisfjordur, it was time well spent, and this town definitely deserves to be put on any Iceland itinerary!
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