Hellnar

Visit the fishing village of Hellnar

Hellnar is a fishing village nestling on a dramatic coastline of spectacular and beautiful cliffs which rise directly from the ocean. There are also some unique rock formations in the area. The cave Baðstofa is particularly famous for the eerie light inside it. Hellnar is the birthplace of Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, the wife of Þorfinnur Karlsefni, a legendary Icelandic explorer.

The couple settled in Newfoundland in 1004 and Guðríður gave birth to the first European child to be born there. Guðríður was one of the greatest travellers of medieval times, walking all the way to Rome, among other things. She eventually settled down at Glaumbær in Skagafjörður.

West of the Hellnar intersection, there’s a hill called Laugarhöfuð which has a volcanic pool, Bárðarlaug, on top of it.