Búðahraun and the Beach at Arnarstapi and Hellnar

There are two nature reserves in the region of Snæfellsbær, Búðahraun and the coast at Arnarstapi and Hellnar. Environment and Food Agency is responsible for the nature reserves. Tourists are welcome and encouraged to visit the area.

Driving off the road often causes damage to soil and can carve unwanted and unsightly new tyre marks into the landscape for use by future vehicles. Off-driving in the area is therefore prohibited.

Special care should be taken in the vicinity of nesting grounds. If the birds are disturbed, there is a risk that they will leave their nests for too long, which may result in unsuccessful hatching or the death of their nestlings.  Cutting plants, disturbing wildlife and damaging the soil is prohibited.  Litter should be taken to the nearest waste container to keep the beaches clean.

There are numerous old trails of cultural value in the area.  People are welcome to use these trails and thereby contribute to their continued existence as arteries of traffic.  In addition, the trails serve as links between historical sites as well as reminders of Iceland’s industrial history.  The routes harmonise well with their surroundings and travellers are brought into close contact with nature.  People on horseback may use paths and roads, but herding loose horses is prohibited in the nature reserve.  Those who intend to ride along the Klettsgata trail can obtain further information from the warden and service providers in the area.  It is important that these rules are observed.  The land is our common heritage and we must ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy it to the full.  Respect Nature and its diversity of life and landscape.

The Mountain View

The southern shores of the Snæfellsnes peninsula provide a good view and the circle of mountains reaching from the Reykjanes Peninsula in the south to Borgarfjörður Bay and the glaciers beyond.  Nearer to the east lies the Snæfellsnes.  Mountain Ridge, at the foot of which is the vibrant gree Staðarsveit area, with its yellow beaches of mollusc sand.  Just above Búðir, is the Bjarnarfoss waterfall.  Under the waterfall stands a fjallkona (‘a lady of the mountains’ – a symbol of Iceland), the spray from the waterfall falling on her shoulders and bosom.

Directly north of Búðir is Mt. Mælifell, a peculiar but beautifully formed mountain.  North of the Arnarstapi village is Mt. Stapafell, a 526-metre palagonite mountain.  The mountain is easily climbed by its northern ridge, but the slope becomes steeper near the summit.  The cliff belt on top of the mountain is not easily climbed. 

The jewel in the crown of Snæfellsnes is the Snæfellsjökull ice cap itself, shrouded in mystery and regarded by some people as one of the seven main energy centres of the Earth.  The clacier is inhabited by one Bárður Snæfellsás, protector of the region.  Scaling the glacier itself is fairly easy, except for Miðþúfan, the highest of its three mountain peaks, which is quite steep.

The volcanic system named after Snæfellsjökull bears witness to unique volcanic eruptions dating both from the last Ice Age and the post-glacial period.  The volcanic system is about 30 kilometres long, extending from Mt. Mælifell in the east to the Öndverðarnes peninsula, in the west.  At least 20 lava fields belong to the volcanic system, the life-line of which is a magma chamber several kilometres beneath the glacier itself.

The Snæfellsjökull glacier is an old stratovolcano which has been the source of both explosive eruptions and lava eruptions.  Tongues of lava which flowed down the slopes of the mountain can be seen in many places.  Some of them reach all the way to the sea.  The crater on top of the glacier is about 200 metres deep.  Three peaks are on the edges of the crater, the middle one being the highest, reaching an altitude of about 1,446 metres.

The Búðahraun Nature Reserve

The eastern part of Búðahraun was declared a protected area in 1977. The volcano in the middle of the lava field is called Búðaklettur. Despite the name (klettur meaning 'rock'), it is not a rock, but an 88-metre deep crater from which the lava flowed some 5,000-8,000 years ago. The eastern part of Búðahraun is ropy lava and features a number of caves. The best-known is the Búðahellir cave. The bottom of the lava field is below sea level. During spring tides, sea will spout even from its deepest hollows. Among geologists, the lava field is known for its three-spotted rock; the yellow-green spots are olivine, the white ones are plagioclase and the black ones are pyroxene. Sand of almost pure olivine can be found on the beach at Búðir.

Flora

Peculiar hornitos have been formed in many places in the Búðahraun lava field. The hornitos are home to some of the most extraordinary vegetation in Iceland. Over 130 species of plants are known to grow in the lava field, including the protected herb paris. At first sight, it is the ferns which usually attract the most attention. A total of 16 species of ferns have been found in Iceland, of which 11 grow in the Búðahraun lava field. Ladyfern, Broad Buckler-fern and Male fern are the most conspicuous, being the largest, but Brittle-Bladder fern is common and Oak fern and Long Beech fern grow in many places. The Búðahraun lava field also features numerous flower fields, grass fields, tracts of heather, moss, clusters of birch and the occasional rowan. Species in the lava field are, among others, Meadows-heet, Wood Cranesbill and Buttercup. In the sand one may find Creeping Fescue, Lyme Grass, Silverweed, Common Horsetail, Meadow Buttercup, Bladder Campion, Creeping Thyme, Mountain Bedstraw, Moss Campion and Dandelion.

Fauna

Foxes, minks and field mice, as well as many species of birds and insects, live in the Búðir Nature Reserve. Common seals bask on the beach and whales can sometimes be seen off the coast.

History

Búðir is an important site in terms of Iceland's industrial history. Eyrbyggja saga mentions Hraunhafnarós (now Búðaós) as a commercial harbour already in the first centuries of settlement in Iceland. About three kilometres from the hotel, is Frambúðir, where fishermen have been going out to sea since the Age of Settlement. The name is derived from the Icelandic word verbúð, i.e. 'fishermen's hut'. The ruins of the fishermen's huts are still visible, as are the places where fish was dried and stacked, stone walls, a pit for liver and fish liver oil and the trading booths of the German Bremen merchants. The trading booths were later moved east of the mouth of the river. On the night before 9 January 1799, one of the most ferocious tempest in the history of Iceland broke. In the Staðarsveit area the sea reached 1,500 fathoms beyond the normal spring-tide, almost washing away the Búðir trading post. At the turn of the 19th century the trade was therefore moved again westwards across the mouth of the river.
According to a 1703 census, about 100 people lived in Búðir. Everyone in the area between the River Hvítá in Borgarfjördur to Búðahraun had to shop at Búðir. At the foot of Mt. Axlarhyrna is the farm Öxl. At this farm, lived the 16th century serial killer Axlar-Björn. He confessed to having murdered nine travellers, but was thought by some to have killed eighteen people.

The Búðakirkja Church

In 1703, Bent Lárusson built a church at Búðir. The church was rebuilt by Steinunn Sveinsdóttir in 1848. In 1984 the church was moved in one piece to its present site. It was re-consecrated in 1987 and is now a protected church

The Beach at Arnarstapi and Hellnar

In 1979 a total of 58 hectares of the coast at Arnarstapi and Hellnar were declared protected areas. Strange cliff formations have been sculpted there by the surf. The source of the Hellnahraun lava field is a crater near Jökulhals, now covered by the glacier. The estimated age of the lava field is 3,900 years.

Fauna

Birdlife in the nature reserve is diverse. Kittiwakes, the most common gulls in the reserve, lay two eggs at a time and glue their nests to the narrow ledges of the cliffs using saliva and excrement. The Great Black-backed gull commonly keeps to its nesting grounds, but feeds mainly off beach animals, pelagic fish and fish offal. There are several other species of Gulls and Fulmars. The Tern is a noble bird. To take advantage of the bright summer nights of high latitudes, the bird has developed a special flying technique which enables it to cover distances of up to 20,000 kilometres a year. Shags nest in groups in low cliffs and islets. Eider is the most common species of duck on the beach. Red-necked phalarope are frequently seen on the ponds above Pumpa Bay. This bird is known for its incessant circling on the water surface in search of food. The female may mate with more than one male bird at a time, and the males incubate the eggs and tend the nestlings.
Common seals can be observed swimming off the coast. The most common species of whales are Killer whales (Orca), Porpoises, and Lesser rorqual. On a good day, schools of Salmon and leaping Dolphins can be seen from the pier.

History

Place-names in the vicinity of Arnarstapi and Hellnar bear on Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss, an Icelandic saga relating the story of Bárður, who was half human and half giant. Bárður arrived at Djúpalón. He built a farm nearby, which he called Laugarbrekka.
Þorkell, Bárður's brother, lived at Arnarstapi. He had two sons, Rauðfeldur and Sölvi. Bárður's daughters were women of great stature and pleasing to the eye. Helga was the eldest. The sons of Þorkell and the daughters of Bárður used to play together. One day, when there was pack ice along the shore, Rauðfeldur pushed Helga out to sea on an iceberg. Helga drifted to Greenland unscathed, but Bárður was infuriated. He pushed Rauðfeldur into the Rauðfeldsgjá ravine and threw Sölvi off Sölvahamar rock, a high cliff on the seaboard east of Arnarstapi. After these events, Bárður vanished into the Snæfellsjökull ice cap. His treasure is said to lie in Mt. Bárdarkista ('Bardur's chest'), a chest-shaped palagonite mountain bordering the Saxhólsdalur valley. A sculpture of Bárður Snæfellsas by Ragnar Kjartansson stands by the beach at Arnarstapi.
In former centuries, fishermen sailed out from many places beneath the Snæfellsjökull glacier. Landing-places in the area were often hazardous. The landing conditions at Arnarstapi were improved in 1933 and at Hellnar in 1964, but the pier at Hellnar was damaged later in stormy weather.

Arnarstapi

Arnarstapi had a much bigger population in the old days than it has now. For example, there were 150 inhabitants in 1707 when Arnarstapi was one of the harbours of the Danish monopoly trade. Few families live in Arnarstapi year-round, but in the summer the place is teeming with birds and people, most of the latter engaged in small-boat fishing or living in summer houses. The Arnarstapi pier is surrounded by columnar basalt rock, ravines and grottoes. There is good anchorage for small boats. Inland from the bridge is Barnaþúfa hill and the Barnaþúfubarð. A fair distance off the coast is a single rock, surrounded by sea, called Arnarklettur. Just west of the lighthouse are the so-called Stapagjár ravines. They are in fact great caves that the sea carved into the columnar basalt rocks. The ravines are three in number and are called Eystrigjá, Midgjá and Másargjá. There is a multitude of birds in the ravines, especially kittiwakes.

Hellnar

For centuries, Hellnar was among the largest fishing villages beneath the Snæfellsjökull ice cap. At the beginning of the 18th century, about 200 people were resident in the area, either on small farms or in labourers' huts. Many relics in the area are indicative of the past. The beach is just beneath the Gróuhóll hill where the parking lots are. Valasnös, a free standing rock, extends east of the bay. One of Iceland's most peculiar caves, Baðstofa, is there. In the cliffs above the beach is Saudahellir, an old cave which was used for livestock, with openings at both ends.
The Hellnakirkja church was built in 1945 on a picturesque site where a church was first raised in 1833.

Service

Much has changed for the better since Axlar-Björn disposed of the corpses of tourists he murdered into the Iglutjörn pond. A summer hotel, partly the old Sandholtshús building raised in 1836, is operated at Búðir. There is also a camp site, but tourists are warned, with good reason, against tidal variation in the Búdaós mouth. There are limited facilities for camping trailers, but there is the occasional lay-by.
Accommodation is available at several places at Arnarstapi and Hellnar. There is also a camping ground, but camping in the Nature Reserve itself is prohibited. Various tourist services are offered in the area. A warden is stationed in the Snæfellsbær Nature Reserves for part of the summer.

Hiking Routes in the Nature Reserves
and their Vicinity

The main hiking routes in the Nature Reserves are marked. Organised walking tours under the guidance of a warden are offered in the summertime.

The old trail across the Búðahraun lava field is known as Klettsgata. It leads to the Búðaklettur rock, past the Búðahellir cave, and onwards across the lava field. In places, hoof prints chiselled by horses into the rock are visible. The Klettsgata trail makes an enjoyable hiking tour, suitable for all. An estimated three-hour walk.

The Jaðargatan (Jaðragatan) trail lies along the edge of the lava to a big rock, south of the Miðhúsatún field, where it joins with the Klettagata trail. The trail is vague in many places. The estimated walking time from Búðir is two hours.

An enjoyable route leads to Frambúðir, where the spirit of days gone by prevails among historical relics covered in vegetation. A walk from the church to Frambúðir takes about half an hour.

It is possible to walk from the Búðir Nature Reserve to the beach at Arnarstapi and Hellnar. Hikers should assume 6-8 hours for this walk.

An old route lies along the Sölvahamar cliff to the foot of the glacier, the site of the Sölvhamarsrústir ruins, which are protected by the National Museum of Iceland. A walk from Arnarstapi to Sölvahamar takes less than an hour and is never a disappointment.

Between Arnarstapi and Hellnar, all the way from the sea up to the glacier, is a stretch of lava called Hellnahraun. A trail called Neðstagata lies across the lava along the beach. From there the way in which the forces of nature sculpt and shape the landscape is clearly visible. A walk between Arnarstapi and Hellnar takes a good hour.

Just above Hellnar is Bárðarlaug, an explosive crater from the close of the last glacial epoch. The crater was protected as a natural phenomenon in 1980.

East of Bárðarlaug are the ruins of the ancient Laugarbrekka, a former parliamentary site. Gudrún Þorbjarnardóttir, one of the most widely travelled women of her time, was born here.

West of the Hnausahraun lava field the Rauðfeldsgjá ravine cuts into the east side of Mt. Botnsfjall. The river Sleggjubeina runs along the bottom of the ravine There is a short walk from the road to the ravine.

Dear Visitor

The purpose of establishing natural reserves is to protect the natural environment of the country in such a way that people have an opportunity to enjoy it. By establishing reserves, an area of land is set aside for nature to take its normal course and for people to observe the marvels of nature and enjoy the great outdoors. Increased public awareness and active participation in natural protection is essential to achieve these objectives.

Enjoy your visit.