Architect Sigríður Ólafsdóttir Adapts a Guesthouse to Iceland's Ever-Changing Landscape
If Iceland is on your wish list (and let's face it, it should be), this small, family-run guesthouse, renovated and redesigned by the architect Sigríður Ólafsdóttir in 2004, is a great way to experience it. It is made up of three apartments which can be rented independently or together. Please ask about discounts of 15-35% for longer stays.
Located in Álftanes, a low-lying peninsula a short distance from the amenities of Reykjavík’s city center, it’s surrounded in sweeping country vistas, seascapes and mountain ranges – everything you could hope for from Iceland. The property has three apartments, built around a communal breakfast room, with a shared garden.
The owners of the property are nearby and offer a personalized service. The guesthouse aims to be environmentally-friendly, with homegrown produce and homemade food for the morning meal. The vegetables, berries and spices used are often grown in the garden of the guesthouse or in a nearby greenhouse.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Room service, 24-hour reception and breakfast are included. If ordered the day before, you can have a breakfast tray delivered to your apartment. Prepared meals for day trips can also be booked the day before. The breakfast room, a garden pavilion with panoramic views and the large garden are common spaces for all guests.
Vouchers for the nearby Álftanes swimming pool (with its hot tubs, steam bath, sauna, toddler pools, slides and wave pool) is included. It's a six minute walk from the property, and one of the best facilities in Iceland. Bikes are available for rental.
AROUND
The property is located in Álftanes, a low-lying peninsula linked to the land by a narrow isthmus. It's very much in the countryside, but has the advantage of being only a short distance from the amenities of Reykjavík’s city center. Surrounding the property are the Snæfellsnes peninsula to the north, and the Reykjanes peninsula to the south.
Guests can visit the seaside as well as an old farm where hay is still made and farm animals such as horses and Icelandic settlement chickens are raised. During the summer, horseback-riding excursions in Álftanes are available (please provide as much notice as possible).
The Icelandic Museum of Design and Applied Art, with Icelandic design from the beginning of the 20th century to the present, is in neighboring Garðabær.
Álftanes is known for its birdlife. Beaches and mud-flats are accessible year-round. There are a number of great hiking and cycling paths, and there is a golf club nearby.
This is one of the best places in the capital region to view the Northern Lights. Winter in the north is generally a good season for it because of the long periods of darkness and the frequency of clear nights.
LOCATION
Álftanes, Reykjavik, Iceland. Nearest airport: Keflavik International Airport (38-minute drive).
BEST TIME TO VISIT
For views of the Aurora Borealis, September to April. For long days, May to July. New Year's Eve in Álftanes is always fun, with its sky full of fireworks and bonfire by the ocean. The 6th of January is Þrettándinn, or the 13th of Christmas, with another bonfire and even more fireworks.
