Kaldalon & Isafjardardjup

We start the tour by driving over the barren mountain pass of Steingrimsfjardarheidi to the beautiful Isafjardardjup bay on the other side.

The bay is 53 km long and has three islands. There are eight fjords and several settlements along its southern shore but the northern coastline, which we visit on this tour, is uninhabited. This is truly an off-the-beaten-track experience into the incredible Icelandic wilderness.

Kaldalon is a remote and tranquil creek at the foot of Drangajokull glacier and has long been considered one of the most serene places in Iceland. The creek offers a spectacular view of the glacial tongue.

One of Iceland’s most beloved music composers, Sigvaldi, lived there for some time and took up the name Kaldalon in recognition of the influence that Kaldalon had on his music. He wrote one of Iceland’s most popular folk songs ‘A Sprengisandi’.

Iceland’s northernmost glacier, and the only one situated entirely below 1000m, Drangajokull is not shrinking like all other Icelandic glaciers and in fact increased in size since the beginning of the 21st century.

We’ll stop along the way for views of the fjords of the Isafjardardjup, the islands of Aedey and Borgarey, and to learn more about the life and history of this now uninhabited area. At the end of the gravel road, we will come to the abandoned Unadsdalur farm and church. It is also possible to stop at the Snjafjallasetur Heritage Centre, which hosts a very interesting exhibition about the settlement of the area.