Hellissandur

Historians are of a strong belief that Hellissandur, which is part of Snæfellsbær municipality and barely 2 km from Rif, is the oldest fishing village in Iceland, with history dating back to the 16th century. Hellissandur, located 204 km from Reykjavik and 127 km from Borgarnes, is popular for bird-watching and has the biggest nesting site for Arctic terns. 

Historians are of a strong belief that Hellissandur, which is part of Snæfellsbær municipality and barely 2 km from Rif, is the oldest fishing village in Iceland, with history dating back to the 16th century. Hellissandur, located 204 km from Reykjavik and 127 km from Borgarnes, is popular for bird-watching and has the biggest nesting site for Arctic terns.

Over the years the village has seen a gradual transformation from being a quiet fishing village to a popular tourist destination. The village also showcases old turf roof homes enabling visitors a peek into the past, while another historical relic, Iceland’s oldest rowboat built in 1826 can also be seen here. Hellissandur is also located close to Snæfellsjökull glacier and boasts of Gufuskalar radio mast, which at 415 meters is the tallest structure in Western Europe. The northern entrance to Snæfellsjökull National park, surrounding the southern and western parts of the glacier is also located close by. 

There are various interesting places of tourist interest close by including the maritime museum, Skardsvik Beach, Svortuloft Lighthouse, Londrangar basalt cliffs, Klukkufoss etc. Hellissandur also has its share of hotels, restaurants and curio shops.

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