Top Things to do in West Region
Top 10 Hidden Gems Things to do in West Region, Iceland
Discover the best top things to do in West Region, Iceland including Stori Kambur Horse Rental, The Freezer Theatre, Ocean Adventures, Haafell Goats and Roses, Snaefellsjokull National Park & Glacier, Laki Tours, Bjarnarhofn Shark Museum, Blomasetrid, Faxi (Vatnsleysufoss) Waterfall, Glymur.
Restaurants in West Region
1. Stori Kambur Horse Rental
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 76 reviews
2. The Freezer Theatre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 25 reviews
The Freezer is an independent theatre that produces one or two new Icelandic theatre shows each year. These shows are always inspired by stories and sagas from the local area as it is the theatre's goal to rejuvenate these sometimes forgotten tales and make them come alive for a younger audience in an exciting and newfound way. For further details and booking tickets please visit our website. We look forward to seeing you in The Freezer, Kari Vidarsson, Manager and artistic director of The Freezer.
3. Ocean Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 50 reviews
Ocean Adventures is a small family business with huge ambition. We have 1,5 hour puffin tours and 2 hour fishing tours. Our ticket office is in a small cabin at Stykkishólmur harbor but we always advise our guests to book on our website.
4. Haafell Goats and Roses
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 58 reviews
Reviewed By leanadawn - Reykjavik, Iceland
I'm a local who lives on the Snæfellsnes peninsula and although I had heard wonderful things about Jóhanna the goat farmer, I had never visited her goat farm. My partner and I decided to make the 1.5 hour drive to her place on a warm summer day. After arriving there around 3 pm, I think we ended up staying at Háafell until just before it closed at 6. The weather was mild with little wind, and this was perfect for hanging out in the field where the goats graze, lay, and take in the sun. Upon arrival, we met Jóhanna herself, who directed us to join a tour that was about to leave. Tours cost 1500 kr and we were happy to support Jóhanna's mission of restoring this nearly-extinct unique breed of goats back to Iceland. After meeting up with the guide, we walked around with her while she (in Icelandic) told us about how this farm came to be and how Icelandic goats are something very special. I'm used to goats being very "hyperactive" but this group was friendly and subdued. The goats are raised in a calm environment - it is forbidden for young visitors to chase the goats or frighten them - but everyone is welcome to pet or even pick up willing new goat friends. Once the short tour was done, we walked around the pasture and met a variety of nanny goats and their kids along with the occasional billy goat. They are beautiful and oh so soft! We relaxed in the grass and enjoyed the tranquil environment that is Háafell. When it was time to go, we returned to the little shop / reception area to sample goat sausage, goat cheese, and the various wonderful oils, soaps, and more that Jóhanna produces using nearby flora. If it wasn't a bit of a long drive from where I'd live, I'd go back to Háafell in a heartbeat on another sunny day. Takk fyrir mig, Jóhanna!
5. Snaefellsjokull National Park & Glacier
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 358 reviews
Reviewed By Margo7850p
As many other things in Iceland, this place is very special and very beautiful. This beautiful place is one of my favourite places in the whole country. Spectacular trails, make sure to allocate good chunk of time to explore the shoreline. Dramatic coastline, waves pounding on rocks and cliff faces, not too many tourists. It's such a beautiful and magical place. Great place for traveling and photography purpose. Stunning beauty. Mother nature at her best.
6. Laki Tours
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 513 reviews
Laki Tours takes you on an ocean adventure in four different trips. Puffins galore can be spotted from the protected Melrakkaey island where thousands of other birds also nest. Sea-angling is the perfect family outing and gets even more exciting when you get to keep your catch. From Olafsvik, the Whale tour gives excellent whale watching in deep waters at the foot of the majestic Snaefellsjokull Glacier. Winter brings the orcas, dolphins and white-tailed eagles. We take you to them on what is by now, our most popular tour. "We're living it!"
7. Bjarnarhofn Shark Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 238 reviews
Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum holds a history of generations of shark fishing and processing. The visit includes shark tasting and a live presentation of this history and interesting facts about the Greenland shark. After the museum, be sure to visit the drying house where the shark has to hang to dry.
Reviewed By PinayNicky - Chicago, United States
My finance and I stopped here at the beginning of our Iceland trip in February 2019 (yes, this is LONG overdue). The museum is well off the main road and we were so glad we pushed through the heavy snowfall to visit. For only $12 each, we had the privilege of touring the family-run museum which was filled with a wonderful collection of boats, fishing equipment, fossils and bones, taxidermy animals, rocks and crystals, maps and charts, and other interesting antiques reflective of the family's unique history. The woman who greeted us was kind and attentive. She played a video that explained the processing of the Greenland shark into hákarl (fermented shark), which is an Icelandic delicacy. It's worth a taste with the rye bread to at least say you did it. We really took our time to appreciate the interesting collection. After we finished exploring, we asked a few questions and, as a collector, I expressed my excitement in seeing the crystals and fossils in their collection. She told us to wait a moment...and she quickly returned with a palm sized rock with striations and subtle crystal flecks. She explained that it was a piece from the mountain behind the museum. I was overjoyed by her kindness and excited to add it to my collection! It was a truly memorable, authentic Icelandic experience that we highly recommend for all ages.
8. Blomasetrid
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16 reviews
In the old town of Borgarnes is a hidden gem. In the house of Skulagata 13 you will find a guesthouse that is located inside of the home of the family that runs the place. You will also find the beautiful and cosy cafe/bar Cafe Kyrrd which offers quality coffee, delicious cakes, light meals and Wi-Fi. In all the house warmth and serenity are key features.
9. Faxi (Vatnsleysufoss) Waterfall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 208 reviews
Reviewed By sharonq867 - Zeeland, The Netherlands
Very nice waterfall where we ended up unexpectedly. We just followed the sign to see where it would bring us and we did not expect this. Beautiful waterfall and very quiet. You can see the waterfall from below or for the daredevil from up in the small stroke of ground when you cross the stones. A nice waterfall that is worth a stop when you drive by
10. Glymur
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 322 reviews
Reviewed By dr_j_now - Germantown, United States
This hike was seriously amazing. It took some convincing to get my wife to agree to it, but we went for it and had a blast. The views the entire way are just absolutely stunning and it was a ton of fun doing river crossings and conquering the parts of the trail that were challenging. As others have mentioned it's recommended that you hike up the Southern side (right, facing the falls) and return on the North (left, facing the falls). Once you get going you'll understand why as some areas of the trail up do have loose rocks and are quite steep, so it's much easier to go up than come back down that way. The views on the way up were way better than on the way down as well, so definitely don't skip that side altogether. That said, to do both sides you have to cross the river twice. At the start there is a log most of the year and a cable to hold onto to help you across. You'll still want waterproof boots as otherwise the rest of the hike could be miserable with waterlogged shoes. You'll encounter a cave to walk through on the way up as well which is pretty neat. It seemed like very few people ventured to the very top, but it's totally worth the bit of extra effort for the views (and sense of accomplishment). It is at the very top that you'll encounter that 2nd river crossing to get to the Northern side. The crossing at the top is quite a bit wider than the first, so there's no cable or log to help you across here. The depth may vary throughout the year, but when we visited there were areas up near our knees (which doesn't sound bad at all, but the water was downright frigid). Wearing our shoes, even though waterproof, was out of the question considering the depth, so we took them off and went barefoot. We relied on each other for balance to help make it across since some of the rocks were slippery and/or rather painful to step on barefoot if we hit them on the wrong part of our foot. We made it though, dried our feet/legs off, put our boots back on, and carried on to head back to our car down the Northern route. Truly, this hike was amazing; by far our favorite hike anywhere thus far. This is basically the tallest (accessible) waterfall in Iceland at 198 meters. They discovered a taller one in 2011 (Morsi), but it's recommended that you be an experienced glacial hiker with the correct equipment to get anywhere near it, so that leaves most of us to explore Glymur. For Glymur, if you're reasonably fit you shouldn't have much of a problem, so just do it (being careful along the way of course)!
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