This is the first post from Snaefellsnes Peninsula, my favorite part of Iceland. This area looked different than every other part of Iceland. It was more idyllic and much more isolated. Every time we ran into other people, I was surprised, because it really felt like we were the only ones there. I loved feeling like Markus and I were explorers discovering a new land and making our own adventures!
In a previous post, I talked about the overwhelming amount of abandoned houses in Iceland. Most of the population is crammed into the capital, Reykjavik. As we were driving through Snaefellsnes, we saw this abandoned farmhouse closer to the shore.
The contrast of the natural beauty and this crumbling home was hauntingly beautiful. Every now and then, I'll come across photos of this same house from other travelers who also stopped to explore. To this day, I still wonder what happened to the family that used to live there. Were they forced to move out because of the economy or was it something else?
We've finally reached the end of my Ytri Tunga Beach posts. Previously, I wrote about our search for sea lions, but never seemed to find them. Thankfully, every stop in Iceland is worth it not matter if you find what you're looking for or not. As I explored the area, I started to think about the people that used to live on this land and what life was like for them. It seems like such a beautiful place to live, but could be very isolating. There was a farm nearby, so I'm sure that the people that live there love this land. Either way, I enjoyed my little snippet of it. After walking along the shoreline for an hour or so, Markus and I continued our road trip exploring the beautiful Snaeflellsnes Peninsula.
It doesn't get more idyllic than this. The only other place that can compare is the Lake District in England. I still cannot get over the beautiful colors of this beach. Everything was so blue and absolutely gorgeous. Honestly, I could've spent days exploring this place.
This second part of Ytri Tunga Beach focuses mainly on the rocky shoreline. The beaches of Iceland are so different then what I'm used to. They're mostly rocky and when they aren't, they are covered with black sand. This only furthers the otherworldliness feeling when you explore the island. As I stated in part one, the beach is known for being a seal colony. We kept hoping to run in to a random seal sunbathing, but they continued to evade us. I read recently, that the best time for seal spotting is June and July. We were there right at the start of the season and I guess they weren't ready to be seen yet. It's okay though, we were in San Francisco a month before this trip and we saw heaps of them at Fisherman's Wharf!
