Borgarnes

Borgarnes is a town in West Iceland about 75 km north of Reykjavík, with a population of around 2000. It stands by a fjord called Borgarfjörður and is the centre of a vast municipality, Borgarbyggð. Snorri Sturluson, the compiler of the Prose Edda, lived here, in Reykholt.

Understand


While not traditionally a big tourist destination, Borgarnes is a town many people see on their travels in Iceland. This is because of its location on the Ring road between Reykjavík and North Iceland. Icelanders often don't know much more of the town other than its highway dining options. However, tourism grew in the 2010s with increased interest in the region's history. Borgarnes is a perfect getaway from Reykjavík: it only takes about an hour to get there, but the setting is completely different, much closer to what some people would term the "real" Iceland.

The name Borgarnes means "Borg peninsula" and refers to a farm of that name, Borg. Borg was the home of Egill Skallagrímsson, the titular character of Egil's saga.

Get in
Borgarnes lies on the ring road and is easily accessible by car. It's about an hours drive from Reykjavík, four hours from Akureyri. Borgarnes is also close to the junction where the road out to the Snæfellsnes peninsula splits off from the ring road and Stykkishólmur is just over an hour away by car. Between Reykjavík and Borgarnes there is a toll road, the tunnel under Hvalfjörður. The toll is 1000 kr each way for a normal car, but it's also possible to drive around the fjord adding just under an hour to your journey.

Several buses leave from BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavík every day heading up to Borgarnes. Any northbound bus from Reykjavík should make a stop in Borgarnes. In addition, buses connect Borgarnes to Akureyri, Hólmavík and the towns on the north coast of Snæfellsnes.

Get around
Borgarnes is a small town and it can easily be explored on foot. There are no local buses or taxi companies.

Borgarnes is the principal town in a primarily agricultural region often simply called Borgarfjörður, after the fjord it stands by. It's a good base for visits to some of the historical sites in the area, such as Reykholt, or the natural phenomena which include Europe's largest hot spring, Deildartunguhver.

Farther afield




Eat and drink
Because of its location on the ring road, Borgarnes has several fast food eateries in gas stations along the road. The Settlement Centre, the Center for Puppet Arts and Hotel Bru have restaurants. The local liquor store is at Borgarbraut 58-60.

Reyka vodka is distilled in Borgarnes.



Go next

 * To the north-west, Snæfellsnes with Stykkishólmur, Hellissandur and Snæfellsjökull National Park with all its wonders are easily accessible from Borgarnes.
 * Heading east all the way through the valley at the end of the fjord will bring you to the Interior, and the glacier Langjökull.