Hotel Laxarbakki

The coastline around Akranes is rich with bird life and there are many different types of beaches along the coast. One of these is Langisandur, a sandy beach and one of the most popular outdoor areas of Akranes. Langisandur is one of three Blue Flag beaches in Iceland. Guests are welcome to join the local Sea Swimming Club at Langisandur Beach three times a week. More information at the Akranes Tourist Information Office, e-mail info@akranes.is, tel: +354 894 2500.

The mountain Hafnarfjall near Borgarnes is part of the same extinguished central volcano as Skardsheidi and is also about 4 million years old.

The mountain is 844 m in height and its sides are rather eroded. Most of the mountain consists of basalt, but on the north side there is a small crag, which is made of granofyr. The name "flatfish" indicates its form. Let the children discover it!

On the foot of the mountain is a small forest of birch trees where the authorities of Iceland practice reforestation. It is possible to hike up the mountain beginning near the bridge over the fjord at Borgarnes.

Bjossarolo is a playground for children in Borgarnes, not far from Edduveröld or the Settlement Centre .

It was constructed by Bjorn Gudmundsson, a man who was ahead of his time and thought about recycling. He used exclusively things that had been thrown away to build up this special place. At the playground there are for example swings, slides, an old boat, a castle and a lot more in a hollow enclosed by rocks not far from the sea.

And on going there you could look for shells or nice stones on the beach. The small, but very pretty park Skallagrimsgardur is not far away. There you can even find the grave of a saga hero!

During the Sturlung Age 1220 - 1264, a company of men led by Svarthofdi Dufguson, a follower of Sturla Sighvatsson used the island Geirsholmi as a base for raiding the surrounding countryside.

The tourist service at Bjarteyjarsandur nearby offers storytelling trips about Geirsholmi.

Blautós og Innstavogsnes

At the north western rim of the town Akranes is the estuary nature reserve Blautós and Innsatvogsnes. The river Berjadalsá runs out of the western part of mount Akrafjall and mouths into the cove. The area has an abundance of bird life and is amply vegetated. The landskape is spectacular and has interesting geological formations from the last glacial periods.

The area is used for recreation as it is close to the centre of the town Akranes and the recidents have their stables by the cove Innstavogur.

Many migration birds stop at the area and some birds breed there. Brant gees stay at Blautós and Innstavogsnesi during spring and autumn. It is estimated that about a quarter of the entire brant geese species come by in Blautós and Innstavogsnes and the reserve Grunnafjörður on their way between their winter quarters in Ireland and breeding grounds in Canada.

There are eider ducks breeding in the area and the eider farmers are free to continue their tradition of collecting the eiderdown in early summer.

The area is important as an informative area but also as a recreational area for hiking and riding.

Skessu­horn (967 m) is a particularly impressive and outstanding peak when the range is viewed from the north. Skessu­horn is located in Borgarfjörður it takes 5-6 hours to hike the mountain and you will need good equipment.

If you are into photography or just interested in exploring new things in Iceland you need to look at Akranes lighthouses. Down by the harbour you will notice two lighthouses. The bigger one that is currently in use is open to the public so you can go up and enjoy the view from there and there is even a photography exhibition to enjoy in there.

In the heart of Borgarnes is Skallagrímsgarður, a small public park which is ideal for a picnic. The park plays an important role in Egil's Saga, as the burial mound of Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson, Egil's father, is situated there. It is a good idea to relax in Skallagrímsgarður after a visit to Borgarnes swimming pool which is next to the park.

Breið is the west part of Akranes and the location of the fishing history of the town. There are two lighthouses open to the public as well as a view point. . For more information contact Akranes Information Office, tel: +354 433 1065, e-mail info@akranes.is.

Garðarlundur country park, protected for recreational use and the preservation of the typical landscape of the area. The areas' main characteristics are its rocky islands or bluffs that rise from the areas' vast flat wetlands.

Church built in 1957 as a tribute to the 17th-century hymn writer Hallgrimur Petursson, one of Iceland's best-loved poets.

Hallgrimur Petursson served at Saurbaer 1651-1669, a poor leprous pastor who composed Iceland's most widely known religious work, 50 Passion Hymns. Reykjavik's Hallgrimskirkja church is also named after him.

Hallgrimur was married to a woman who had been abducted from the Westman Islands by Algerian pirates and bought free again.

The church contains beautiful stained glass work by one of the first widely known Icelandic woman artist Gerdur Helgadóttir.

Brakarey is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The island was named after Egill's nanny and Skalla-Grimur´s slave Thorgerdur brak, after Skalla-Grimur killed her and she drowned in the sea near it. From the island is a great view over Borgarfjord.

Akrafjall is a picturesque mountain close to Akranes. The mountain offers one of the best views in West Iceland across Faxafloi Bay and a panoramic view from Reykjanes to Snaefellsjokull Glacier.

The mountain was smoothed on the top by a glacier and surrounded by water during the Ice Age.

It is easy to ascend the mountain from the Akranes Water Works car park, where a sign points the way to Haihnukur (555m), the shoulder on the right side of the mountain seen from Akranes. A visitor's book is at the top. A somewhat longer hike takes you to the highest peak in the range, Geirmundartindur (643m).

In the sports stadium, you will find both an outside and an inside swimming pool, hot tubs, a steam bath which is fed with steam straight from the Deildartunguhver hot spring, a children's pool and water slides. All in all, an excellent health spa.