Akranes Travel Guide

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The town of Akranes offers a beach, a beautiful forest and a fascinating museum, as well as being home to one of the most successful nation´s football team.

After the construction of the Hvalfjarðargöng tunnel in 1998, the west of Iceland has become easily accessible. You can now skip the lengthy drive around the never-ending fjord of Hvalfjödur and enjoy the beautiful sights that west Iceland has to offer, in less than an hour.

The town of Akranes lies just across the blue straits and is visible from Reykjavík on a clear day. Settled by Irish brothers in the year 880, it is now a blossoming industrial town with a focus on fishing and fish production. An area worth visiting is the seafront, especially the beautiful sandy beach, Langisandur, stretched below the center of town.

This is a popular spot for sunbathing and picnics in summer, and children love paddling in the clear water looking for crabs and seashells. For a warmer swim, try the fabulous nearby geothermal pool, Jadarsbakkalaug, where you can soak after a long day at the beach.

In the Gardar area of Akranes, you´ll find a cluster of interesting museums. The new folk museum at Gardar hosts a large, complete collection of objects showing the industrial development and culture of times past. The objects date from the time of settelment until the last century, and among them you can see old vehicles, a dentist´s chair, printing machines, national costumes and even fishing boats. Surrounding the museum are a number of old houses which have been refurbished in their original style and make for a fascinating trip back in time. Next door, the new 630 square metre museum center houses three different museums. The first is a collection of Icelandic rocks and minerals, including an exhibition on the construction of the Hvalfjördur tunnel. The second is the Museum of the Icelandic Geodetic Society , and the third is the Akranes Museum of Sports, which will give visitors an insight into Akranes´great footballing past.

On the outskirts of town, you´ll find Akranes’ best kept secret: a beautiful oasis of trees and lakes in a park called Gardalundur. Tall and beautiful pine trees form a sheltering wall around the park, which has numerous walking paths through green fields and forests. While the family enjoys a picnic in the sunshine, children will be kept busy for hours in the specially constructed activity centre. And finally, just outside the park, lies the only 18-hole golf course in the west of Iceland, Gardarvöllur, which opened two years ago. Golfers, Icelandic and International, have praised this varied course which offfers water, sandpits and hills. Golfers will definitely enjoy the stunning surroundings, with the stately Akrafjall mountain on one hand and the greenery of the forest on the other.