The penultimate stop on our scenic look around the super-scenic Snæfellsnes peninsula was a brief one, like the one before it to see Malarrif Lighthouse And Lóndrangar. Unlike that stop, which had mostly been to give everyone a final chance to use the toilet without risking clambering behind a volcanic rock somewhere or squatting down in the grass (both of which are generally frowned upon), this was for some picturesque views. In that respect we could have stopped literally anywhere on the peninsula since it doesn’t have a bad one as far as I could tell, but the actual location chosen was a small village on the coastline clifftops above a rocky bay called Hellnar.
Whilst decidedly quieter these days, Hellnar was once a fairly thriving fishing village surrounded by agricultural farms. Little of that industrial history really remained to be seen, and one of the main draws to this location now is the prominent rock cliff jutting out to sea with its deep cave. This was Valasnös.
We were given not quite enough time to do very much at all. A small café was reachable down some steps on the cliff, but whether anyone would have had enough time to order anything and consume it was debatable and we didn’t see anyone try. We wandered along the cliff and back for the most part but I determined we still had enough time for me to route-march up the road to get close enough to the village’s church for a few photos. The volcanic mountain forming the church’s backdrop was Stapafell, and turning slightly around gave another fine view of the glacier-topped Snæfellsjökull that dominated the landscape of the entire peninsula.
As photo stops go, it was nice enough, but as is often the case when you’re on a cruise ship excursion there wasn’t enough time to do it justice and see what else there was on offer. If you were travelling on your own then it’s likely that the cave and the church and a little more wandering around the bay and cliff could occupy a decent chunk of time, though.
In the next post in this cruise travelogue series we’ll make the final stop of the tour at the somewhat busier village of Arnarstapi for a longer walk with more points of interest to see.