June 17, 2009 - Reykjavik to Snaefellsnes (Snowy Peninsula)

Today we drove from Reykjavik to Snaefellsnes. We stayed at Hotel Hellnar which is at the base of Snaefellsjokul (Elevation 4,500', name translates as Snowy Mountain Glacier, and is active volcano with a glacier completely covering the top half). We reached the West Iceland region via a 7km long tunnel underneath Hvalfjordur (Whale Fjord).

We were quite surprised that Hotel Hellnar had its very own bird cliffs! An absolutely stunning location and quite a delightful hotel.

After checking in we drove into Snaefellsjokull National Park and saw 2 Arctic Foxes! They aren't easy to see, and the last count had only 3 active Arctic Fox dens in the National Park. Here's a video we took of the Arctic Fox (summer coats are dark, but the tails are white).

Here, too, is some video shot from inside my room of the bird cliffs at Hotel Hellnar. And with the midnite sun you can watch the birds 24 hours a day!