Borgarnes

West

Borgarnes is about 75 km north of Reykjavík — roughly an hour via the Ring Road — and its Settlement Centre is one of the more worthwhile museums anywhere on the Ring Road circuit. Two exhibitions, each with an audio guide in 15 languages, cover Iceland's settlement period and the saga of Egill Skallagrímsson, whose family farm stood just outside town at Borg á Mýrum. The farms, rivers, and mountains named in Egils saga are visible from the town, giving the exhibits a concrete backdrop. The museum has a good café; allow 60–90 minutes for both exhibitions. Practical services are solid: fuel, a large supermarket, and several accommodation options. The town works well as a base for the region. Within an hour's drive you can reach Deildartunguhver hot spring, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls, Reykholt (associated with medieval scholar Snorri Sturluson), the Krauma geothermal baths, and the start of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula road. For a day trip from Reykjavík, Borgarnes plus two or three of the surrounding sites makes a full and varied day without overextending.

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