When my journey through Iceland brought me to the north in April 2018, Akureyri and the Myvatn region were at the top of my list, so I was looking for a place to stay that would make a good base for exploring these spots. With the Storu-Laugar Farmstay and Guesthouse I found a great option: secluded enough to feel remote, yet central enough to explore the north from here.
The history of the Storu-Laugar Farmstay and Guesthouse
The guesthouse used to be a farm and was taken over by the current owners, who turned it into a holiday retreat through plenty of hard work. The renovations started around 12 years ago, and shortly afterwards the guesthouse opened its doors to the first visitors. Besides the main buildings, which house rooms of various sizes and furnishings, the property also features two hot pots and a horse stable.
The horses are only bred here, though — unfortunately you can’t go on riding tours with them.
Storu-Laugar is a great example of how disused buildings and plots in Iceland’s remote areas can be put to use again: in this region you can find plenty of old farm buildings, some of which have been abandoned for years and are slowly falling into disrepair. Farming simply doesn’t happen here anymore, but that’s no reason not to make use of the existing structures.
Hey Iceland increasingly works with farmstays, guesthouses and similar Icelandic businesses to bring the economic benefits of tourism to Iceland’s remote regions as well.
The region around Akureyri, Myvatn and Husavík: the sights of North Iceland
The best thing about the Storu-Laugar guesthouse, for me, was its location: from here you can reach all the interesting places in next to no time — and the north really has quite a few of them to offer.
Starting with the waterfalls Goðafoss and Dettifoss, both barely an hour’s drive from the guesthouse. Just as interesting, but requiring a bit more effort: Aldeyjarfoss, one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls. You do need a suitable rental car for Iceland though — or you’ll have to accept a roughly one-hour hike along the F-road if you don’t have one.
A good half hour north of here you’ll find Husavík, Iceland’s whale capital. From here you can join whale and bird watching tours. Especially in spring and summer large numbers of puffins gather here, and whales can be spotted in the fjord all year round.
From here, a drive of about an hour to the east takes you to the canyon of Ásbyrgi. Hardly any sunlight ever reaches it, so it doesn’t really matter what time of day you visit. It’s always cool and dark down there, but incredibly beautiful and well worth seeing. The canyon gives you a good sense of the power of nature and how it has shaped the landscape here.
A bit further east you then get to Akureyri, the capital of the north. It offers everything you’d hope for from a small town after the journey up here: plenty of good cafés, restaurants, shops and lots of culture. There’s a botanical garden that’s especially worth a visit in late spring and summer, and many small art-oriented shops. Basically everything is within walking distance, and it’s a great place to spend a day or two.
The area also has hot springs to offer, especially in the Myvatn region around the big lake. First and foremost the Myvatn Nature Baths, often mentioned as the northern alternative to the Blue Lagoon in the south of the country. There’s a natural hot spring here too, well known from the TV series Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, Grotagja is not open for bathing — partly because the water temperature fluctuates a lot and, at well over 40°C, is almost always far too hot for a bath, but also because it sits inside a rock fissure and small and large chunks of rock keep falling down.
Last but not least, the area is also home to one of the most impressive geothermal areas in the country: Námafjall lies slightly east of Myvatn and is home to fumaroles, mud pots and boiling water at every turn. The smoking and steaming vents are particularly impressive, and when the wind blows properly they can create plumes of steam stretching for dozens of meters.
Verdict on the Storu-Laugar Farmstay and Guesthouse
I spent two nights at the Storu-Laugar Farmstay and Guesthouse and was very happy with my choice in every respect: the location is great for exploring the north, and with its hot pots and lovely rooms the guesthouse is perfectly equipped for relaxing in the evening. The breakfast was sensational and kept me going for the whole day — a big advantage over accommodations without meals.
One evening we even saw a bit of the northern lights: sadly I don’t have any photos of that, because we were sitting in the hot pot 😉
Have fun in Iceland!
Advertisement: This post was created in cooperation with HeyIceland — I was granted special conditions for my stay when booking. My opinion remains unaffected by this.
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