Iceland
On the northern coast of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, overlooking the island-studded waters of Breidafjordur Bay, Stykkisholmur is a town of painted wooden houses, a natural harbor, and a quality of light that the filmmakers of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty found irresistible — using the town as a stand-in for locations that didn't exist because they couldn't possibly look this good in real life. With approximately 1,300 residents, Stykkisholmur is the largest town on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and serves as the gateway to one of Iceland's most dramatically varied landscapes.
The town's character is immediately appealing. Colorful wooden houses, many dating to the nineteenth century, climb from the harbor to a basalt outcrop crowned by a modern church whose stark white form provides a striking contrast to the dark volcanic rock beneath. The harbor shelters fishing boats and the Baldur ferry, which crosses Breidafjordur to the Westfjords with a stop at Flatey Island — a tiny, car-free island of turf-roofed houses, nesting puffins, and the kind of silence that makes you question whether you're still in the twenty-first century. The Norwegian House, built in 1832 from imported Norwegian timber, now serves as a regional museum and is one of the oldest two-story wooden buildings in Iceland.
The culinary scene in Stykkisholmur reflects the extraordinary bounty of Breidafjordur Bay. The bay's shellfish — particularly the scallops and mussels harvested from its cold, clean waters — are celebrated as among the finest in Iceland. The Viking Sushi boat tour, which hauls shellfish from the bay and serves them raw on the boat, has become one of the most popular culinary experiences in western Iceland. Local restaurants serve fresh-caught fish alongside lamb raised on the peninsula's wild pastures, and the traditional dried fish (hardfiskur) is available throughout the region. The town's cafes serve excellent coffee and Icelandic dairy products — skyr, the thick, creamy cultured dairy that has become Iceland's most famous food export.
The Snaefellsnes Peninsula, radiating outward from Stykkisholmur, compresses an astonishing variety of Icelandic landscapes into a manageable area. The Snaefellsjokull glacier caps the volcano at the peninsula's western tip, its ice gleaming above the fishing villages and lava fields below. The black church at Budir, standing alone against the sea and sky, is one of Iceland's most photographed buildings. The Djupalonssandur black pebble beach, the Londrangar sea stacks, and the Vatnshellir lava cave all lie within day-trip distance, making Stykkisholmur an ideal base for exploring the entire peninsula.
Stykkisholmur's natural harbor can accommodate smaller cruise vessels and expedition ships, with the town's attractions within walking distance of the quay. The Baldur ferry provides access to the Westfjords and Flatey Island. The visiting season extends from May to September, with June and July offering near-continuous daylight and the best chance of clear views across the bay to the glacier. Breidafjordur Bay freezes rarely, making Stykkisholmur one of the more reliably accessible ports in western Iceland.