Svarfaðardalur Valley

The Svarfaðardalur valley opens up a short drive inland from Dalvík, and it's one of the most rewarding landscapes in the area for anyone who wants to get away from the coast. The valley floor is farmland; the valley walls rise steeply to ridges and peaks that are accessible on foot or horseback in summer.

Several farms in the valley offer horseback riding tours on Icelandic horses — the small, gaited breed that is Iceland's only horse type, brought here by settlers and not crossbred since. A ride into the valley is the most atmospheric way to see the landscape. Accessible by road from Dalvík; most riding farms require advance booking.

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A story
Svarfaðardalur translates as "Svörfuður's valley" — named for a Norse settler who farmed here over 1,000 years ago. The valley runs inland from the Eyjafjörður coast and contains some of the oldest continuously farmed land in Iceland, with turf-roofed farm ruins and glacial landforms visible from the road. The horseback riding operations in the valley use pure-bred Icelandic horses, the small, tough breed that has been isolated in Iceland since the Vikings brought them.