Located in the heart of Vatnsfjörður fjord, one of the most beautiful small fjords on the southern coast of the West Fjords, Flókalundur is a joy to visit and also a service center for tourists. The landscape is gorgeous with the view of the ocean, the shoreline, and the Breiðafjörður Bay. Flókalundur is named after Flóki Vilgerðarson, the first Viking to stop in Iceland during winter who also gave Iceland its name. Like most tourists traveling across the West Fjords, Loki came to Iceland during summer. On arrival, he was mesmerized by the beauty of the landscapes, the abundant food sources in the Breiðafjörður bay, and most likely the long bright nights. However, his main mistake was his lack of understanding of preparing for winter when everything was in reverse. Short days and long dark nights, the cold weather, and everything being covered with snow made catching anything in the bay during winter extremely difficult.
Flókalundur is a place to hike and make a stop.
During summers at Flókalundur, you will find a restaurant, good camping site, and a small hotel, and you can fill the tank here. It is a great place to stop if you are driving across the West Fjords, and it is ideal both for a scenic stop or an overnight stay. If you accommodate at the camping site, you can relax for hours in the long and bright evening, enjoying the view of the Breiðafjörður Bay. It is located at the intersection of the Barðastrandarvegur road nr. 62 on the southwest part of the West Fjords and road nr. 60 leading up to Dynjandisheiði mountain road. This road up to Dynjandisheiði is a kind of a shortcut when traversing the West Fjords as a tourist, and it bypasses the important southwestern part of the Westfjords. If you take this road, you leave out many fascinating places across the peninsula. Thus, it is not recommended as you would miss out on exciting and important sites in the West Fjords.
Hiking trails and incredible landscapes
At Flókalundur, you will also find some excellent, short hiking trails. You can relish an enjoyable walk by the river Penna and the canyon, a short hike along the coast to the geothermal pool Hellulaug, or a walk to the slope above the camping area to enjoy a better view of the Breiðafjörður Bay. Flókalundur offers great evening walks during bright summer nights before you hit your tent, camper, or hotel room. I would specifically recommend taking a relaxing dip in the warm and wonderful Hellulaug pool before your comfortable night's sleep. The Vatnsfjörður fjord and the Vatnsdalsvatn Lake, as well as the Flókalundur area and the surrounding area north up to the hills, is a nature reserve. The area was put on a protection list in 1975 for many reasons connected to geology and culture, and history. Like the East, Fjords have a different and older geological history than the rest of Iceland, just like the East Fjords. And historically, Vatnsfjörður fjord is a significant place. This fjord was the first place where anyone tried to build a settlement in Iceland more than eleven hundred years ago. This is an event documented in the sagas written in the Icelandic language in the 12th century.
