Fosshotel Dalvik
Countryside Hotel in North Iceland
Fosshotel Dalvik (former Hotel Soley) is a comfortable tourist class bed & breakfast hotel, well located in the small town of Dalvik. The 25 rooms with shower/wc offer TV, phone and wireless internet, mountain or fjord view. All guestrooms and restaurant/bar facilities are non-smoking.
Additionally the hotel features 7 rooms with shared shower/wc facilities and also shared kitchen to use, ideal for budget travelers and sleeping bag accommodation.
The modern and cosy lobby includes front desk (limited opening hours), TV corner, a bar and internet station. Large breakfast room that can be used for a dining room for groups and conferences. The hotel offers free parking. For individual guest a selection of snack bars, a bakery and a restaurant are situated in Dalvik. Fine dining is offered in Akureyri.
How to get there
Drive road #1 north, direction Akureyri. Just before you reach Akureyri you take a left turn on road #82. After 38 km on road 82 one comes to Dalvik. 200m after the town entrance sign for Dalvik one turns left on the road opposite the Olis petrol station. You will then see the hotel and its car park ahead of you, it´s a large yellow building.
Typical Icelandic fishing village and extreme nature
The town of Dalvik is located on the westside of Eyjafjordur fjord, about 30 minutes drive from Akureyri. From here the ferry sails to the island of Grimsey (about 3 hours), Iceland's northernmost community, which lies on the Arctic Circle.
There is a regular ferry service between Dalvik and the island of Hrisey, out in the middle of the fjord and known as the "jewel of Eyjafjordur".
The Hvoll Folk Museum in Dalvik is unique. Part of ii comprises a museum of local history, with various historical items that provide insight into past events and forgotten ways of life. Hvoll also includes an unusual museum of natural history, whose most popular exhibit is a huge polar bear that looms over its prey, a seal pup. The collection includes many more stuffed animals, fish and birds, and a collection of eggs, shells, plants and rocks. A room in the museum which has a special attraction is an exhibition on Johann Petursson of Svarfaðardalur, known as "the Giant". At 2.34 meters, Jóhann was the tallest Icelander who ever lived.
The swimming pool in Dalvik offers relaxation for people of all ages. In addition to a 25-meter main pool, it has a children's pool where children can play while their parents relax in the "hot-pots" or sunbathe in good weather. The pool also has a water-slide. Seven kilometers outside Dalvik is the Arnarholt nine-hole golf course. Whale-watching cruises are available from Dalvik during the summer months. The boats rarely have to go far out into Eyjafjordur fjord before the whales and other cetaceans make their appearance: humpback, minke and killer whales, along with dolphins and porpoises, are most likely to be spotted. Midnight sun cruises during spring and summer, when the sun does not set for some weeks, are always popular with visitors. Sea angling expeditions are also offered. Eyjafjordur fjord is famed for its haddock and cod stocks. There is a canoe and boat rental.
Horse riding is a very popular leisure pursuit in Dalvik. Hringholt is the largest stable in Iceland, where horses can be hired for short rides or longer expeditions, together with guides.
Dalvik area boosts some of the best berry-picking in Iceland. In autumns the slopes around Dalvik are covered with bilberry and bog-bilberry plants with their juicy blue berries, as well as black crowberries.
For visitors in the winter, Mt. Böggvis-staðafjall offers one of Iceland's best skiing areas, with slopes for all levels of ability and experience. Two ski-lifts transport skiers from the edge of the town up to a height of 250 meters, where they can choose between ski and snowboard slopes, or less demanding routes which command splendid views over the fjord.
Whale watching is an exciting choice when travelling through Dalvik.
Bátaferðir - whale watching, also offers scheduled boat tours for whale watching, sea angling and bird watching in Dalvik. Each trip takes about three hours in a beautiful oak boat and you will experience wild nature in Eyjafjordur. It is a wonderful adventure for the whole family. Whale watching, most common humpback whale, minke whale, dolphins and harbour porpoise. Sea angling on angle like real fisherman. Bird watching in the cliffs and usually sailing around Hrisey island the pearl of Eyjafjordur fjord.
The Seaman's Day (the first Sunday in June) is celebrated with style at Dalvik, with rowing races, tug-of-war, swimming races (in oilskins!) and other events, followed by a dance in the evening. By August it is time for the Great Fish Day. While it is a recent innovation, the Great Fish Day has become well-known, and attracts many visitors: Dalvik's fishing and fish-processing companies join forces to offer a great feast of seafood dishes, along with a program of entertainment.
Tröllaskagi - "Trolls' Headland"
The mountains of Trollaskagi - between the fjords, Eyjafjordur and Skagafjordur, are renowned as one of Iceland's most spectacular areas for outdoor activity. The Svarfaðardalur valley nestles among the mountains, and mountain tracks lead from the valley in all directions: into Þorvaldsdalur and Högárdalur, over into Skagafjordur fjord in the west, and north to Olafsfjordur fjord. Hikers can find suitable walking routes at any time of the year, while mountaineers can scale peaks of all shapes and sizes. There are easy to follow marked footpaths that lead through part of the Svarfaðardalur Nature Reserve with many dry river-banks as well as marshes with sedge bogs, ditches and fertile ponds with reeds. This nature reserve provides an excellent habitat for many species of breeding birds and was founded to conserve a unique ecosystem; walkers are well advised to wear rubber boots.
Fosshotel Dalvik
Skíðabraut 18, 620 Dalvik
Phone (+354) 466 3395, Fax (+354) 466 3396
