Seydisfjordur

August 7, 2025

In the innermost corner of a fjord in Eastern Iceland lies a picturesque town of the same name with 680 residents living an idyllic life amid constant threat of landslides and avalanches. The 100 or so students who live there share classrooms with multiple grade levels and more and more often go away to college only to return home to marry and raise their families in the traditions in which they were raised.

Seydisfjordur (say-dis-fee-yorder) was without a doubt our very favorite stop of the cruise thus far. We arrived just as the morning clouds were burning off, allowing the sun to shine through and illuminate the bright colors of this beautiful town. Our excursion was not scheduled to begin until 4:00, so we had ample time to explore.

There is a little lake in the center of the town, which flows into a river at the opposite end of fjord. It is a very artistic town with a wonderfully quirky sense of humor.

This metal statue was planted in the middle of an open common area, spinning in the breeze. There was a sign accompanying it that read, “The breeze of the golden hour chases the silver linings. (The statue moves in) a perpetual spin, inviting delay and asking to un-convey.”

As we walked through the town, we could hear the squeals of children playing behind the local swimming pool. Every town in Iceland has its own community pool opened year-round, and it is mandatory that children learn to swim.

In the heart of the town is an area known as Rainbow Street. On a sunny summer day in 2016 one of the town residents decided this little street needed some TLC. That night all of the residents came together to paint the colors of the rainbow in the street’s center. Now they get together once a year every year to repaint it and keep the colors fresh!

Roads connect this town to others around the island, but there is no air strip, so the only way for true outsiders to get here, or for residents to get out, is by boat. During the summer a car ferry runs from Denmark to Seydisfjordur once a week. We were told the two-day journey can cost $2500/pp or more if you bring your car and want a berth.

By the time 4:00 rolled around the sun had disappeared, the wind was whipping up, and the temperature was dropping. We were beginning to question our decision to join a 4-hour e-bike tour. Adding to our anxiety was the fact that it’s probably been thirty or more years since either of us has been on a bike, and neither of us has ever been on an e-bike. We needn’t have worried. It’s true what they say about riding a bike, and e-bikes are awesome!!!

We rode through the town and around a bend that took us to the other side of the fjord. We continued our journey on a gravel road, with lots of hills, some fairly steep. The e-bike made it a seamless effort. Our first stop was a beautiful set of waterfalls tucked away in a little valley. We parked our bikes in a pull-out along the water’s edge and hiked a short distance to the falls. On warm, sunny days this spot is popular for picnicking or hanging out with a good book. It is covered in wild blueberries free for the picking when they’re ripe.

Further down the road we spotted a farm along the banks of the fjord. This would be our next stop.

But first we would again leave our bikes, this time at the top of a steep hill, and pay a brief visit to another waterfall, where we had the opportunity to sample the purity of the water coming down the falls.

The farm was the casualty of an avalanche nearly 100 years ago. At the time of the avalanche there was the farmhouse, an equipment building and the sheep barn. Two sons were working in the barn when the snow came barreling down. The picture below shows what was left of the equipment building. There was nothing left of the barn, but the brothers miraculously survived without injury. The family decided to move shortly thereafter, and no one has returned.

Now that we had tasted the water and sampled some local dried fish (ewww!!! 🤢) and candy, it was time to climb back on our bikes and make our way back to town. But first that hill. If we’re not feeling the effects of the bike tomorrow, we’ll surely be feeling this hill!

We passed lots of grazing sheep on our way to the waterfalls and on the way back we stopped by one of the farms to say hello and learn more about them. It’s all stuff we’d already heard, so no need to repeat. The sheep really liked our guide’s bike. They kept trying to eat the tire and chain!

Before re-entering town, we stopped in an area where new avalanche fences are being built. They aren’t your standard old metal barriers, though. These “fences” are metal mesh filled with boulders, pebble and sod. The intent is for sod to grow and cover the fences so that they eventually blend into the landscape, providing the necessary protection without the unsightliness of conventional methods. A walking path is also planned that will take individuals from the marina up into mountain for scenic views and photo ops. Very clever!

We rode on to the base of a waterfall we’d seen earlier in the day but elected not to explore because we assumed it would be part of our excursion. That was a mistake. Our guide brought us here to tell us about the most recent catastrophic landslide the town experienced, but we did not hike the falls.

Pam mentioned earlier that residents hear live with the constant threat of avalanches and landslides. The side we rode on earlier is prone to avalanches; this side is prone to slides. In 2020, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, the town experienced a landslide that essentially divided the town in two. Mud flowed all the way down the mountain and across the road, burying or carrying with it ten houses. Pam found a picture of the damage on the internet.

Neither of our guides is originally from this town, and they commented on the sense of family and community they witnessed during this event, when 660 people sought refuge in a tiny community center at a moment when the rest of the world was staying six feet apart from one another. The guides said there is an excellent warning system in place that uses a color-coded system and cell phones to notify residents when there is activity and the level of threat. Evacuations happen every year. City planners are working to mitigate the threat by building the avalanche fences we mentioned earlier (if you’re wondering how much snow they get here, one of our guides had to be dug out of his house last winter – so much snow fell he couldn’t open his front door. Others have ladders they keep handy inside so they can climb out second story windows!) and building canals into the side of the mountain so help with water drainage.

We loved the bike ride and are totally sold on e-bikes now.

After dinner we attended a magic/comedy show where BOTH of us ended up being part of the act. First Pam was pulled from the audience (and had her watch stole by this very skillful pickpocket), and then Ken volunteered a $20 bill for a trick and ended up participating in TWO tricks!

For the first trick, the magician had Ken write his name on his bill. The magician folded it multiple times and made it disappear. He made it reappear inside an orange inside a bag inside a box he had given to an audience member earlier in the show. Ken said when he got it back the bill was sopping wet with orange juice. That last picture is Ken trying to get the orange juice off his $20 bill! 😂