Alftafjordur View Point

The water is the point. Alftafjordur is a branch of Breiðafjörður, sheltered enough that on a calm evening it goes flat and holds the reflection of the far shore. That is what people pull over for, and sunset is when they do it. The name is Icelandic for "swan fjord".

Route 54 has more than one viewpoint along this stretch, and one visitor rated this the better of the two. It is quiet enough that you can stand and look without company. The catch is the stop itself: there is no car park, and one visitor found nowhere at all to leave the car.

• Stopping: There is no car park. Finding somewhere to pull off Route 54 is the hardest part of the visit.
• How long: Plan a short stop. The draw is the view, and there is nothing to do here on the ground.
• Wind: The still-water reflection is the reason to come. On a grey, windy day the stop adds little.
• Winter: Check road conditions before you set off. This is a rural road and the weather here turns quickly.

You arrive by car. The viewpoint sits on Snæfellsnesvegur, Route 54, across the Snæfellsnes peninsula, and the fjord opens up beside you as you drive. The problem is stopping. There is no car park, and one visitor found nowhere at all to pull the car off. Slow down early, take the first safe verge you see, and keep the car fully clear of the lane. Never stop on the carriageway for a photograph.

Best: sunset, on a calm evening.

Avoid: windy days, and any time visibility on Route 54 is poor.

The whole appeal is the reflection, and a reflection needs still water. Wind breaks it up and the view turns grey. Sunset times in Iceland move enormously through the year, so check the time before you build an evening around it. Poor visibility is a separate problem here, because there is nowhere safe to wait it out.