Jules Verne had his heroes travel to the center of the earth through the Snaefellsnes volcanic cone. As it lies there, calm and majestic, it is hard to believe that it is the entrance to the underworld.
This ride takes you through a unique landscape: dozens of kilometers of beach and mudflats stretch out in the west of Iceland. During low tide, the water recedes for several kilometers and you ride during the day or at night, depending on when the tide comes in, through tidal flats, over black and white sand, then again for several kilometers through the green hinterland. Your destination, the Snaefellsnes crater, is always in sight.

Itinerary

Day 1: After arriving at Keflavík Airport, take the airport bus to Reykjavík (BSÍ). You will be picked up between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and driven to the riding stable, where you will spend the night in the guest house. After dinner together, you will be given details about the next few days.

Day 2: You will take the bus across the highlands of Hveragerði to Borgarnes. This is where the horseback tour begins, leading into the Snæfellsnes area. Along the way, horses and riders will cross the Langá River, one of Iceland's best salmon fishing rivers, several times. The destination is the Grímsstaðir farm, where the horses will stay. Riders will travel by bus to the Snorrastaðir farm near the beautiful Eldborg crater. In the evening, there will be time for a walk on the crater or a dip in the hot pot. Approx. 20 km, approx. 4 hours in the saddle.

Day 3: From Litlu-Gröf, you will ride below the Grimsstaðarmúli mountain. The ride continues westward to the mouth of Hítardalur. Here you will ride at a brisk pace across lava fields. You will cross the Hítará River at the Grettisbæli mountain range. Enjoy the beautiful view over the Mýrar area and the coast of Löngufjörur. The ride ends at the Snorrastaðir farm, where you will spend the night with a view of the Eldborg crater. The last eruption there took place around 1100 years ago. Approx. 36 km, approx. 5-6 hours.

Day 4: Today, the trail mainly follows the coast of Löngufjörur. The departure time depends on the tides, as you should not ride here at low tide. You will cross the mouth of the Haffjardará river at the Stóra-Hraun farm. Today, you will take a break on an island in the delta. The trail then heads inland and the horses stay at the Skógarnes farm at the end of the day. The riders drive to Staðarsveit, where you can take a dip in the warm thermal waters. Overnight stay in the local school, which serves as a guesthouse in summer. Approx. 22-25 km, 4 hours.

Day 5: Today you will ride with a few hand horses into the beautiful surroundings of Skógarnes and back to the beach. The horses will spend another night in Skógarnes and the riders will return to Staðarsveit, where you will spend another night in the dormitory. Approx. 20 km, approx. 4 hours.

Day 6: Today you will ride along the sandy Löngufjörur coast, which stretches from Skógarnes to Stakkhamar. From there to the Stadará River, the route runs along the sea. The last section of today's tour follows the main route of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula via a designated bridle path. The horses will stay at Langholt Farm and you will spend the night in the school again. Approx. 40-42 km, approx. 7 hours.

Day 7: You continue riding along Snæfellsnes and cross the Búðarós delta at low tide. Your destination is Búðir. Here you take a walk to the picturesque church and on to the rocks by the sea, while the horses wait for you in a paddock. After a picnic, you ride back along the sandy beach to Langaholt and, if the weather is fine, enjoy a last magnificent view of the beaches and the glacier of Snæfellsnes. You then take the bus back to Reykjavík, where you arrive in the late afternoon. Approx. 20-23 km, approx. 4 hours.

The second tour is conducted in the opposite direction.

Subject to change!

Accomodation
On this ride you will spend three nights in guest houses in double and shared rooms and three nights in a dormitory. Showers are always available. On several evenings you will enjoy the comfort of a hot tub or pool!

Saddle & Tack: Icelandic trail riding saddles and snaffle.

Experience: You should have ridden regularly for at least 5 years and be able to ride other horses in all gaits without instruction. You will be shown how to tölt on site. Especially in the mudflats, the pace is lively, which is also ensured by the free-running herd. The pace is very brisk, but except on two days the stages are not too long (4-7 hours)

Horses: You are riding on Icelandic horses: robust, extremely sure-footed, forward-going and reliable. The riding pace is particularly fast, you mainly ride in tölt. Each rider has 2-3 riding horses to ride, which are coming along in a free-running herd.