By road no. 344, between Stokkseyri and Þorlákshöfn
Region: South West
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About: (Description) Eyrarbakki, (pop. 580) is a part of the Municipality of Árborg. The village was once the largest commercial community and the main harbour on the South Coast of Iceland. A large number of houses from the period 1890-1920 are preserved in Eyrarbakki, which gives it a unique position among towns in South-Iceland. Iceland’s oldest school for children, founded in 1852, is in Eyrarbakki. To complete this historical atmosphere, there are two museums to visit; the Eyrarbakki
Maritime Museum and the Árnessýsla Folk Museum, located at "The House" in Eyrarbakki, built in 1765 and one of the oldest surviving buildings in Iceland. Húsið and Assistentahúsið, two connected buildings: the House is a type of log building, brought in kit form to Iceland and erected in 1765 for the local merchant. The Assistants' House is a timberframe structure, added in 1881. In the keeping of the National Museum since 1992.
Modern services for example a gas station, a camping place, guesthouse and a restaurant, are also in Eyrarbakki. To the west of the village is Óseyrarnes, an old ferry point on the Ölfusá river, where once stood the farm Refstokkur, home of Bjarni Herjólfsson, one of Iceland’s first permanent settlers and a great seafarer. On his way to Greenland he got lost in a fog, sailed in a different direction and discovered a land to the west, which he didn’t explore. This led to Leifur Eriksson’s expedition to Vineland (North America).
The seashore at Eyrarbakki is popular for hiking and bird watching. The Flói Bird Reserve lies northwest of Eyrarbakki. The reserve covers an area of about 5 sq km (1.93 sq miles). The land is low, only about 2 m above sea level. It is an important nesting area, especially for wetland birds, and listed by the Bird Life International Association.
How to get there: From Selfoss take road no. 34 direct to Eyrarbakki around 13 km
source Iceland Road Atlas
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