Djúpidalur: Spending The Night With A Farmer

It was early evening by the time we descended into Djúpidalur valley after spending a successful day weaving in and out of Iceland’s most spectacular Westfjords. We arrived at a cluster of red-roofed houses where a man and a couple of toddlers in a tractor were driving hay to the barn.

This was definitely our destination. Djúpidalur, located at 65° 35,073’N by 22° 16,990’W, is home to an entire population of four: Leifur Samúelsson, his wife Guðrún Samúelsdóttir, and their two kids.  Of course, that isn’t counting their sheep, which brings the population up to 454.

Shortly after we parked the car, Guðrún emerged from the barn to greet us and show us to a house between the barn and their house. It was a spacious two-story accommodation, equipped with a kitchen, a dining room and four bedrooms.

Farmhouse lodging is typically either part of a farmer’s house or in a separate annex. Either way, they make for an incredible opportunity to get a taste of countryside life and the idyllic setting without the backbreaking labour.

After unloading our stuff, we walked over to the barn to chat with Leifur and Guðrún who were feeding their sheep. In one week’s time, they were expecting 640 lambs and soon after that the sheep would be off to graze freely in the valley all summer long.

Leifur and Guðrún have lived together in Djúpidalur for five years. Despite its remote location, Guðrún says they can always get to where they want. It didn’t seem to bother her that the nearest grocery store was 45 kilometres away in Reykhólar.
This brings me to another point about farmhouse hopping in the Westfjords. Namely, gas and grocery stores are few and far between (especially when you need them). So fuel up in every way possible when you have the chance. After dinner, an evening is well spent exploring the ins and outs of the fjord or even taking a warm bath in a geothermal pool.

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Call in advance, especially during the busy summer months. Expect to pay around 3,000 ISK to 3,500 ISK per bed. This road trip was made possible by Hertz Car Rental, who provided us with a car.