Why You Should Visit Djúpavík, the Gem of the North

It doesn’t get any better than this. If you don’t believe me, ask Ben Affleck. He stayed here sometime this past year.

 Far away from the hustle and bustle of Iceland’s capital, and with the nearest food store and gas station (let alone an occupied town!) a mere 45 miles away, Djúpavík is the gem of the Árneshreppur peninsula and, in my opinion, the entire North.

Originally a herring salting factory and living quarters that were occupied seasonally by Icelanders since the 1910s, Djúpavík’s legacy is a rollercoaster, ultimately coming to a close in the 1950s. In the 1930s, the factory was rebuilt and industry boomed, but it was not sustainable. Soon the fjord was without herring, and workers without work. The factory closed its doors.

Upon taking the final turn from Route 643 from Holmavík, the magnificent, crumbling stacks of the herring factory come into view. An assortment of mud-caked cars are parked out front of the white hotel building. A waterfall, Djúpavíkurfoss stands looming to the left. The year before, it was sunny and without a cloud in the sky; yet as any Icelander will tell you (and especially this far north), you have no idea what to expect with the weather. Further down the road by Holmavík, we were met with sunshine and a gentle mist that rose up from the waves crashing onto the black rocks below. However, this trip, we saw nothing but rain.

And more rain.

…And even more rain. We took the time to visit the towns north of Djúpavík: including Trékkyllisvík, which has a small museum and gift shop, Kört, along with a man who makes handicrafts with authentic and extremely hard-to-find eider duck down (semi-recent studies cite that raw, dry eiderdown fetches $2m annually, and products made from it fetch $40m on the global market). We also stopped by Norðurfjörður, the northernmost settled town along the Árneshreppur peninsula and essentially the last town between civilization and the infamous nature reserve (did you read how we got stranded in Strandir yet?), soon to have its own post. Both towns were without a cloud in the sky. It was as if the weather was trapped in the Reykjarfjörður peninsula.

(Some selfless soul uploaded the 45-mile drive from Holmavík to Djúpavík in 1080p below).

Yet there was something so serene and blissful about how the crumbling remains of the herring factory stood against the palettes of gray, white, brackish sky. I almost enjoyed it more than the wild oranges, pinks, and blues of the midnight sun last year.

Djúpavík in May of 2016. #nophotoshophere

Looking down from the hill onto Djúpavík and the Reykjarfjörður fjord.

We pulled up and were greeted by Maggi and the hotel staff. It was so nice to be back. In tow were the hotel pups, Sóley and Freyja, a bulldog and border collie. The hotel is dark, warm, and cozy, filled with bric-a-brac and knickknacks collected over the years. Historical images sit alongside a collection of board games; paper birds are suspended in air with tiny ceramic cups and plates. Even the gift section—which, as any “regular” to Iceland (if you’ve been there at least a couple of times) would know, can get both costly and tiresome (how many puffin and viking things do we need?!)—is personal, locally made, and affordable.

Screenprinted t-shirts and coffee mugs with the Hotel Djúpavík logo, postcards of the factory and nearby oddities, and small art books by artists inspired by Djúpavík sit alongside coffee thermoses (which, may I add, are free for hotel visitors to drink twenty-four-seven). Since 1985, the family who currently runs the hotel moved in and renovated the original living quarters, retaining the original look and feel and yet combining it with their own taste. Part of their mission is also to preserve the old herring salting factory next door, which is used often for art exhibitions, guided tours by Maggi, and even the occasional performance. Part of Djúpavík’s rise on the Icelandic tourist radar came with the 2006 performance of “Gítardjamm” by Sigur Rós in one of the old herring tanks.

If you want to get into this tank, it’s simple: walk around the large cylindrical tanks (or ask Maggi) to find this hole, and climb through! It’s a tight squeeze, but once you’re inside, the sound and sights are incredible.

But let’s get back to the real matter here; the food. Oh, the food.

Iceland is not frequented for its cuisine (unless you love Pítusósa like me, which Nammi now sells online—my prayers were answered). Meals are expensive all-around, all-season—even the local Thai spots cost roughly $20 USD for a basic plate of steamed vegetables and white rice. If you’re a vegetarian (which I have been, all three times I’ve traveled around the country), forget it. Stop at Bónus or Netto and get some peanut butter and bread.

Yet that changes when you’re in Djúpavík. The food is reasonably priced, fresh as can be, simple, and delicious.

She got the codfish, and I got the vegetarian couscous. (Even when I just asked her that she got codfish, she said, “yes, and it was delicious.”) Now, couscous can go one of many ways. It can be incredible, or it can be bland and sad. Most often it’s the latter of the two.

Maggi turned something so simple as couscous and salad and made it into a five-star meal. Lina’s codfish was so expertly cooked, and when she asked how he made it, he told us the recipe (which included curry powder, salt, pepper, and a few other key ingredients). He even said that, when the director of the new Justice League was at the hotel, Maggi took him out on a boat into the fjord to catch his own fish (which he had for dinner that evening). Talk about farm- (or fjord)-to-table.

Dinner also came with a homemade waffle and a slice of chocolate cake, which, even as someone who isn’t a big chocolate fan (I prefer vanilla and fruity desserts and sweets), my mind was blown.

We spent the rest of the evening catching up with Maggi and playing with the two pups outside. Check out the pictures below, and catch Justice League in theatres this November (and check out the Hotel at 0:19 in the video)!

And with all of the buzz around Hotel Djúpavík’s involvement with the newest DC Comics installment, Maggi and the hotel community remain humble and kind. When we asked about the movie production, he smiled, showing us on his laptop the trailer for the movie and pointing out how much of the film was added. “That’s not even real snow!” he remarked, and jokingly added, “well we are all movie stars now!” He and his family plan on driving down to Reykjavík, the nearest town with a movie theatre (besides Ísafjörður), in November to see the movie.