Stokkseyri

Stokkseyri combines coastal experiences with an unusual mix of activity and culture: you can choose a flat trail by the sea, take a guided kayaking tour through different waterways, or explore museums and a cultural centre. Each of these options gives your trip its own focus. Stokkseyri offers something for visitors who want to spend plenty of time by the water as well as those interested in culture. When choosing a holiday apartment, it can therefore be helpful to consider which experiences you would like to make the focus of your stay.

Coast, walking trail and kayaking

The South Coast Trekking Trail runs for about 4 kilometres between Stokkseyri and Eyrarbakki. The route is flat and straight, following a lava coast where birds and seals can be seen. It is considered suitable for the whole family. Its manageable length and flat terrain make it a practical option for planning an outing together without choosing a long or uphill route. There is also a path along the coast between the two villages, and the coast is easily accessible from Stokkseyri and Eyrarbakki.

The guided, two-hour Power Challenge kayaking tour offers a different perspective on the landscape. It passes through Lake Löngudæl, marshland and narrow channels, then follows the Hraunsá River to the sea. The tour ends at Stokkseyri harbour and is suitable for groups of 5 to 50 people. This makes it quite different from the coastal trail: instead of covering the route on foot, you experience several waterways on a guided tour. If you would like to include an activity like this in your trip, it is worth keeping that in mind when choosing your accommodation.

Stokkseyri swimming pool also offers several ways to enjoy time in the water: the outdoor pool is 18 metres long and has a waterslide, as well as a paddling pool and two hot tubs. This combination caters to different preferences, from swimming to playing in the water. The coastal trail and the swimming pool are two different ways to make your stay active.

Culture in Stokkseyri

Menningarverstöðin shows how a former fish-processing plant has found a new purpose: it is now a cultural centre with workshops and galleries. The Elves and Northern Lights Museum is also located in this centre. Visiting the museum can therefore be combined with learning about the building’s distinctive history, though the two are not the same: the cultural centre offers workshops and galleries, while the museum has its own name.

Another museum in Stokkseyri is devoted to hunting and wildlife. The Wildlife Museum houses numerous mammals and birds. Veiðisafnið features, among others, lions, zebras, giraffes, reindeer, monkeys, seals, polar bears and musk oxen. These specific animal names give the visit a different focus from the coastal landscape or the cultural centre’s workshops and galleries.

Þuríðarbúð is also one of the village’s historic memorial sites. The building was reconstructed in Stokkseyri in 1949 in memory of Þuríður Einarsdóttir and earlier ways of working. Together with the former fish-processing plant that has been put to a new use, these places offer different perspectives on history and culture: one is a building explicitly dedicated to remembrance, while the other is a former plant now used for cultural activities.

Tailor your stay

For an outing more focused on the coast, the South Coast Lighthouse Trail offers another option: the route is just under 50 kilometres long and visits Stokkseyri. There is also a viewing platform on the coast between Stokkseyri and Eyrarbakki. The platform provides a specific point of reference along the coast.

If you choose Stokkseyri as a base for your trip, the right holiday apartment depends on which aspects of the village matter most to you: the coastal trail and water, kayaking or culture. Other places to use as reference points: Þykkvibær, Vestmannaeyjabær, Villingaholt, Selfoss, Hvolsvöllur, Ásólfsskáli, Vestmannaeyjar and Hveragerdi.

For the wider travel overview: Sudurland.