Accommodation
Hotel Fljótshlíð: 14 double / twin and 3 triple en-suite rooms with all basic amenities. Satellite TV in every room.
Smáratún chalets: Five 2 to 3-pers. chalets (15 m2 / 161 ft2) that each have double beds and one single bed, a bathroom with shower, small dining area and TV. Duvets and pillows provided. Guests have access to fully equipped shared kitchen facilities in the farmhouse dining area.
Smáratún summer houses: Two 4-pers. cottages (48m2/527 ft2 - two bedrooms and a sleeping loft) and one 4 pers. cottage (40m2/431 ft2 - two doublerooms). All cottages have a fully equipped kitchen, TV and DVD player. On the porch of each house is a gas grill and garden furniture. The houses come with duvets and pillows.
Board
The restaurants in Hotel Fljótshlíð share the name ‘Hlaðan’ and are in renovated buildings that used to be a barn and cowshed on the farm. The larger dining room, where breakfast is served, sits up to 130 people and is well suited to meetings and gatherings. The hotel’s dinner hall sits up to 35 people. It is open daily during the summer from 18 – 20:30. There is a three-course menu of the day as well as á la carte courses. Meals need to be pre-ordered in winter. There is an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients; Icelandic chickens provide eggs, and all beef served at Smáratún is from the farm itself. The restaurant is licensed. Both dining rooms have earned wheelchair access certification from Access Iceland.
Guests have access to shared cooking facilities and dining room in the old farmhouse.
Responsible tourism - Plant a tree
Hotel Fljóthslíð are leaders in responsible tourism and sustainability. They grow their own crops on the 300-hectare farm (mostly potatoes, turnips and berries), and raise cattle, sheep, goats, pigs (during the summer months), Icelandic horses, chickens and ducks. All their animals are free range and fed on a healthy diet of grass and leftover food scraps, which means less waste going to landfill. In 2014, the guesthouse received eco labelling from Nordic Swan (the official ecolabel of the Nordic countries), and are always looking for new ways to operate more sustainably.
Last year, the owners had the idea to start a small tree-planting project on their land, which is where you come in. Accompanied by a representative from the farm, guests head out into the hills surrounding the property, armed with spades, watering cans and native birch saplings, which are then planted in shelterbelts. It’s an awesome opportunity to learn more about the farm and Smáratún’s ongoing sustainability policies, as well as reducing your carbon footprint. Feedback on the project has been really positive; for many travellers, the chance to help repopulate Iceland with trees becomes the highlight of their trip.
Leading the way in environmental awareness
Hotel Fljótshlíð has an active environmental policy and is certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
Service and recreation
Horse riding, goose hunting and trout fishing on the premises. The nearest golf course (18 holes) at Hellishólar, Þverárvöllur (3 km / 2 mi), and another 18-hole golf course, Strandarvöllur, is 7 km / 4 mi west of Hvolsvöllur (20 km / 12 mi). Kaffi Langbrók café and country tavern is 4 km / 2.5 mi. Daily coach tours to Þórsmörk from Hvolsvöllur (13 km / 8 mi) and to Landmannalaugar from Hella (25 km / 16 mi). It is a 25-minute-drive to Landeyjahöfn where ferry Herjólfur departs daily (35 minutes) to Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands). The closest village is Hvolsvöllur (13 km / 8 mi), which has a geothermal pool, shops and various tourism services.
Northern Lights at your doorstep!
Iceland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northen Lights. On clear, crisp winter nights in Iceland, you can experience the Aurora dancing magically across the sky. Seeing the Northern Lights would be the cherry on top on top of your winter trip in Iceland. You can maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights by staying at a Northern Lights friendly accommodation. Being Northern Lights friendly means they offer some extra services in regards to the Northern Lights. We offer a special Northern Lights package with pick up in Reykjavík. All transport, accommodation, meals and activities included.
Unique natural beauty in the historical sites of Njál’s Saga
Hotel Fljótshlíð and Smáratún are in a central location in an area where nature lovers, outdoor types and history enthusiasts will have a lot to choose from. The area itself, Fljótshlíð, is an amazingly beautiful hiking area with spectacular views to Eyjafjallajökull and down to the coast. The area is also the setting of the most famous of Iceland’s Sagas, Njál’s Saga, and in Hvolsvöllur you can visit the Saga Centre dedicated to this remarkable work.
Þórsmörk, beautiful waterfalls, Vestmannaeyjar and Hekluslóðir
In from Fljótshlíð is Þórsmörk, an oasis and a magical world and natural wonder between three glaciers. It’s one of the best-known and most popular outdoor paradises for hikers and mountaineers. Among other well-known sites worth mentioning are Seljalandsfoss (24 km / 15 mi) and Skógafoss (51 km / 32 mi). A day trip to Vestmannaeyjar via ferry (35 minutes) is an unforgettable adventure, and between the villages of Hvolsvöllur and Hella lie routes up to the base of the most famous volcano in Iceland, Hekla.
Hosts: Sigurður, Arndís and Ívar