Sauðárkrókur: A Proud Heart in the North

A Town Built by the Sea — and the Land

Sauðárkrókur grew up around fishing, farming, and trade.

Today, it's the largest town in the region, home to around 2,500 people, but it still feels personal and friendly. It's the kind of place where conversations start easily, and nobody is a stranger for long.

It's also a place shaped by resilience. Winters here can be tough, yet the town thrives—a testament to the enduring spirit of the North.

What to Experience in Sauðárkrókur

The Harbor

The town's small harbor is still busy with fishing boats and the scent of salt in the air. Walk along the docks, watch the tide roll in, and feel the pulse of a town that has always looked outward to the sea.

The Icelandic Horse Heritage

This part of Iceland is famous for its horses, and many nearby farms offer the chance to meet them — or even ride across the open valleys and along the beach, feeling the land beneath you in the purest Icelandic way.

Glaumbær

Just south of Sauðárkrókur stands Glaumbær, one of the best-preserved turf farms in Iceland and a unique window into rural Icelandic life in centuries past. Visitors can wander through the baðstofa, storage rooms, and narrow turf-lined corridors, each space telling stories of the people who lived and worked here for hundreds of years.

Grettislaug Hot Spring

Just a short drive from town, you'll find Grettislaug, a natural hot spring by the sea named after the legendary outlaw Grettir the Strong. Soaking there as the waves crash nearby is an experience you won't easily forget.

Drangey Island

From the coast near Sauðárkrókur, you can take a boat tour to Drangey, the towering island fortress where Grettir hid from his enemies a thousand years ago. Today, it's home to thousands of seabirds and a view that will stay with you long after you return to shore.

A Gateway to the North's Stories

You could say Sauðárkrókur is a doorway into some of Iceland's oldest sagas and proudest traditions.

Here, you'll hear echoes of ancient stories in the names of mountains, valleys, and rivers.

You'll feel the pride people take in their land — and the welcome they offer to those who come with open eyes and hearts.

Sauðárkrókur: A Place to Stay Awhile

At Key to Iceland, we believe that some towns aren't just stops on the way — they're destinations in their own right.

Sauðárkrókur is about the slow, intense feeling of being part of something older, something real.

It's about coffee at a café where everyone knows each other's names.

It's about sitting by the harbor in the late evening sun and knowing you've found a place still holding onto its stories.