West Iceland
In West Iceland the beauty and variety of Icelandic nature is everywhere to be seen: magnificent views of mountains and glaciers from tranquil fishing villages, fertile green valleys, lava fields, abundant birdlife, pristine rivers and lakes, fjords and bays teeming with marine life and, of course, gushing geothermal activity.
Every kind of volcano is found here, and water flows from the earth in every form, from cool, sparkling mineral water to Europe’s most voluminous hot spring, Deildartunguhver, from which 97°C water gushes at a rate of 180 litres per second! But perhaps the clearest sign of West Iceland's volcanism is the perfectly formed, snow-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano, at the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in the National Park, to which various mystical powers have been attributed.
But this region is more than magnificent nature. Here you will find the settings of Old Norse sagas like Sturlunga, Egil's Saga, Eyrbyggja and Laxdaela, as well as the ancient homesteads of famous Vikings like Erik the Red and Leif the Lucky. It's a place where history is alive and readily available to travellers while at the same time, new tales of people, trolls and beings of adventure are being created.
Marked hiking paths are available in numerous parts of West Iceland, as well as guided horse rides, golf courses, nature and bird watching tours, gourmet tours, guided glacier excursions and cave walks and much more.
source: http://www.west.is and http://www.visiticeland.com/
