Oxnadalur and Glaumbaer turf houses (Iceland)

As you leave Akureyri and drive West on Road 1, you arrive in the beautiful and peaceful sceneries of the Oxnadalur valley.
And after that I recommend a detour to the Glaumbaer turf houses.
Below are some information to decide if you want to stop.

Travel Guide Iceland : Plan your visit to Oxnadalur and Glaumbaer turf houses

Table of Contents

PLANNING TIPS - Valley of Öxnadalur Iceland

Öxnadalur in pictures

Other nearby landscape on Road 1

PLANNING TIPS - Glaumbaer Iceland

Glaumbaer turf houses in photos

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PLANNING TIPS - Valley of Öxnadalur Iceland

Oxnaladur is a long barely habited valley (over 30 km) in North Iceland. Both sides are stunning with high mountains and sharp peaks. Its most prominent feature is the spire of Hrandrangar reaching 1075 meters which is 80 meters over the ridge. Oxnaladur is considered one of the best scenery on Road 1 between Aukureyri and Reykjavik.

I must admit that I was not expecting much as I did not do much research before hand on this area. I had 7 hours left and just decided to drive. And as the clouds dispersed I discovered this stunning landscape. I even stopped at a small grove dedicated to the Icelandic poet Jónas Hallgrímsson who was born in this valley. This location had great views of the spire and a nice feel with all the trees.

It is 25 kilometers West of Akureyri on Road 1
Take your time to drive the 30 km.
A nice spot to stop is the grove of Jonasarlundur - you cannot miss it.
Very easy drive

Need to rent a car in Iceland?
My tips:

Option 1 - Compare car rental prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com - one of the best customer-rated comparison sites!
Option 2 - compare cars and prices of local brands on GuidetoIceland.com
If you plan on driving on F-roads in the Central Highlands, you need a good 4WD - otherwise, no.
Book early to have a large choice of vehicles (it is a popular island)

See my articles about renting a car in Iceland and driving there.

Öxnadalur in pictures

I wish I had had more time to admire this region but I had a flight later that day. I thought the sharp edge mountain and the contrast of the farms made for some really interesting pictures.

Other nearby landscape on Road 1

As I continued on road 1 towards Varmahlid I discovered other beautiful and peaceful sceneries. The one below especially caught my eyes and I turned around to photograph it. It is just few kms before the crossing or road 1 and road 76, when driving from Akureyri.

PLANNING TIPS - Glaumbaer Iceland

Before taking road 76 for the Trollaskagi peninsula, I decided for a detour to visit the turf houses of Glaumbaer.

Glaumbaer is a farm which has been located on that same site for hundred years (although buildings have changes). This is a great location to have a close look at turf houses. They have several of them plus a nice little church. As I visited end of September the museum was closed but the houses were opened with some display of old farming equipments.

Turf houses - Glaumbaer Iceland

Visiting the Glaumbaer turf houses

Along Road 75, 8 km North from the crossing of Road 1 and Road 75
Site is well indicated with a small parking
Easy walk
Toilets are available
Skagafjordur Heritage museum opened 1st June to 10 September - 9am to 6pm. Official website

All my favorite locations are included (with GPS coordinates, map of region and planning tips) in my travel guide eBook to help you easily plan your Iceland road trip (for 5 days, 7 days, 10 days, 14 days...)

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Where to stay in Iceland?
My tips:

Reykjavik - capital city - see best rated accommodations
Selfoss - between Golden Circle and South Coast - see best rated accommodations
Vik - near waterfalls and glaciers - see best rated accommodations
Höfn - gateway to the East fjords - see best rated accommodations
Egilsstadir - between fjords and North Iceland - see best rated accommodations
Reykjahlid - for the wonders of Lake Myvatn - see best rated accommodations
Akureyri - capital of the North - see best rated accommodations
Grundarfjordur - to explore the Snaefellsnes Peninsula - see best rated accommodations