Ólafsvík () is a small town in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

on the northern side of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. At one point in the 17th and 18th centuries, commercial vessels sailed between Ólafsvík and Denmark, and the village was one of the larger trading ports in Iceland. Ólafsvík became certified trading place, authorized by the Danish King and Danish authorities, in 1687. It is situated near the western end of the

Snæfellsnes The Snæfellsnes () is a peninsula situated to the west of Borgarfjörður, in western Iceland. The Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland, can be found in the area. With its height of 1446 m, it is the highest ...

peninsula, on the north coast of the peninsula. It is on route 54, between

Grundarfjörður Grundarfjörður () is a town in the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in the west of Iceland. It is situated between a mountain range and the sea. The nearby mountain Kirkjufell forms a small peninsula. Overview The town received the right ...

and

Hellissandur Hellissandur () is a village and part of the Snæfellsbær municipality at the northwestern tip of Snæfellsnes peninsula in western Iceland. Once an important fishing post, the village has recently experienced growth in tourism. The maritime mu ...

. At 23 degrees 42 minutes West, it is the westernmost settlement of its size in Europe. Olafsvik

Administratively it is in the Western Region and it is the administrative centre of the municipality of

Snæfellsbær Snæfellsbær () is a municipality located in western Iceland, in the southwestern part of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula Its administrative centre is Hellissandur and the majority of the residents live in Ólafsvík then Hellissandur and Rif. Twin t ...

which also includes the tiny villages of Arnarstapi, Hellnar, Rif and Hellissandur. , it had 1,010 inhabitants.

Overview

Perhaps because of its situation on the bay of

Breiðafjörður Breiðafjörður (, ''wide fjord'') is a large shallow bay, about 50 km wide and 125 km long, in the west of Iceland. It separates the region of the Westfjords (Vestfirðir) from the Snæfellsnes peninsula to the south. Breiðafjörðu ...

, the village was the first in Iceland to receive a commercial licence from the King of Denmark, in the 17th century. Ólafsvík's economy is based on fishing industry and commerce, and provision of services for farmers in the area. The area of Ólafsvík provides many opportunities for tourists, such as birdwatching, hiking trails, long sandy beaches, and snowmobiling on the

Snæfellsjökull Snæfellsjökull (, ''snow-fell glacier'') is a 700,000-year-old glacier-capped stratovolcano in western Iceland. It is situated on the westernmost part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in Iceland. Sometimes it may be seen from the city of Reykjaví ...

glacier, just 10 km away (although the road is closed for much of the year). At nearby Hellissandur is the tallest structure in Western Europe, the Gufuskálar radio mast, 412 metres high.

References

External links

Ólafsvík websiteMore information and photos about Ólafsvík on Hit Iceland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olafsvik Populated places in Western Region (Iceland) Fishing communities in Iceland

Overview

See also

References

External links