Self-Service.Casa huge Tatami family bed -read on
Room in Rif, Iceland
- 1 bedroom ·
- · Shared bathroom
Hosted by Washitsu
- 4 years hosting
Listing highlights
Self check-in
Check yourself in with the keypad.
Room in a home
Your own room in a home, plus access to shared spaces.
Some info has been automatically translated.
Self-Serve with a ◄ unique location ► found nowhere else ▬ explained below☺
►►► BEFORE YOU BOOK be sure to click on “Show more >” below
√ Must clean up after yourself AND A BIT MORE ♦ including floors, WCs and to replace your linen
♥ For some, an absolute must; for others -especially snobs- not the right choice!
Advantages and disadvantages of all our offerings explained below
We only want happy guests, so it is important to read the whole section
Longer stays recommended
Other things to note
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) Our goal is to have happy guests only, which is the reason why we are sharing so much information.
If you are not sure if Snaefellsnes should be your destination look at our additional photos. Everything is within about an hours drive and indeed most things are much nearer as we are next to the Snaefellsjokull National Park. A lot of beauty can be observed right from the house including that magical mystical volcano and glacier, and the incredible bird life, especially during the breeding season, is second to none. The coast is just a few hundred meters away and the point where the Atlantic meets the Arctic ocean can be seen from the house, illuminated by the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in winter. You may even be able to observe whales right from the house with the scope provided. Pretty lakes and distant waterfalls add to the great view. We have grouped photos together of what you can see from or near the house under the section exterior including some of the many birds that can be observed from the house. If you put some thought into it, while looking at the photos, you will realize that there is no way that you can capture the true essence of Snaefellsnes in just a couple of days. If you do not have enough time now, come for a couple of days and come back later for the recommended longer stay, perhaps combining it with home office and or volunteering at our place. Also look at our humble and not so humble home photos.
►►► Be sure to understand what “Self-Service and a bit more” entails. See further down this section. Make sure you understand what being part of our community, a helper or long term guest entails, in case you are considering booking such a category. Consult with us before booking multiple categories.
We are looking for guests who are not just looking for a cheap place to stay, but who come to take advantage of our place while fully realizing the limitations. This can not be done without reading this full description. So if you can’t be bothered simply look elsewhere.
If you think what is expected of you or the price is unreasonable, do not book that category.
We run a charity with the aim of bettering this world. Our messages have been seen by over 10 million people. Our campaigns have to do with the free flow of information, against tyranny and ignorance and for biodiversity. We are confident that we are having an impact in some areas.
The income from our lodgings makes it possible to share our beautiful places and fantastic views with you and other people and to contribute towards our campaign efforts by reducing, but not fully covering our costs.
We would very much like some organization or individuals to financially support us and indeed it would be great if some such funding would enable us to offer free stays for real helpers. To date, we do not have such funding and therefore, we also need to charge members of our community of helpers. If this is asking too much in your opinion, do not book these categories with us.
The ADVANTAGES of this place are what you can see directly from the house and the environment together with the Scandinavian adaptation of a Japanese interior, with a super duper comfortable luxurious spacious sofa area ►when not booked as a private area. Hopefully you care about our contribution to sustainability and bettering the world. There are many desks you can use for your laptop or you can chill with your laptop in the sofa area. There is a fully equipped kitchen, a patio with an outside dining table, good Wi-Fi, pillow and comforter menus and extra blankets. Depending on what category you are booking, you might also like our high thread count linen, comfortable beds, our color coded hygiene system, the sun blocking curtains and studio quality audio equipment.
The DISADVANTAGES are that this is just an ordinary house, with small rooms; a child of its time. And you might not like that it is Self-Service where you are expected to ►clean up after yourselves ►and a more. This might mean that the place is dirtier than you expected and that you are nevertheless expected to return the place clean, ready for the next guests. The double beds are small, 120 to 140 cm which might not suit you and your traveling companion together. When mattresses are being used e.g. for a 3rd person, they need to be really squeezed in, if at all possible - be sure you are aware of this in case you booked the tiny triple room and / or a double room for three people. At times, there might be many people in the house. There is one and a half toilet, so normally there should be one available. Usually people have different time schedules, so sharing the kitchen is no problem and can also be fun.There is an extra extendable dining table and a stack of stools in the main hallway. No security camera covers the inside private or public spaces. The place has at least one security camera, covering the outside areas, including the patio, covered from the kitchen. We reserve the right to cover our own private spaces that are not for guests. The house is almost always SHARED, except when we have no other bookings or when we offer it as a whole, which is extremely rare. For some categories, the sleeping area is also SHARED, but we also have many private room categories. Sometimes, the tatami living room may be reserved as a private space , excluding access for yourselves or granting access, in case it was you who reserved it as your private area. One side of the tatami living room is not blocked by a wall but by movable paravents. This might mean that noise has a better pathway between this place and the kitchen / dining area. There are however extra doors that isolate the corridors with the rest of the sleeping rooms.
►►►Be sure to understand which category you are booking and to switch to a different category if it is not what you are looking for. There is information about our categories further down.
◄We also have a fantastic place in the Swiss mountains, Alp.Casa - Oberaegeri - Switzerland.►
You can see directly from the house depending on the weather (longer stays recommended):
◄ Incredible Bird Life ► 2nd to none ▬ not even a bird observation deck can beat this.
◄ The Northern-Lights in winter ► Perfect geolocation, unobstructed views ▬ Exactly 2250 km from the Geomagnetic North Pole. Look it up and you will see, this is the median for the observation of the Northern Lights. It is of course very advantageous to be without any buildings in front or back of the house and to have the big windows and the extremely comfortable sofas you can chill on until you see the Northern Lights appear. We also have a glass house to observe from. We understand that you must also sleep, but they may be dancing in the sky when you are not looking. So at least look out for them while you are awake and just before going to bed. You might be pleasantly surprised.
◄The Midnight-Sun in summer ► Over the meeting point of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the Westfjord mountain range ▬ extremely long sunsets and sunrises
◄ Snaefellsjokull ► Mystical and Magical, the inspiration for the National Park ▬ This Mt-Fuji look-alike volcano and glacier was featured in the epic novel by Jules Verne: “Journey to the center of the Earth”, published in 1864. People who are into alternative healing and such consider the mountain to have healing powers. The awesome nature gives you a feeling of tranquility for sure. Everyone in the area feels the presence of this mystical mountain but few have such a splendid view of it.
◄ Waterfalls ► See the distant waterfalls underneath Snæfellsjökull.
◄ Whale Watching ► Even though our house is not right by the sea, we have been pleasantly surprised to see whales in the ocean from the living room using the scope provided. See the next section.
Walkable
► Whale Watching etc. This is the place where the great oceans meet, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. Where cold and warm currents meet tends to be the place where sea life flourishes. Walk to the ocean, just go straight along the street and instead of turning go past the tank house. And feel free to walk along the coast and little cliffs. Whales (including killer whales and humpback whales) and seals can often be observed and of course the birds. The whales can also be seen directly from the house using the scope or binoculars. We are working on providing binoculars to borrow. Once available, it is very important that these be taken good care of and returned.
► The Freezer culture center. Might be a place to hang out and get to know some locals and some other tourists. Bar, film festivals, music, theater and artistic events. During high summer, almost every day there is something special going on.
► Fish for you. 𓆟⛴𓆛𓆟 From the boats and ships at the harbor. Why travel the world and have no idea about the communities you pass through. You will be staying in a small fishing village. Why not walk down to the harbor and maybe ask for some fish, they might even give you some for free.
► If you walk along the street and around the corner, you will see some information signs that tell you a little bit of history about this village.
► On the lower edge of the village, there is a long black beach which is great for a stroll.
► Unique hike and bike trails - it is practically unheard of in Iceland that a village in the countryside has tarmacked hiking/biking trails to the next settlements. In this case, the town of Olafsvik and the village of Hellissandur. Jointly, all the settlements on the end of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula are called Snaefellsbaer.
► Walking off-trail through the meadows and along the shore line. You might see some sheep grazing, but the area belongs to the government. Be careful during nesting season not to keep the adult birds away from their eggs or young ones, as this may prove to be fatal for the little ones.
Drive, Walk, Free or Paid Bus
◄ A waterfall all to yourself. ► If not the first one, probably the next one. These are the waterfalls you can see directly from the house. Within a short drive, you will find more waterfalls that you can have mostly all to yourselves. Their names are Svodufoss and Kerlingarfoss.
◄ The most picturesque little church ► in Iceland, especially in June and July with the blue lupin flowers in the foreground. A nice place to propose or get married :)
◄ In the next village ► Hellissandur:
◄ The National Park ► main visitor center. Snaefellsjokull national park.
◄ Maritime Museum ► with a cafe.
◄ More cafes ► including the recommended Gilbakki Cafe (open in high summer).
◄ Restaurant ► Víðvík, open in high summer, very nice and special.
◄ Grocery Store ► and gas station in Hellissandur. Open every day until 6 pm. From 10 am on weekdays and from noon on weekends.
◄ The Murals ► of Hellissandur.
◄ Art Gallery ► 3 Veggir, Hellisandur.
◄ A tiny forest ► that some people have put a lot of effort into making in this not so forest-friendly area. If the weather is good, you might want to have a picnic there.
◄ Krossavik ►abandoned harbor with different habitats for wildlife, birds and seals. Good place for whale watching, especially in the springtime.
Drive, Longer Walk, Free or Paid Bus
◄ The town of Olafsvik ►
◄ Swimming pool with hot tubs ► great way to meet the locals and other people.
◄ Restaurant open all year ►
◄ Bigger grocery store ► Kassinn in Ólafsvík. Open 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Thursday. Until 8 pm on Fridays, until 5 pm on weekends, from 11 am on Saturdays and 1 pm on Sundays.
◄ Other stores and pharmacy ►
◄ The National Park ► accessible through a road past the village of Hellissandur.
◄ towards little lava earth houses which are one of the oldest artifacts from fish handling ►
◄ Gufuskalar ► huge mast that used to be a Lorenz station, the predecessor of GPS satellite navigation systems.
◄ or approach the Snaefellsjokull glacier via a mountain road past the town of Olafsvik ►
◄ towards lava fields ►
◄ and more ►
Short Drives (less than 30 minutes)
◄ One of the most western points of Europe ►
◄ Lighthouses ► Ondvardarnes and Svortuloft lighthouses are our preferred places for whale watching in the late spring and summer. Arctic foxes can usually be seen near the northern lighthouse. Do not feed them. The southern lighthouse features some great bird cliffs. With luck, you can observe puffins.
◄ Walk-up crater ►called Saxholl
◄ Drive-in volcano ►called Hola Holar. More exclusive than Saxholl with hiking opportunities. Be careful not to get stuck in snow, if it has been snowing.
◄ Caves ►
◄ Dagvardara ►An abandoned farm, cliffs and a small waterfall flowing into the sea.
◄ Some ancient wells ►
◄ Lóndrangar ►Picturesque rock pillars by the sea.
◄ Gatklettur ►Picturesque rock pillar by the sea with a hole.
◄ Arnarstapi ► village.
◄ Hellnar ► village.
◄ Raudafeldsgja ► small narrow canyon waterfall.
◄ Bjarnafoss ► waterfall.
◄ Algae hotpot and swimming pool ► Lysulaug. Open in summer and occasionally in winter when there is a good weather forecast.
◄ Grundarfjordur ► Town. The picturesque Kirkjufell mountain is close by.
◄ Kolgrafafjordur ► A natural fjord, usually without tourists, famous for an abundance of wildlife.
◄ Berserkjahraun ► 45 minutes drive away, an interesting rough lava field.
◄ Gourmet Restaurant ► at Hótel Búðir, recommended.
◄ Stykkisholmur ► 1 hour drive away a bigger town with many restaurants, services and a small lighthouse on an islet. It also has a cheap grocery store called Bonus.
◄ Various other restaurants ►at the towns and villages.
On the way from Reykjavik (Half way between our place and Reykjavik), go skinny dipping in a natural hotpot at Stora Hraun at your own risk.
◄ Why visit and stay on Snaefellsnes? ►
Snaefellsnes is like a microverse of Iceland. It has fjords (like the West Fjords and East Fjords), but also a different, varied landscape, a varied seashore and interesting natural and human artifacts, the majestic Snaefellsjokull (which you may be able to see directly from our house, weather permitting) and much more and last but not least, an abundance of nature that you can often have all to yourselves and the wildlife which our house is uniquely positioned to observe, incredible bird life and sometimes you may see a fox or a mink or some whales and seals on the shore nearby.
►►► Important
House rules
√ Leave the bathroom doors open when not in use. This way we can prevent mold and it is much more convenient for guests to see when the toilets are available.
√ Do not wear any type of shoes in the tatami areas. Not even slippers.
√ Do not bring food or drinks into the tatami areas.
√ Air out your room regularly, and while airing out turn off the heating.
During your stay
√ Do some laundry for our place. Please wash, dry and store the laundry of some guests before you, when there is enough of a particular type of laundry for a full or almost full machine load. Future guests can wash your linen etc. Do not do laundry at the last hour because arrangements have to be made to hang it up as soon as the washing machine finishes.
√ Laundry can be hung up inside the laundry room, on drying racks, you could place some inside the glass house or on doors (but not the bathroom doors). Big pieces can be hung up on doors . Almost dry pieces can be moved to be hung up on the paravents, if the living room is not booked by a group.
Before you leave
√ Make sure the place is ready and clean for the next guests.
√ Leaving the toilets and kitchen squeaky clean is extremely important. If you are such a wimp that you can not do that, then look elsewhere, because why should other people have to do that for you. Unfortunately in spite of our harsh words we sometimes get inconsiderate people in which case you will need to clean up after them so that our place does not degenerate. Our place is clearly described as being self service which means you are really expected to do those things and in case you book as a helper to do considerably more. Please do not mark us down when others fail to do their part.
√ There are cloths to clean various surfaces, mops to use damp (with hot water and hand washing up liquid) on every floor, except the tatamis, for which you can use the vacuum cleaner on medium power.
√ Backpackers. Return the bedding you rolled up on arrival. Change the pillow cover.
√ Others. Change the linen you used, whether it was on a bed or inside the sofas.
√ When changing the linen make sure the sheets are of the correct size. That the size and direction of the duvet matches the size and direction of the duvet cover. That the duvet reaches every corner of the duvet cover. That the seams of sheets and duvet cover are turned inwards. This is all a matter of course as are many of the things we write but unfortunately some people really need to have everything spelled out.
√ Make sure the bathroom doors are always left open when not in use.
√ Make sure that nothing wet has been put into the laundry baskets. These things should be hung up first to dry.
√ To make it easier for the next guest it is important you sort the dirty laundry and fold and put away dry laundry in the appropriate labeled shelves.
√ Take out the trash and recyclables and make sure to leave the trash area behind in a clean state.
√ Take photos of how you leave the place nice and clean and send us, including photos of your room and, if accessible, the tatami living room. We also welcome any photos you would like to share with us and our potential guests from you and the surrounding areas.
◄ Be clear about our categories ► so you do not inadvertently book an inappropriate category.
We have a Parking Place category for people who sleep in their own cold camper van - well what do they expect in Iceland. For these people, they can use the house facilities but there is NO sleeping place inside included. For them having a kitchen and proper bathrooms is great.
If you booked our Backpackers or other no-linen indicated category, then linen and comforters (duvets / quilts) are NOT included. Using duvets or quilts without covers is strictly forbidden. You may be able to find some blankets in the middle bottom shelf in the cupboard in the long corridor. You may use our pillows (change the cover before departure) and you should always have a mattress protector, but not a sheet.
If you booked a shared room, be prepared to SHARE even though you think you have maxed out the number of beds in the given category.
If you booked categories that have small double beds, be prepared to share such a bed with your co-traveler.
Irrespective of what you are booking now, please keep in mind our “helper” also called “community” categories. People who book these categories are not just expected to do a bit more, but a lot more, to make sure everything is in good order in the house and to help us with world-bettering projects. This might be ideal for people who want to save some money, for people who want a change of environment, to stay longer, to have a home office or who want to take a break before, in between or after their careers. Also for people staying a short time, if they are prepared to use part of that time to help us and the world. Examples of how to help include deep cleaning, sharing photos and videos, doing translations and putting us in contact with influential people and generally spreading the word about what we are doing and how your friends and acquaintances can possibly help us help the world. You must really help us out by making sure the place is presentable and help with our projects. You must show the initiative to communicate and help. It is not much help if we have to beg you to contribute. It is no help if we have to exert more effort in getting help from you than the value of the help you give. So if you do not show initiative, do not expect us to waste our time on you - it would be counter intuitive if we did. Do not abuse our trust in you.
◄ Our Opinion ►
We recommend slow food and slow travel in Iceland. Fast food is rather expensive in Iceland but gourmet restaurants are not expensive compared to gourmet restaurants in other places in the world. We personally think that fast travel is a waste of people's time and that the environmental costs are too high. We are not quite on the same wavelength as people who stay in a fishing village without ever visiting the harbor or who have a problem with the coexistence of birds and instead focus on whether there is a spec of dust underneath a bed or something like that. We think that the most attractive thing about Iceland is the abundance of accessible nature and it is therefore counter-intuitive to only visit the most frequented tourist spots. Isn’t it more special to have a waterfall, coastline or whatever all to yourself or to share it with just a few people at a time rather than concentrate on the crowded places. Crowds you can find and often can not avoid in other countries.
We recommend eating Icelandic fish (you may be able to get it directly from our harbor) and lamb meat and also for those that care about animal welfare as these are raised entirely in the wild. You might also like Skyr, Súrmjólk and the unique Icelandic milk (Nýmjólk) which is made by natural cows as opposed to the overbred cow breeds used elsewhere, where the utters are so big that the cows can barely walk. Also the somewhat badly tasting Lýsi (fish liver oil), which for Icelanders represents the sun in a bottle. Rye bread (rúgbrauð) and marinated herring are also nice but not together as they are way too sweet.
◄ Sustainability ►
In addition to campaigning for real impact with our Biodiversity.Vision campaign, we encourage people to make use of our place with sustainability in mind. We encourage people to use facilities that have multiple uses like our house, that serves people who volunteer and/or who are able to live there during low season. Places that are not in high demand and thus not competing with normal residential properties in the bigger towns and cities. But at the same time, not to forget the older-style hotels that are having a tough time competing with the conveniences like fully equipped kitchens that places like ours offer. On the contrary, avoid newly built hotels which stand empty for most of the year and tend to lead to isolation from the rest of the community. Please also value our efforts towards recycling, energy consciousness (e.g. by not using the dryer) and superior detergents (the detergent we use is not used by any other establishment in Iceland for laundry but rather to keep the cows teats hygienic.)
◄ About us and our projects ►
We are an open-minded multinational family who has lived in Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, Scotland, the United States and Germany. We are turning two of our places into centers to better the world. As we get further in the year. Our world-bettering topics are biodiversity.vision; a communication campaign for the Ukraine; against misappropriation of resources; education for all and a better future. By staying here, you will be enabling us to do more for the world.
These are big communication campaigns which we need a lot of support for. If you are interested in helping in one way or another, please let us know.
◄ Moreover ►
Imagine living in a small fishing village, but still have opportunities to socialize, access to free public transport*, hike and bike trails (both tarmacked - an Iceland countryside first - and rougher ones), untrailed walking possibilities including the coast with possible whale watching opportunities, access to essential services, great restaurants*, coffee places*, swimming pools with hot tubs*, the Snaefellsjokull national park, maritime museum and a cultural center and bar.
We searched everywhere in Iceland and found this fantastic place and we want to share it with other people who would truly appreciate it. But we are not always there. We might be at our other fantastic place in the mountains of Switzerland, Alp.Casa - Oberaegeri, Switzerland. You can look it up and also find our other categories here in Rif, Iceland here on Airbnb.
Because we are not always on location ourselves (and even if we were), we need your cooperation in making the place ready for the next guests before you leave, as well as your understanding when someone doesn't quite do it right. This means cleaning before you leave and leave the kitchen and bathrooms etc., spot free, put on or empty the dishwasher and put things in their right places. If you used a bed that had linen and you rolled it up to store, then put it back on or change the linen, if linen was included. The place has to be ready for the next guests. It is also important to take the garbage out into the main garbage bin next to the garage with the dark lid, and the recyclables into the bin with the green lid. We are expecting the authorities to add a special container for bio/veggie trash; until then you can put it into the compost area behind the garage/greenhouse or into the bin for regular trash. Rinsed drinking containers, cans and bottles should be put in the labeled containers in the kitchen. Please do not despair. Recycling is just a prerequisite to living in a modern world.
Another important rule is to respect other guests that are there, including those in your own group. You must take off your shoes when entering the house and especially respect the rule of no shoes, food or drink in the tatami areas.
◄ The tatami room ► unique in Iceland
A tatami room is called Washitsu in Japan. Given the Mt Fuji lookalike scenery, we thought it would be appropriate to make this kind of dual use, Japanese style room. We made this room with our very own style so one could say it is a Nordic / Scandinavian adaptation of the tatami room concept. We covered the entire living room with the Tatamis that we specially ordered (the stores in Iceland did not even know what a Tatami is) directly ourselves from Asia and shipped with what used to be the largest container ship in the world. But instead of getting the cheapest Tatamis we got a premium type with an interior made of linen and coconut shells (about 20 000 of them) - the kind of stuff that is normally used for the interior of futons. This makes it very comfortable to walk on and even sleep on with an extra topper. Has the feel but not the look of a fitness room. Then we adapted and created low sofas and chairs. Not the typical uncomfortable ones but really comfortable and flexible ones, with movable backs and wide enough to sit on both sides to enjoy the Mt-Fuji like view in one direction and the midnight sun distant Artic Ocean view in the other direction. Which also gives the possibility of watching out for the Northern Lights on both sides of the house, in winter or anytime it gets dark. For a house in a village it is very unusual to have unrestricted nature views both in front and back of the house, so enjoy it. The sofas make up an ultra modern comfortable living space, where you can sit how you like, with bent legs, stretched legs, crossed legs and as close or as far as you like from other people you may be sharing the area with. To add to the atmosphere, we decorated the place with Japanese Shoji-style Ando lamps with premium paper but instead of just having the traditional white light, you can choose and dim the colors with a remote control. To give those that are sleeping there a bit more privacy, we provide moveable Shoji-style tall paravents.
Please note that your group might be staying in one or more of our tiny rooms or sharing our tatami living room with another group. Or a group might have exclusive access to this room especially at night - depending on what you booked, this might be your group or another group, in which case it would restrict your access. When there is enough space, we recommend people sleep in the rooms and just use the tatami living room as a living room. For larger groups, the tatami living room may be the best choice.
Like a Japanese tatami room, the room is dual use. But unlike the Japanese version where you need to roll up some futons during the day and which might be a bit too hard to sleep on at night, our sofas are comfortable to both sit and sleep on. For backpackers, we expect them to have their own sleeping bags. Hence, linen is not provided for them. If you paid for linen and comforters, you can find these underneath the sofas. Extra blankets you will find in the cupboard in the long corridor. The mattress protectors can also be found underneath the sofas; these should always be used for sleeping. To top it off, our low sofas should be used with toppers that should be placed on top of the sofas to further protect the sofas and to provide an even more comfortable sleep when available. These toppers are folded into chairs or low sofas when not used for sleeping. These toppers can also be used as extra sleeping surfaces. There are more toppers and mattresses, some of which can be borrowed from Room 3. It is possible to carefully reposition the sofas as you like, making sure not to damage the tatami floor. Please remember to put everything in its place the way it was before you go.
There is at least one video camera turned to cover the outside areas. As in any establishment, it is illegal to tamper with it in any way.
The moveable paravents can be used for privacy in the living area.
We seek guests that are into slow travel and healthy living.
◄ The Park ►
Snaefellsjokull, the Mt. Fuji lookalike volcano and glacier, is often referred to as being a mythical power source. This volcano’s last eruption occurred 2200 years ago. Snaefellsjokull was featured in the epic novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. What makes our viewpoint of the volcano more spectacular is that from our angle, you can see the outlines of the caldera. The lakes in front of the house, the little islands and the distant waterfalls add to the magic. The National Park’s raison d’etre is this volcano mountain, that is referred to as the king of Icelandic mountains whereas some people like to refer to it as one of the 7 mystical power centers of Planet Earth. The National Park whose size is over 180 km2 has other things of interest: caves, abandoned settlements - including the oldest fishing artifacts found in any of the Nordic countries; lighthouses, bird-cliffs, strange rock formations, a drive-in volcano, rich geological environment, rocky beaches and black and white sand beaches.
If you want to enjoy the view of the volcano, the midnight sun or the northern lights, longer stays are recommended as it is all weather dependent. Staying longer is also likely to give you a better feeling of what Iceland is truly about. The pristine nature, the unpredictable weather, the possibilities of taking a walk on the beach where there is nobody else, etc. Another benefit from staying longer is not having to be packing and unpacking all the time.
◄ Other Points ►
Walk to the harbor and get fresh fish from the local fishermen, they will often give it to you for free, put it in the oven for ca. 20 minutes and don't overcook it. Walk to the ocean by just going straight where the street bends, sit on the rocks and watch the birds drift by and if you are lucky, a seal's head will pop up, or a whale will jump up or blow. Walk to the waterfalls or the next village of Hellissandur and see all the murals. Or join the locals and/or other tourists at the Freezer watering hole, to hang out or for an event. Explore the National Park - a service center has just been built in Hellissandur which is within walking distance. Relax for an entire afternoon in the hot pots at Lysuholl or in one of the towns. Visit some really good restaurants, cafes or museums (there is a seafarer maritime museum in Hellissandur), or take a look at their tiny forest. It is not easy to let trees grow next to where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Arctic Ocean. This is like visiting the end of the world.
The place is not only a place to be for a nature lover like yourself but it is a place to where the Arctic tern makes a 30-40 000 kilometer round trip, every year, for its entire life of more than 30 years. We are in the middle of this biggest European Arctic tern colony. It is incredible to watch the tern feed its young, possibly next to where you park your car and the anticipation in the air when they are preparing as a group for the 15 000 Km plus journey in August. Something that can not really be described in words.
This is also the home or summer home for countless other birds and fish. Where the cold Arctic Ocean currents meet the warm Gulf of Mexico Atlantic Gulf Stream is where you have the richest fish environment in the world. So naturally some seals, whales and orcas like to hang out there, too.
Other things of interest on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula are Búðir, Hellnar, Arnarstapi, the picturesque mountain Kirkjufell, especially where seen from the waterfall and the islet Holmurinn in Stykkisholmur. It is possible to make roundtrips using a different way back to many of these places. There are two main routes over the mountain passes with tarmacked roads suitable for normal cars most of the year and a route that takes you around the peninsula. There are also mountain roads (might be classified as F roads) that take you closer to the glacier.
We are exactly 200 km by road from Reykjavik. You might arrive by a normal car, via skateboard, by hitch hiking or with a normal bus (see Straeto) which stops less than 100 meters away from our house.
Please only book if you are comfortable with this being Self Service and if our above description appeals to you.
We also look for volunteers of any age who would like to stay for a few days or longer and help us out, especially with our Charitable.Institute projects such as Biodiversity.Vision
To let us know that you have read this long description please include the phrase “read the full description”.
* The free public transport is available throughout the year in the afternoon on weekdays, including two evenings per week. Sometimes there is a break in the free bus schedule because of drivers' holidays. Some of the coffee places and restaurants are only available during high summer. Many of the services are in the towns close by, these are within walkable distance, just a few minutes by car.
See my guidebooks on my airbnb profile for further information especially about transport.
Check-in instructions should be accessible sometime as a tab in airbnb before arrival and to be sent to you automatically on the day of arrival.
Schedule for the Free Bus that runs every working day Mon to Friday:
(There is also a paid bus that runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with a connection to Reykjavik and Keflavik). Please note that this schedule is subject to change. If it has changed please update us with a new schedule.
Hellissandur..…..Rif….............Ólafsvík
07:06………………..07:10……………..07:23….. Paid bus Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Reykjavik etc
07:39………………..07:43……………..07:56….. Paid bus Sundays to Reykjavik etc
07:55……......…….08:00…….......…08:10 Free bus, not on timetable to probably running, Weekdays
13:50……….….......13:55……......….14:05 Free bus, not on timetable to probably running, Weekdays
14:50……….......….14:55….....….….15:05 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
15:45………....…….15:55….............16:05 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
16:00………………..16:04……………….16:16….. Paid bus Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays to Reykjavik etc
16:50………..….…..16:55….….........17:05 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
17:50……….......…..17:55….....…....18:05 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
Ólafsvík….………...Rif…....Hellissandur
11:04………...……..11:17…..........….11:21 Paid bus Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from further away
14:20……...………..14:30…….......….14:35 Free bus, not on timetable to probably running on Weekdays
15:20………...……..15:30…..........….15:35 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
16:20…...……….….16:30….........…..16:35 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
17:20………....…....17:30.....…..……..17:35 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
18:20…………...…..18:30……........…18:35 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
20:08………...……..20:21…..........….20:25 Paid bus Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Sundays from further away
Plus evening buses that run only Mondays and Thursdays
Hellissandur..…..Rif….............Ólafsvík
19:30…….......…....19:35…......….….19:45 Free bus, per timetable on Mondays
20:45…..……........20:50…........…..21:00 Free bus, per timetable on Mondays and Thursdays
Ólafsvík….………...Rif…....Hellissandur
19:45……....…….….19:55……......…20:00 Free bus, per timetable on Mondays
21:00……....……..…21:10…….......….21:15 Free bus, per timetable on Mondays and Thursdays
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)
◄ Final Points ►
Life is not a list of “been there, done that'', posted on social media, but truly enjoying some places like our Snaefellsnes, a microverse of Iceland.
Please only book if you are comfortable with this being Self Service and with other conditions placed on the category you are booking and if our above description appeals to you.
We look for volunteers of any age who would like to stay for a few days or longer and help us out, especially with our Charitable.Institute projects such as Biodiversity.Vision
To let us know that you have read this long description please include the phrase “read the full description”.
► Further information can be found in the House manual (especially cleaning instructions), and other information provided on airbnb, the directions to our place, our neighborhood description, the getting around section, our guidebooks and other specific instructions that apply to the category you booked and by the written notices posted all over inside our house.
Check-in instructions should be accessible sometime as a tab in airbnb before arrival and should be sent to you automatically on the day of arrival. Checkout instructions will also be available.
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) Do you think you will like our place?
►►► BEFORE YOU BOOK be sure to click on “Show more >” below
√ Must clean up after yourself AND A BIT MORE ♦ including floors, WCs and to replace your linen
♥ For some, an absolute must; for others -especially snobs- not the right choice!
Advantages and disadvantages of all our offerings explained below
We only want happy guests, so it is important to read the whole section
Longer stays recommended
Other things to note
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) Our goal is to have happy guests only, which is the reason why we are sharing so much information.
If you are not sure if Snaefellsnes should be your destination look at our additional photos. Everything is within about an hours drive and indeed most things are much nearer as we are next to the Snaefellsjokull National Park. A lot of beauty can be observed right from the house including that magical mystical volcano and glacier, and the incredible bird life, especially during the breeding season, is second to none. The coast is just a few hundred meters away and the point where the Atlantic meets the Arctic ocean can be seen from the house, illuminated by the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in winter. You may even be able to observe whales right from the house with the scope provided. Pretty lakes and distant waterfalls add to the great view. We have grouped photos together of what you can see from or near the house under the section exterior including some of the many birds that can be observed from the house. If you put some thought into it, while looking at the photos, you will realize that there is no way that you can capture the true essence of Snaefellsnes in just a couple of days. If you do not have enough time now, come for a couple of days and come back later for the recommended longer stay, perhaps combining it with home office and or volunteering at our place. Also look at our humble and not so humble home photos.
►►► Be sure to understand what “Self-Service and a bit more” entails. See further down this section. Make sure you understand what being part of our community, a helper or long term guest entails, in case you are considering booking such a category. Consult with us before booking multiple categories.
We are looking for guests who are not just looking for a cheap place to stay, but who come to take advantage of our place while fully realizing the limitations. This can not be done without reading this full description. So if you can’t be bothered simply look elsewhere.
If you think what is expected of you or the price is unreasonable, do not book that category.
We run a charity with the aim of bettering this world. Our messages have been seen by over 10 million people. Our campaigns have to do with the free flow of information, against tyranny and ignorance and for biodiversity. We are confident that we are having an impact in some areas.
The income from our lodgings makes it possible to share our beautiful places and fantastic views with you and other people and to contribute towards our campaign efforts by reducing, but not fully covering our costs.
We would very much like some organization or individuals to financially support us and indeed it would be great if some such funding would enable us to offer free stays for real helpers. To date, we do not have such funding and therefore, we also need to charge members of our community of helpers. If this is asking too much in your opinion, do not book these categories with us.
The ADVANTAGES of this place are what you can see directly from the house and the environment together with the Scandinavian adaptation of a Japanese interior, with a super duper comfortable luxurious spacious sofa area ►when not booked as a private area. Hopefully you care about our contribution to sustainability and bettering the world. There are many desks you can use for your laptop or you can chill with your laptop in the sofa area. There is a fully equipped kitchen, a patio with an outside dining table, good Wi-Fi, pillow and comforter menus and extra blankets. Depending on what category you are booking, you might also like our high thread count linen, comfortable beds, our color coded hygiene system, the sun blocking curtains and studio quality audio equipment.
The DISADVANTAGES are that this is just an ordinary house, with small rooms; a child of its time. And you might not like that it is Self-Service where you are expected to ►clean up after yourselves ►and a more. This might mean that the place is dirtier than you expected and that you are nevertheless expected to return the place clean, ready for the next guests. The double beds are small, 120 to 140 cm which might not suit you and your traveling companion together. When mattresses are being used e.g. for a 3rd person, they need to be really squeezed in, if at all possible - be sure you are aware of this in case you booked the tiny triple room and / or a double room for three people. At times, there might be many people in the house. There is one and a half toilet, so normally there should be one available. Usually people have different time schedules, so sharing the kitchen is no problem and can also be fun.There is an extra extendable dining table and a stack of stools in the main hallway. No security camera covers the inside private or public spaces. The place has at least one security camera, covering the outside areas, including the patio, covered from the kitchen. We reserve the right to cover our own private spaces that are not for guests. The house is almost always SHARED, except when we have no other bookings or when we offer it as a whole, which is extremely rare. For some categories, the sleeping area is also SHARED, but we also have many private room categories. Sometimes, the tatami living room may be reserved as a private space , excluding access for yourselves or granting access, in case it was you who reserved it as your private area. One side of the tatami living room is not blocked by a wall but by movable paravents. This might mean that noise has a better pathway between this place and the kitchen / dining area. There are however extra doors that isolate the corridors with the rest of the sleeping rooms.
►►►Be sure to understand which category you are booking and to switch to a different category if it is not what you are looking for. There is information about our categories further down.
◄We also have a fantastic place in the Swiss mountains, Alp.Casa - Oberaegeri - Switzerland.►
You can see directly from the house depending on the weather (longer stays recommended):
◄ Incredible Bird Life ► 2nd to none ▬ not even a bird observation deck can beat this.
◄ The Northern-Lights in winter ► Perfect geolocation, unobstructed views ▬ Exactly 2250 km from the Geomagnetic North Pole. Look it up and you will see, this is the median for the observation of the Northern Lights. It is of course very advantageous to be without any buildings in front or back of the house and to have the big windows and the extremely comfortable sofas you can chill on until you see the Northern Lights appear. We also have a glass house to observe from. We understand that you must also sleep, but they may be dancing in the sky when you are not looking. So at least look out for them while you are awake and just before going to bed. You might be pleasantly surprised.
◄The Midnight-Sun in summer ► Over the meeting point of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the Westfjord mountain range ▬ extremely long sunsets and sunrises
◄ Snaefellsjokull ► Mystical and Magical, the inspiration for the National Park ▬ This Mt-Fuji look-alike volcano and glacier was featured in the epic novel by Jules Verne: “Journey to the center of the Earth”, published in 1864. People who are into alternative healing and such consider the mountain to have healing powers. The awesome nature gives you a feeling of tranquility for sure. Everyone in the area feels the presence of this mystical mountain but few have such a splendid view of it.
◄ Waterfalls ► See the distant waterfalls underneath Snæfellsjökull.
◄ Whale Watching ► Even though our house is not right by the sea, we have been pleasantly surprised to see whales in the ocean from the living room using the scope provided. See the next section.
Walkable
► Whale Watching etc. This is the place where the great oceans meet, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. Where cold and warm currents meet tends to be the place where sea life flourishes. Walk to the ocean, just go straight along the street and instead of turning go past the tank house. And feel free to walk along the coast and little cliffs. Whales (including killer whales and humpback whales) and seals can often be observed and of course the birds. The whales can also be seen directly from the house using the scope or binoculars. We are working on providing binoculars to borrow. Once available, it is very important that these be taken good care of and returned.
► The Freezer culture center. Might be a place to hang out and get to know some locals and some other tourists. Bar, film festivals, music, theater and artistic events. During high summer, almost every day there is something special going on.
► Fish for you. 𓆟⛴𓆛𓆟 From the boats and ships at the harbor. Why travel the world and have no idea about the communities you pass through. You will be staying in a small fishing village. Why not walk down to the harbor and maybe ask for some fish, they might even give you some for free.
► If you walk along the street and around the corner, you will see some information signs that tell you a little bit of history about this village.
► On the lower edge of the village, there is a long black beach which is great for a stroll.
► Unique hike and bike trails - it is practically unheard of in Iceland that a village in the countryside has tarmacked hiking/biking trails to the next settlements. In this case, the town of Olafsvik and the village of Hellissandur. Jointly, all the settlements on the end of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula are called Snaefellsbaer.
► Walking off-trail through the meadows and along the shore line. You might see some sheep grazing, but the area belongs to the government. Be careful during nesting season not to keep the adult birds away from their eggs or young ones, as this may prove to be fatal for the little ones.
Drive, Walk, Free or Paid Bus
◄ A waterfall all to yourself. ► If not the first one, probably the next one. These are the waterfalls you can see directly from the house. Within a short drive, you will find more waterfalls that you can have mostly all to yourselves. Their names are Svodufoss and Kerlingarfoss.
◄ The most picturesque little church ► in Iceland, especially in June and July with the blue lupin flowers in the foreground. A nice place to propose or get married :)
◄ In the next village ► Hellissandur:
◄ The National Park ► main visitor center. Snaefellsjokull national park.
◄ Maritime Museum ► with a cafe.
◄ More cafes ► including the recommended Gilbakki Cafe (open in high summer).
◄ Restaurant ► Víðvík, open in high summer, very nice and special.
◄ Grocery Store ► and gas station in Hellissandur. Open every day until 6 pm. From 10 am on weekdays and from noon on weekends.
◄ The Murals ► of Hellissandur.
◄ Art Gallery ► 3 Veggir, Hellisandur.
◄ A tiny forest ► that some people have put a lot of effort into making in this not so forest-friendly area. If the weather is good, you might want to have a picnic there.
◄ Krossavik ►abandoned harbor with different habitats for wildlife, birds and seals. Good place for whale watching, especially in the springtime.
Drive, Longer Walk, Free or Paid Bus
◄ The town of Olafsvik ►
◄ Swimming pool with hot tubs ► great way to meet the locals and other people.
◄ Restaurant open all year ►
◄ Bigger grocery store ► Kassinn in Ólafsvík. Open 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Thursday. Until 8 pm on Fridays, until 5 pm on weekends, from 11 am on Saturdays and 1 pm on Sundays.
◄ Other stores and pharmacy ►
◄ The National Park ► accessible through a road past the village of Hellissandur.
◄ towards little lava earth houses which are one of the oldest artifacts from fish handling ►
◄ Gufuskalar ► huge mast that used to be a Lorenz station, the predecessor of GPS satellite navigation systems.
◄ or approach the Snaefellsjokull glacier via a mountain road past the town of Olafsvik ►
◄ towards lava fields ►
◄ and more ►
Short Drives (less than 30 minutes)
◄ One of the most western points of Europe ►
◄ Lighthouses ► Ondvardarnes and Svortuloft lighthouses are our preferred places for whale watching in the late spring and summer. Arctic foxes can usually be seen near the northern lighthouse. Do not feed them. The southern lighthouse features some great bird cliffs. With luck, you can observe puffins.
◄ Walk-up crater ►called Saxholl
◄ Drive-in volcano ►called Hola Holar. More exclusive than Saxholl with hiking opportunities. Be careful not to get stuck in snow, if it has been snowing.
◄ Caves ►
◄ Dagvardara ►An abandoned farm, cliffs and a small waterfall flowing into the sea.
◄ Some ancient wells ►
◄ Lóndrangar ►Picturesque rock pillars by the sea.
◄ Gatklettur ►Picturesque rock pillar by the sea with a hole.
◄ Arnarstapi ► village.
◄ Hellnar ► village.
◄ Raudafeldsgja ► small narrow canyon waterfall.
◄ Bjarnafoss ► waterfall.
◄ Algae hotpot and swimming pool ► Lysulaug. Open in summer and occasionally in winter when there is a good weather forecast.
◄ Grundarfjordur ► Town. The picturesque Kirkjufell mountain is close by.
◄ Kolgrafafjordur ► A natural fjord, usually without tourists, famous for an abundance of wildlife.
◄ Berserkjahraun ► 45 minutes drive away, an interesting rough lava field.
◄ Gourmet Restaurant ► at Hótel Búðir, recommended.
◄ Stykkisholmur ► 1 hour drive away a bigger town with many restaurants, services and a small lighthouse on an islet. It also has a cheap grocery store called Bonus.
◄ Various other restaurants ►at the towns and villages.
On the way from Reykjavik (Half way between our place and Reykjavik), go skinny dipping in a natural hotpot at Stora Hraun at your own risk.
◄ Why visit and stay on Snaefellsnes? ►
Snaefellsnes is like a microverse of Iceland. It has fjords (like the West Fjords and East Fjords), but also a different, varied landscape, a varied seashore and interesting natural and human artifacts, the majestic Snaefellsjokull (which you may be able to see directly from our house, weather permitting) and much more and last but not least, an abundance of nature that you can often have all to yourselves and the wildlife which our house is uniquely positioned to observe, incredible bird life and sometimes you may see a fox or a mink or some whales and seals on the shore nearby.
►►► Important
House rules
√ Leave the bathroom doors open when not in use. This way we can prevent mold and it is much more convenient for guests to see when the toilets are available.
√ Do not wear any type of shoes in the tatami areas. Not even slippers.
√ Do not bring food or drinks into the tatami areas.
√ Air out your room regularly, and while airing out turn off the heating.
During your stay
√ Do some laundry for our place. Please wash, dry and store the laundry of some guests before you, when there is enough of a particular type of laundry for a full or almost full machine load. Future guests can wash your linen etc. Do not do laundry at the last hour because arrangements have to be made to hang it up as soon as the washing machine finishes.
√ Laundry can be hung up inside the laundry room, on drying racks, you could place some inside the glass house or on doors (but not the bathroom doors). Big pieces can be hung up on doors . Almost dry pieces can be moved to be hung up on the paravents, if the living room is not booked by a group.
Before you leave
√ Make sure the place is ready and clean for the next guests.
√ Leaving the toilets and kitchen squeaky clean is extremely important. If you are such a wimp that you can not do that, then look elsewhere, because why should other people have to do that for you. Unfortunately in spite of our harsh words we sometimes get inconsiderate people in which case you will need to clean up after them so that our place does not degenerate. Our place is clearly described as being self service which means you are really expected to do those things and in case you book as a helper to do considerably more. Please do not mark us down when others fail to do their part.
√ There are cloths to clean various surfaces, mops to use damp (with hot water and hand washing up liquid) on every floor, except the tatamis, for which you can use the vacuum cleaner on medium power.
√ Backpackers. Return the bedding you rolled up on arrival. Change the pillow cover.
√ Others. Change the linen you used, whether it was on a bed or inside the sofas.
√ When changing the linen make sure the sheets are of the correct size. That the size and direction of the duvet matches the size and direction of the duvet cover. That the duvet reaches every corner of the duvet cover. That the seams of sheets and duvet cover are turned inwards. This is all a matter of course as are many of the things we write but unfortunately some people really need to have everything spelled out.
√ Make sure the bathroom doors are always left open when not in use.
√ Make sure that nothing wet has been put into the laundry baskets. These things should be hung up first to dry.
√ To make it easier for the next guest it is important you sort the dirty laundry and fold and put away dry laundry in the appropriate labeled shelves.
√ Take out the trash and recyclables and make sure to leave the trash area behind in a clean state.
√ Take photos of how you leave the place nice and clean and send us, including photos of your room and, if accessible, the tatami living room. We also welcome any photos you would like to share with us and our potential guests from you and the surrounding areas.
◄ Be clear about our categories ► so you do not inadvertently book an inappropriate category.
We have a Parking Place category for people who sleep in their own cold camper van - well what do they expect in Iceland. For these people, they can use the house facilities but there is NO sleeping place inside included. For them having a kitchen and proper bathrooms is great.
If you booked our Backpackers or other no-linen indicated category, then linen and comforters (duvets / quilts) are NOT included. Using duvets or quilts without covers is strictly forbidden. You may be able to find some blankets in the middle bottom shelf in the cupboard in the long corridor. You may use our pillows (change the cover before departure) and you should always have a mattress protector, but not a sheet.
If you booked a shared room, be prepared to SHARE even though you think you have maxed out the number of beds in the given category.
If you booked categories that have small double beds, be prepared to share such a bed with your co-traveler.
Irrespective of what you are booking now, please keep in mind our “helper” also called “community” categories. People who book these categories are not just expected to do a bit more, but a lot more, to make sure everything is in good order in the house and to help us with world-bettering projects. This might be ideal for people who want to save some money, for people who want a change of environment, to stay longer, to have a home office or who want to take a break before, in between or after their careers. Also for people staying a short time, if they are prepared to use part of that time to help us and the world. Examples of how to help include deep cleaning, sharing photos and videos, doing translations and putting us in contact with influential people and generally spreading the word about what we are doing and how your friends and acquaintances can possibly help us help the world. You must really help us out by making sure the place is presentable and help with our projects. You must show the initiative to communicate and help. It is not much help if we have to beg you to contribute. It is no help if we have to exert more effort in getting help from you than the value of the help you give. So if you do not show initiative, do not expect us to waste our time on you - it would be counter intuitive if we did. Do not abuse our trust in you.
◄ Our Opinion ►
We recommend slow food and slow travel in Iceland. Fast food is rather expensive in Iceland but gourmet restaurants are not expensive compared to gourmet restaurants in other places in the world. We personally think that fast travel is a waste of people's time and that the environmental costs are too high. We are not quite on the same wavelength as people who stay in a fishing village without ever visiting the harbor or who have a problem with the coexistence of birds and instead focus on whether there is a spec of dust underneath a bed or something like that. We think that the most attractive thing about Iceland is the abundance of accessible nature and it is therefore counter-intuitive to only visit the most frequented tourist spots. Isn’t it more special to have a waterfall, coastline or whatever all to yourself or to share it with just a few people at a time rather than concentrate on the crowded places. Crowds you can find and often can not avoid in other countries.
We recommend eating Icelandic fish (you may be able to get it directly from our harbor) and lamb meat and also for those that care about animal welfare as these are raised entirely in the wild. You might also like Skyr, Súrmjólk and the unique Icelandic milk (Nýmjólk) which is made by natural cows as opposed to the overbred cow breeds used elsewhere, where the utters are so big that the cows can barely walk. Also the somewhat badly tasting Lýsi (fish liver oil), which for Icelanders represents the sun in a bottle. Rye bread (rúgbrauð) and marinated herring are also nice but not together as they are way too sweet.
◄ Sustainability ►
In addition to campaigning for real impact with our Biodiversity.Vision campaign, we encourage people to make use of our place with sustainability in mind. We encourage people to use facilities that have multiple uses like our house, that serves people who volunteer and/or who are able to live there during low season. Places that are not in high demand and thus not competing with normal residential properties in the bigger towns and cities. But at the same time, not to forget the older-style hotels that are having a tough time competing with the conveniences like fully equipped kitchens that places like ours offer. On the contrary, avoid newly built hotels which stand empty for most of the year and tend to lead to isolation from the rest of the community. Please also value our efforts towards recycling, energy consciousness (e.g. by not using the dryer) and superior detergents (the detergent we use is not used by any other establishment in Iceland for laundry but rather to keep the cows teats hygienic.)
◄ About us and our projects ►
We are an open-minded multinational family who has lived in Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, Scotland, the United States and Germany. We are turning two of our places into centers to better the world. As we get further in the year. Our world-bettering topics are biodiversity.vision; a communication campaign for the Ukraine; against misappropriation of resources; education for all and a better future. By staying here, you will be enabling us to do more for the world.
These are big communication campaigns which we need a lot of support for. If you are interested in helping in one way or another, please let us know.
◄ Moreover ►
Imagine living in a small fishing village, but still have opportunities to socialize, access to free public transport*, hike and bike trails (both tarmacked - an Iceland countryside first - and rougher ones), untrailed walking possibilities including the coast with possible whale watching opportunities, access to essential services, great restaurants*, coffee places*, swimming pools with hot tubs*, the Snaefellsjokull national park, maritime museum and a cultural center and bar.
We searched everywhere in Iceland and found this fantastic place and we want to share it with other people who would truly appreciate it. But we are not always there. We might be at our other fantastic place in the mountains of Switzerland, Alp.Casa - Oberaegeri, Switzerland. You can look it up and also find our other categories here in Rif, Iceland here on Airbnb.
Because we are not always on location ourselves (and even if we were), we need your cooperation in making the place ready for the next guests before you leave, as well as your understanding when someone doesn't quite do it right. This means cleaning before you leave and leave the kitchen and bathrooms etc., spot free, put on or empty the dishwasher and put things in their right places. If you used a bed that had linen and you rolled it up to store, then put it back on or change the linen, if linen was included. The place has to be ready for the next guests. It is also important to take the garbage out into the main garbage bin next to the garage with the dark lid, and the recyclables into the bin with the green lid. We are expecting the authorities to add a special container for bio/veggie trash; until then you can put it into the compost area behind the garage/greenhouse or into the bin for regular trash. Rinsed drinking containers, cans and bottles should be put in the labeled containers in the kitchen. Please do not despair. Recycling is just a prerequisite to living in a modern world.
Another important rule is to respect other guests that are there, including those in your own group. You must take off your shoes when entering the house and especially respect the rule of no shoes, food or drink in the tatami areas.
◄ The tatami room ► unique in Iceland
A tatami room is called Washitsu in Japan. Given the Mt Fuji lookalike scenery, we thought it would be appropriate to make this kind of dual use, Japanese style room. We made this room with our very own style so one could say it is a Nordic / Scandinavian adaptation of the tatami room concept. We covered the entire living room with the Tatamis that we specially ordered (the stores in Iceland did not even know what a Tatami is) directly ourselves from Asia and shipped with what used to be the largest container ship in the world. But instead of getting the cheapest Tatamis we got a premium type with an interior made of linen and coconut shells (about 20 000 of them) - the kind of stuff that is normally used for the interior of futons. This makes it very comfortable to walk on and even sleep on with an extra topper. Has the feel but not the look of a fitness room. Then we adapted and created low sofas and chairs. Not the typical uncomfortable ones but really comfortable and flexible ones, with movable backs and wide enough to sit on both sides to enjoy the Mt-Fuji like view in one direction and the midnight sun distant Artic Ocean view in the other direction. Which also gives the possibility of watching out for the Northern Lights on both sides of the house, in winter or anytime it gets dark. For a house in a village it is very unusual to have unrestricted nature views both in front and back of the house, so enjoy it. The sofas make up an ultra modern comfortable living space, where you can sit how you like, with bent legs, stretched legs, crossed legs and as close or as far as you like from other people you may be sharing the area with. To add to the atmosphere, we decorated the place with Japanese Shoji-style Ando lamps with premium paper but instead of just having the traditional white light, you can choose and dim the colors with a remote control. To give those that are sleeping there a bit more privacy, we provide moveable Shoji-style tall paravents.
Please note that your group might be staying in one or more of our tiny rooms or sharing our tatami living room with another group. Or a group might have exclusive access to this room especially at night - depending on what you booked, this might be your group or another group, in which case it would restrict your access. When there is enough space, we recommend people sleep in the rooms and just use the tatami living room as a living room. For larger groups, the tatami living room may be the best choice.
Like a Japanese tatami room, the room is dual use. But unlike the Japanese version where you need to roll up some futons during the day and which might be a bit too hard to sleep on at night, our sofas are comfortable to both sit and sleep on. For backpackers, we expect them to have their own sleeping bags. Hence, linen is not provided for them. If you paid for linen and comforters, you can find these underneath the sofas. Extra blankets you will find in the cupboard in the long corridor. The mattress protectors can also be found underneath the sofas; these should always be used for sleeping. To top it off, our low sofas should be used with toppers that should be placed on top of the sofas to further protect the sofas and to provide an even more comfortable sleep when available. These toppers are folded into chairs or low sofas when not used for sleeping. These toppers can also be used as extra sleeping surfaces. There are more toppers and mattresses, some of which can be borrowed from Room 3. It is possible to carefully reposition the sofas as you like, making sure not to damage the tatami floor. Please remember to put everything in its place the way it was before you go.
There is at least one video camera turned to cover the outside areas. As in any establishment, it is illegal to tamper with it in any way.
The moveable paravents can be used for privacy in the living area.
We seek guests that are into slow travel and healthy living.
◄ The Park ►
Snaefellsjokull, the Mt. Fuji lookalike volcano and glacier, is often referred to as being a mythical power source. This volcano’s last eruption occurred 2200 years ago. Snaefellsjokull was featured in the epic novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. What makes our viewpoint of the volcano more spectacular is that from our angle, you can see the outlines of the caldera. The lakes in front of the house, the little islands and the distant waterfalls add to the magic. The National Park’s raison d’etre is this volcano mountain, that is referred to as the king of Icelandic mountains whereas some people like to refer to it as one of the 7 mystical power centers of Planet Earth. The National Park whose size is over 180 km2 has other things of interest: caves, abandoned settlements - including the oldest fishing artifacts found in any of the Nordic countries; lighthouses, bird-cliffs, strange rock formations, a drive-in volcano, rich geological environment, rocky beaches and black and white sand beaches.
If you want to enjoy the view of the volcano, the midnight sun or the northern lights, longer stays are recommended as it is all weather dependent. Staying longer is also likely to give you a better feeling of what Iceland is truly about. The pristine nature, the unpredictable weather, the possibilities of taking a walk on the beach where there is nobody else, etc. Another benefit from staying longer is not having to be packing and unpacking all the time.
◄ Other Points ►
Walk to the harbor and get fresh fish from the local fishermen, they will often give it to you for free, put it in the oven for ca. 20 minutes and don't overcook it. Walk to the ocean by just going straight where the street bends, sit on the rocks and watch the birds drift by and if you are lucky, a seal's head will pop up, or a whale will jump up or blow. Walk to the waterfalls or the next village of Hellissandur and see all the murals. Or join the locals and/or other tourists at the Freezer watering hole, to hang out or for an event. Explore the National Park - a service center has just been built in Hellissandur which is within walking distance. Relax for an entire afternoon in the hot pots at Lysuholl or in one of the towns. Visit some really good restaurants, cafes or museums (there is a seafarer maritime museum in Hellissandur), or take a look at their tiny forest. It is not easy to let trees grow next to where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Arctic Ocean. This is like visiting the end of the world.
The place is not only a place to be for a nature lover like yourself but it is a place to where the Arctic tern makes a 30-40 000 kilometer round trip, every year, for its entire life of more than 30 years. We are in the middle of this biggest European Arctic tern colony. It is incredible to watch the tern feed its young, possibly next to where you park your car and the anticipation in the air when they are preparing as a group for the 15 000 Km plus journey in August. Something that can not really be described in words.
This is also the home or summer home for countless other birds and fish. Where the cold Arctic Ocean currents meet the warm Gulf of Mexico Atlantic Gulf Stream is where you have the richest fish environment in the world. So naturally some seals, whales and orcas like to hang out there, too.
Other things of interest on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula are Búðir, Hellnar, Arnarstapi, the picturesque mountain Kirkjufell, especially where seen from the waterfall and the islet Holmurinn in Stykkisholmur. It is possible to make roundtrips using a different way back to many of these places. There are two main routes over the mountain passes with tarmacked roads suitable for normal cars most of the year and a route that takes you around the peninsula. There are also mountain roads (might be classified as F roads) that take you closer to the glacier.
We are exactly 200 km by road from Reykjavik. You might arrive by a normal car, via skateboard, by hitch hiking or with a normal bus (see Straeto) which stops less than 100 meters away from our house.
Please only book if you are comfortable with this being Self Service and if our above description appeals to you.
We also look for volunteers of any age who would like to stay for a few days or longer and help us out, especially with our Charitable.Institute projects such as Biodiversity.Vision
To let us know that you have read this long description please include the phrase “read the full description”.
* The free public transport is available throughout the year in the afternoon on weekdays, including two evenings per week. Sometimes there is a break in the free bus schedule because of drivers' holidays. Some of the coffee places and restaurants are only available during high summer. Many of the services are in the towns close by, these are within walkable distance, just a few minutes by car.
See my guidebooks on my airbnb profile for further information especially about transport.
Check-in instructions should be accessible sometime as a tab in airbnb before arrival and to be sent to you automatically on the day of arrival.
Schedule for the Free Bus that runs every working day Mon to Friday:
(There is also a paid bus that runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with a connection to Reykjavik and Keflavik). Please note that this schedule is subject to change. If it has changed please update us with a new schedule.
Hellissandur..…..Rif….............Ólafsvík
07:06………………..07:10……………..07:23….. Paid bus Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Reykjavik etc
07:39………………..07:43……………..07:56….. Paid bus Sundays to Reykjavik etc
07:55……......…….08:00…….......…08:10 Free bus, not on timetable to probably running, Weekdays
13:50……….….......13:55……......….14:05 Free bus, not on timetable to probably running, Weekdays
14:50……….......….14:55….....….….15:05 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
15:45………....…….15:55….............16:05 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
16:00………………..16:04……………….16:16….. Paid bus Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays to Reykjavik etc
16:50………..….…..16:55….….........17:05 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
17:50……….......…..17:55….....…....18:05 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
Ólafsvík….………...Rif…....Hellissandur
11:04………...……..11:17…..........….11:21 Paid bus Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from further away
14:20……...………..14:30…….......….14:35 Free bus, not on timetable to probably running on Weekdays
15:20………...……..15:30…..........….15:35 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
16:20…...……….….16:30….........…..16:35 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
17:20………....…....17:30.....…..……..17:35 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
18:20…………...…..18:30……........…18:35 Free bus, per timetable, Weekdays
20:08………...……..20:21…..........….20:25 Paid bus Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Sundays from further away
Plus evening buses that run only Mondays and Thursdays
Hellissandur..…..Rif….............Ólafsvík
19:30…….......…....19:35…......….….19:45 Free bus, per timetable on Mondays
20:45…..……........20:50…........…..21:00 Free bus, per timetable on Mondays and Thursdays
Ólafsvík….………...Rif…....Hellissandur
19:45……....…….….19:55……......…20:00 Free bus, per timetable on Mondays
21:00……....……..…21:10…….......….21:15 Free bus, per timetable on Mondays and Thursdays
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)
◄ Final Points ►
Life is not a list of “been there, done that'', posted on social media, but truly enjoying some places like our Snaefellsnes, a microverse of Iceland.
Please only book if you are comfortable with this being Self Service and with other conditions placed on the category you are booking and if our above description appeals to you.
We look for volunteers of any age who would like to stay for a few days or longer and help us out, especially with our Charitable.Institute projects such as Biodiversity.Vision
To let us know that you have read this long description please include the phrase “read the full description”.
► Further information can be found in the House manual (especially cleaning instructions), and other information provided on airbnb, the directions to our place, our neighborhood description, the getting around section, our guidebooks and other specific instructions that apply to the category you booked and by the written notices posted all over inside our house.
Check-in instructions should be accessible sometime as a tab in airbnb before arrival and should be sent to you automatically on the day of arrival. Checkout instructions will also be available.
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) Do you think you will like our place?
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Where you’ll be
Rif, Snæfellsbær, Iceland
You can choose to take different types of a holiday here, one that emphasizes nature, one that is based on enjoying the northern lights or midnight sun (when there is no midnight sun you have the opportunity to see the northern lights), one that is about hiking, one that focuses on birds (especially between mid May and mid August), one that is about exploring the Snaefellsnes peninsula and one that is simply about staying put and relaxing and enjoying the beautiful views or some kind of combination of two or more of these.
Our place is about living in a small fishing village embraced by nature and the Snaefellsjokull magical mystical Mt-Fuji like mountain, volcano, glacier. Our view of Snaefellsjokull is second to none. The view is weather dependent, so longer stays are recommended.
As an added bonus, you are looking over some ponds with an abundance of bird life there and on the other side of the house.
You can walk, jog or hike to the next village or town via a paved trail or walk over the meadows or rougher terrain, by the seafront, along the beaches, to the waterfalls or towards the Snaefellsjokull national park or mountain.
Bird watching vacation:
This place is second to none for bird watching in Iceland. We are in the middle of a bird breeding area. Within probably the biggest Arctic Tern breeding area in Iceland. It is amazing that these birds fly over 15-40 000 km to nest in Rif and that the birds hatched here are able to fly 15-30 000 km within a couple of months after being hatched.
The Arctic Tern is here from around mid May to mid August. The favorite flight path of the Arctic Tern is directly over our house and garden. There are around 400 eider ducks breeding on the pond next to the house, visible mainly in May and early June. Hundreds of Phalaropes can sometimes be seen on a pond nearby duing the summer.
Whale watching vacation:
There are organized whale watching tours from our nearby towns. However, often you can just walk to the end of our street, we recommend this especially if you see fishing ships, fishing close to the shore because then the whales tend to be there also. It is even possible to observe the whales from inside the house with the scope provided. We recommend having binoculars in hand and are exploring the possibility of providing some. In any case, it is nice to walk to the ocean and if you do not see a whale to observe the birds and possibly seals. We have observed various types of whales and even Orcas (Killer whales) by the hundreds. Other places to observe the whales are by the Svortuloft and Ondvarndarnes lighthouses at the end of the peninsula in spring and summer, or near Kolgrafarfjördur in winter.
Midnight sun vacation:
The midnight sun is simply the same sun seen at midnight. The difference is that when the sun hovers around the horizon for so long you have hours of beautiful sunsets and sunrises. In high winter, the little you see of the sun is also a beautiful sunrise and sunset, the difference is that it occurs around mid day. This kind of lighting is beloved for photography. In our case the midnight sun can be seen hovering around the intersection of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans and the far away mountains of the Westfjords.
Cycling vacation:
There are routes for regular bikes and mountain bikes, more easily accessible than elsewhere in Iceland.
Mountaineering vacation:
The peninsula is full of mountains. Some of our guests have particularly enjoyed ascending Snaefellsjokull.
Hiking vacation:
For hikers, there is a lot of beautiful landscape to explore.
Healthy living vacation:
We encourage our guests and helpers to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. We hope you will do too.
Home office change of scenery; get away from it all vacation; sabbatical; year off; interim year type of stays:
There is something special about staying in the middle of nowhere at a place that is exposed to the weather elements at the edge of the habitable world. When staying at such a place, you still want to have the possibility of a little bit of art, culture and entertainment. Our place is perfect for this. People have stayed with us for weeks and for months and when leaving, they have realized how deeply they are going to miss this place.
Spa holiday: Although we do not have our own spa, Iceland is perfect for a spa holiday. Almost every town or village has a swimming pool with hot and cold tubs and often a Finnish or steam sauna. There are also a multitude of hot water resorts being created all over Iceland, the entry to these places tend to be much more expensive though and there is none in our area, but one being planned. Our nearest pool is just 7 minutes drive away. It features an indoor swimming pool with 2 outdoor hot pots, 1 indoor hot pot, 1 cold pot, infrared cabinets and one Finnish sauna and is open from early morning until 9 pm, except on weekends from 10 am to 5 pm. There is also a pool about half an hour drive from our place called Lysuholslaug or Lysulaugar which features algae-rich water and two hot pots. It is open from 11 am to 9 pm from June to mid August and sometimes for shorter periods on weekends in winter. Why not explore the nature during the day and relax afterwards in one of those pools. No regular mixed saunas in Iceland are nude. We are looking for investors to join us in making a wellness area in the tradition of German and French speaking countries. If you are looking for nude watering holes, you might go skinny dipping in the natural hot springs; there is a hot spring area halfway between our place and Reykjavik, featuring two hot pots. Or stay at our other place, Alp Casa in Oberaegeri, Switzerland.
Winter vacation: The Northern Lights provide a unique reason to visit our place in winter. But most of what you find in Iceland during the summer is still there in winter and due to our mild winter climate powered by the warm ocean currents from the Gulf of Mexico, you can enjoy Iceland in winter. Of course, the amount of daylight / twilight is reduced to about 9 hours per day. Compare that to 11 hours in winter in mid Europe and you will realize there is not that much difference. But compared to 0 hours in northern Norway and the 24 hour light outside during Iceland's summer that is a huge difference. The weather in south and western Iceland is comparable to the weather in Hamburg, Germany in high winter. Although it does not get very cold, usually hovering about the 0 degrees celsius mark and remaining in plus or minus single digits, there can be real snow storms. Often there is no snow, but when you have snow drift combined with strong winds you have a snow storm to awe. This is part of the experience of being in Iceland in winter. We recommend longer stays so that you can both experience the mild weather and some more extreme weather. In winter some tourist services are restricted, some restaurants are closed, some touring routes are not offered etc. But most of those things do not make that much of a difference. You can still find a regular restaurant (7 minute drive) and a gourmet restaurant (within a 30 minute drive). If it snows, the road is cleared regularly, so no need for a jeep or 4 wheel drive, but good tires and driving carefully and according to the conditions is recommended. Having snow chains and a flat shovel in the car is not a bad idea. Be careful if you intend to drive off the beaten track.
You do not have to eat at restaurants as you are very welcome to use the kitchen, provided you clean up thoroughly after yourself. You can find a quick convenience store in the next village of Hellissandur (about half an hour walk) and a bigger store in Olafsvik, called Kassinn.
More stores and cheap grocery stores you will find in Stykkisholmur and in Borgarnes on the way from Reykjavik.
Malls you will find in Reykjavik.
We could go on to describe more of our extended neighborhood, but we will let this suffice for now. However you can always ask us for more information.
Our place is about living in a small fishing village embraced by nature and the Snaefellsjokull magical mystical Mt-Fuji like mountain, volcano, glacier. Our view of Snaefellsjokull is second to none. The view is weather dependent, so longer stays are recommended.
As an added bonus, you are looking over some ponds with an abundance of bird life there and on the other side of the house.
You can walk, jog or hike to the next village or town via a paved trail or walk over the meadows or rougher terrain, by the seafront, along the beaches, to the waterfalls or towards the Snaefellsjokull national park or mountain.
Bird watching vacation:
This place is second to none for bird watching in Iceland. We are in the middle of a bird breeding area. Within probably the biggest Arctic Tern breeding area in Iceland. It is amazing that these birds fly over 15-40 000 km to nest in Rif and that the birds hatched here are able to fly 15-30 000 km within a couple of months after being hatched.
The Arctic Tern is here from around mid May to mid August. The favorite flight path of the Arctic Tern is directly over our house and garden. There are around 400 eider ducks breeding on the pond next to the house, visible mainly in May and early June. Hundreds of Phalaropes can sometimes be seen on a pond nearby duing the summer.
Whale watching vacation:
There are organized whale watching tours from our nearby towns. However, often you can just walk to the end of our street, we recommend this especially if you see fishing ships, fishing close to the shore because then the whales tend to be there also. It is even possible to observe the whales from inside the house with the scope provided. We recommend having binoculars in hand and are exploring the possibility of providing some. In any case, it is nice to walk to the ocean and if you do not see a whale to observe the birds and possibly seals. We have observed various types of whales and even Orcas (Killer whales) by the hundreds. Other places to observe the whales are by the Svortuloft and Ondvarndarnes lighthouses at the end of the peninsula in spring and summer, or near Kolgrafarfjördur in winter.
Midnight sun vacation:
The midnight sun is simply the same sun seen at midnight. The difference is that when the sun hovers around the horizon for so long you have hours of beautiful sunsets and sunrises. In high winter, the little you see of the sun is also a beautiful sunrise and sunset, the difference is that it occurs around mid day. This kind of lighting is beloved for photography. In our case the midnight sun can be seen hovering around the intersection of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans and the far away mountains of the Westfjords.
Cycling vacation:
There are routes for regular bikes and mountain bikes, more easily accessible than elsewhere in Iceland.
Mountaineering vacation:
The peninsula is full of mountains. Some of our guests have particularly enjoyed ascending Snaefellsjokull.
Hiking vacation:
For hikers, there is a lot of beautiful landscape to explore.
Healthy living vacation:
We encourage our guests and helpers to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. We hope you will do too.
Home office change of scenery; get away from it all vacation; sabbatical; year off; interim year type of stays:
There is something special about staying in the middle of nowhere at a place that is exposed to the weather elements at the edge of the habitable world. When staying at such a place, you still want to have the possibility of a little bit of art, culture and entertainment. Our place is perfect for this. People have stayed with us for weeks and for months and when leaving, they have realized how deeply they are going to miss this place.
Spa holiday: Although we do not have our own spa, Iceland is perfect for a spa holiday. Almost every town or village has a swimming pool with hot and cold tubs and often a Finnish or steam sauna. There are also a multitude of hot water resorts being created all over Iceland, the entry to these places tend to be much more expensive though and there is none in our area, but one being planned. Our nearest pool is just 7 minutes drive away. It features an indoor swimming pool with 2 outdoor hot pots, 1 indoor hot pot, 1 cold pot, infrared cabinets and one Finnish sauna and is open from early morning until 9 pm, except on weekends from 10 am to 5 pm. There is also a pool about half an hour drive from our place called Lysuholslaug or Lysulaugar which features algae-rich water and two hot pots. It is open from 11 am to 9 pm from June to mid August and sometimes for shorter periods on weekends in winter. Why not explore the nature during the day and relax afterwards in one of those pools. No regular mixed saunas in Iceland are nude. We are looking for investors to join us in making a wellness area in the tradition of German and French speaking countries. If you are looking for nude watering holes, you might go skinny dipping in the natural hot springs; there is a hot spring area halfway between our place and Reykjavik, featuring two hot pots. Or stay at our other place, Alp Casa in Oberaegeri, Switzerland.
Winter vacation: The Northern Lights provide a unique reason to visit our place in winter. But most of what you find in Iceland during the summer is still there in winter and due to our mild winter climate powered by the warm ocean currents from the Gulf of Mexico, you can enjoy Iceland in winter. Of course, the amount of daylight / twilight is reduced to about 9 hours per day. Compare that to 11 hours in winter in mid Europe and you will realize there is not that much difference. But compared to 0 hours in northern Norway and the 24 hour light outside during Iceland's summer that is a huge difference. The weather in south and western Iceland is comparable to the weather in Hamburg, Germany in high winter. Although it does not get very cold, usually hovering about the 0 degrees celsius mark and remaining in plus or minus single digits, there can be real snow storms. Often there is no snow, but when you have snow drift combined with strong winds you have a snow storm to awe. This is part of the experience of being in Iceland in winter. We recommend longer stays so that you can both experience the mild weather and some more extreme weather. In winter some tourist services are restricted, some restaurants are closed, some touring routes are not offered etc. But most of those things do not make that much of a difference. You can still find a regular restaurant (7 minute drive) and a gourmet restaurant (within a 30 minute drive). If it snows, the road is cleared regularly, so no need for a jeep or 4 wheel drive, but good tires and driving carefully and according to the conditions is recommended. Having snow chains and a flat shovel in the car is not a bad idea. Be careful if you intend to drive off the beaten track.
You do not have to eat at restaurants as you are very welcome to use the kitchen, provided you clean up thoroughly after yourself. You can find a quick convenience store in the next village of Hellissandur (about half an hour walk) and a bigger store in Olafsvik, called Kassinn.
More stores and cheap grocery stores you will find in Stykkisholmur and in Borgarnes on the way from Reykjavik.
Malls you will find in Reykjavik.
We could go on to describe more of our extended neighborhood, but we will let this suffice for now. However you can always ask us for more information.
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Flexible check-in
Checkout before 3:00 PM
5 guests maximum
Safety & property
Exterior security cameras on property
Pool/hot tub without a gate or lock
Nearby lake, river, other body of water