Stafafell Hostel

Each window looks out on something different, from mountains and fields to rocky hills. The cottage’s old-fashioned furniture gives it a time-worn feel, and its hillside setting makes the northern lights easy to watch when they’re visible. It’s in the middle of nowhere, and that isolation sets the mood as soon as you arrive. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a comfortable home after a day out in nature.

At night, the yellow cottage feels completely alone in the middle of nowhere, which makes for amazing aurora views if conditions cooperate and keeps out light pollution. That isolation could feel overwhelming if you’re uneasy being alone. The rooms have curtains, but the entrance and kitchen don’t, and at night you can’t see anything outside unless there’s moonlight or auroras. Keep that in mind if you’re coming with kids sleeping in the other room. We woke to lambs around our field. We booked the yellow cottage, a house of its own, about 100 meters from two other cottages. The cottages are spaced well apart. Some seem to be beside a graveyard, but this one is relatively far away. It has two bedrooms with two beds each, a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and receiving room, so it’s fairly big. The bedrooms are far from each other, and the beds in the second room are bunk beds. There are two or three steps to get inside. The house has a TV, a good hairdryer, heaters throughout, internet, a microwave, a kitchen, a fridge, pans, dishes, and cooking supplies. The materials look cheap, but I had no issues with anything. The reception is at the house Google points to, which seems to be the owner’s home. There were some old cars there. The doorbell didn’t work, so knock or call him, not WhatsApp. Online bookings don’t charge you up front. Pay there, and you can use a card. I’ll post some photos so you can see it. Enjoy the place.

The location of these cottages is beautiful, and the whole stay was very pleasant. Inside, the decor is a little dated, but once the wall heaters warm the place up, it feels cozy. The pillows were really hard and a bit uncomfortable. We couldn’t see the northern lights because of clouds and heavy rain, though I can imagine the view must be stunning on a sunny day.

The owner was very friendly and accommodating. We arrived a little late, but he was still there to show us where our cottage was. Sheep greeted us on arrival, and the hilltop setting was calm and peaceful. The living room was spacious, while the two bedrooms were a bit small. The beds were very comfortable. The shower drain was a little slow.