Sandur

The moment you walk in, the whole place feels warm and welcoming. The rooms each have their own character, and most have private bathrooms, though a few use an easily reached shared one. The owner and staff are friendly and helpful. It’s locally owned and operated, just steps from the harbor, with the sister restaurant Báran across the street. Kayak rentals are across the street too, and groceries and gas are just around the corner. A beautiful area to stay in, and definitely worth a visit.

Ník was very helpful with any questions we had while visiting Iceland. The bedroom and bathroom were clean and comfortable. He also owns Báran, the local restaurant across the street where breakfast is served. The food was always delicious, and he was happy to explain what he was serving.

The friendly sendoff and grand breakfast were a lovely end to our stay, even with sore muscles from kayaking. Dhirem and his team made us feel like friends from the moment we picked up our Sandur Guesthouse key at Báran. This combined visit to the guesthouse and restaurant was one of the highlights of our time in Iceland. We’d decided to take a quiet day in Þórshöfn after climbing Hengifoss in very stormy weather the day before, which had left us winded. The weather was still rough, so we stayed in and had an amazing lunch, one of the best meals of our trip. The Apfelstrudel was incredible, so get it if they’re serving it. We came back that evening for an even better dinner and dessert. After eating, we’d got our energy back and asked Dhirem whether kayaking in Þórshöfn bay was still possible. He thought we were crazy but went along with it, saying he’d charge us for the kayaks in the morning in case we changed our minds. Fifteen minutes later we were out on the stormy bay. When we brought the kayaks back, he joked that they’d seen us struggling. We had a good laugh and really felt among friends.

I had a private ensuite room, and it was super clean and cozy. The hostel was great, and David and Dorota were awesome, helpful staff during our stay. Thanks to Nik for making it possible!