501 Hvalvík - Leynavatn - Goturshálsur - Hvalvík

A beautiful and challenging route which begins and ends in Hvalvík. On this hike you will see breath-taking mountains, lakes and valleys

From Hvalvík, follow the new path that starts by the Mission House in Hvalvík. Walk out through the village gate and up along the little house (hay barn). Continue up along the river Myllá until you surpass the upper stone wall. Then turn slightly left in a straight south direction and go diagonally uphill to the first cairn at an altitude of 145 metres.

Continue towards Leynavatn
The path from Hvalvík towards Leynavatn is a wonderful and tranquil path. The long walk in the peaceful environment, where only a few birds break the silence, is balm to the soul. The hike up through the gorge to the pass Húsadalsskarð is challenging and a bit of an adventure. Having ascended the steep hill and reaching the pass, you enter a magnificent wide valley through which the path meanders down along the east side of the river, and later down along the west riverbank. Along the path just above Djúpagil, you will see some lovely columnar basalt in the river.

Continue up to Goturshálsur
As we approach the cultivated area over the large lake Leynavatn, we pass a large sheepfold located by the river Ærgisá. On the other side of the river Dalá in the cozy surroundings just below the great gorge, you will see the two-star Michelin restaurant Koks. Here we turn upwards along the river Ærgisá, which we cross again to go up the northern riverbank towards Vestmanna.

With a lovely view of the valley, continue the path up along the river and later along the cairns, which stand at close intervals, until you reach the wide pass at Goturshálsur. Here you will pass the route that goes from Kvívík to Hvalvík. Be careful to keep track on which route is which. Turn north and follow the cairns along the path to Hvalvík. While walking along the east side of the large dam keep right and follow the cairns down the pass at Hvalvíksskarð.

This dam at Mýrarnar was one of the first dams built by SEV in the early 1960s. There is also a small private windmill park.

There is a curious tale from the mountain Loysingafjall on the west side of the dam. The story is about a girl from Vestmanna who disappeared from the town and could not be found. The next day, a shepherd found her high up on Loysingafjall. She said that a man in white clothes had led her by the hand and fed her. No one knew this man.

As you continue down Hvalvíksskarð, you enter a cairn that is stacked on a large stone called Kellingarsteinur. But just before that, the village path from Vestmanna joins the route down to Hvalvík. Be careful to keep track of which route is which. Continue along the same side of the mountain slope along Kellingarsteinur and afterwards down along Hvalvíksgjógv and finally down the north side of Myllá, down along the small house and in through the village gate which leads down to the same place where you started.