Stays in Búðardalur
Búðardalur is the small service village of the Dalir district in West Iceland, sitting at the head of Hvammsfjörður on Route 60. It is the base for visiting Eiríksstaðir, the reconstructed farm linked to Erik the Red, and for driving on toward the Westfjords.
Where to stay in Búðardalur comes down to a short list of family farms, beachfront homestays and a hostel built from stacked capsules, all clustered around a village of a few hundred people at the head of Hvammsfjörður. Búðardalur is the last real service stop before Route 60 climbs north toward the Westfjords, and it sits close enough to Eiríksstaðir, the reconstructed Viking-age farm tied to Erik the Red, that most visitors build a night here around that one detour. Route 1, the Ring Road, is roughly forty minutes east by car. Travellers passing through for one night and families settling in for two or three both find a bed here, from working sheep farms to a beachfront hot tub.
Búðardalur in numbers
CoastalMystic Light Lodge
Ring RoadStóra-Vatnshorn
CouplesSpace capsule Hostel Árblik by Welcome Iceland
CoastalThe Castle
FamilySeljaland ferðaþjónusta
CouplesDalía
FamilyDalakot Búdardal
FamilyGil guesthouse
CouplesBúdardalur glamping
What to expect
- Village at the head of Hvammsfjörður on Route 60
- Eiríksstaðir Viking-age farm a short drive away
- Route 1 Ring Road about 40 minutes east
- Working sheep and horse farms renting rooms
- A beachfront homestay with a hot tub
- Best reached by car, no local rental counter
Local tips
- Fill the tank before leaving Route 1, Búðardalur has the only fuel pumps for a long stretch of Route 60 in either direction.
- Book Eiríksstaðir's opening hours before arriving, the reconstructed farm keeps a seasonal summer schedule and closes outside it.
- Pack a torch for winter, street lighting thins out fast once you leave the village centre for the farm stays.
- Ask each farm stay directly about kitchen access, several rent holiday houses with full kitchens rather than serving meals.
- Choose a beachfront room over Hvammsfjörður if aurora watching matters, the open water horizon keeps the sky clear to the north.
- Budget an extra forty minutes if you are also stopping at Route 1 near Bifröst on the way in or out.
Where to stay
Frequently asked questions
What neighborhoods are best for staying in Búðardalur?
Búðardalur is small enough that there is really one base, the village itself around the harbour, with a handful of farm stays scattered along Route 60 within fifteen to twenty kilometres. Choose the village for walkable access to the church and shop, or a farm stay for quiet and better night skies.
What types of accommodation are available in Búðardalur?
Options range from a family-run bed and breakfast and a guesthouse with a restaurant to a capsule hostel, a glamping site and working farms renting holiday houses with private kitchens. Most rooms are simple rather than luxurious, and several properties are working farms first and accommodation second.
When is the best time to visit Búðardalur?
Summer, from June to August, keeps Route 60 clear and the Eiríksstaðir farm open on its full schedule, with near-endless daylight for driving on to the Westfjords. Winter visits are possible but call ahead, since road conditions on Route 60 change fast and some farm stays scale back.
Where can I stay near Eiríksstaðir in Búðardalur?
Stóra-Vatnshorn sits five hundred metres from the reconstructed Eiríksstaðir farm and rents holiday houses on its own working sheep and horse farm. Dalakot Búdardal in the village is a further fifteen kilometres out, a workable base if the closest farm stay is full.
Is Búðardalur a good stop on the Ring Road?
Búðardalur sits about forty minutes off Route 1 itself, on Route 60 toward the Westfjords, so it works better as a deliberate detour than a Ring Road overnight. Visitors combine it with Eiríksstaðir and a night before continuing north rather than passing straight through.
Where do I fill up on fuel and groceries in Búðardalur?
The village centre has the fuel station and the only real supermarket for a long stretch of Route 60 in both directions, so it is worth stocking up here before heading further into Dalir or toward the Westfjords for the day.