Around Iceland 2015: Árborg

Iceland’s national newspaper Morgunblaðið is on a six-week 2015 tour of Iceland!

The paper’s journalists and photographers will be bringing us news and images of everyday life, culture, business, nature, education, services and more from the four corners of the land. Today’s destination: Árborg.

Árborg

Árborg is the biggest municipality in South Iceland and was founded in 1998. The biggest town in the municipality is Selfoss, an important service centre for the region with a population of 6,880. The area boasts impressive mountain views and a magnificent coastline.

Arctic Wings offers tourists and locals various types of sightseeing flight over South Iceland, flying out of Selfoss Airport. They currently operate two aircraft with 2-4 more entering service by next summer. They began operations just this year.

Selfoss is set to get a brand-new town, featuring hotels, restaurants, cafés, bakeries and more. The project – in private hands – is estimated to cost ISK 3 billion (approx. €20.8 million) and is expected to be fully completed by 2017.

In many parts of the Árborg countryside, traditional agriculture is making way for horse-rearing. The vast, well-vegetated fields in the area are perfect for grazing horses and some farmers have built large horse-riding facilities.

Árborg has received a large tourism grant to develop the Knarrarósviti lighthouse (near the coastal town of Stokkseyri) for tourists. Built in 1938-39 in reinforced concrete, it is one of the highest buildings in South Iceland and offers wonderful sea and mountain views of the region.

Check out Iceland Monitor for Morgunblaðið ’s next destination in Around Iceland 2015: Reykjanesbær.