Simbahöllin
Coffeehouse, horse rental, bike rental.
Simbahollin is a restored grocery shop, originally built in 1915. Now it houses a cozy coffee house and cultural venue. We serve quality coffee and espresso drinks, homemade cakes and food made with local ingredients, and of course our famous Belgian waffles with rhubarb jam.
HORSE RENTAL:
During summer we offer visitors daily tours through the valleys of the ‘Westfjord Alps’ near Þingeyri, crossing rivers and heading out towards the black sand beaches along the fjord. Horse riding is an intimate way of experiencing raw Icelandic nature, and getting off the beaten track into the middle of some of the Westfjord´s most breathtaking scenery.
During the summer season we have two standard Sanda River Riding tours at 10:00 and 13:00, and the Valley to Sea tour at 13:30. Please see below for details on the two summer tour options. If possible, kindly book a day in advance.
From September to December our horses live wild in the valley, but the rest of the year we are open for custom tours upon request.
BIKE RENTAL:
Biking can be a wonderful way to explore the Westfjords at your own pace and experience the nature and terrain in Iceland. We offer professional mountain bikes for rent on a full- or half-day basis. Just outside Þingeyri there are a number of routes for riders of all experience levels.
Prices For Bike Rental:
Whole day (10am – 10pm): 10.000 ISK
Half day (after 1pm): 7.500 ISK
Included: bike, helmet, repair kit and a map. Pickup in the coffee house.
If possible, kindly book a day in advance.
Riding Routes:
For experienced riders, the legendary Svalvogar route is a circle around a peninsula leading from Dýrafjorður into the next fjord, Arnarfjorður. One part is carved directly out of the steep rocks, other parts follow the shores so closely that you have to be aware of the changing tides. It’s a whole day activity that takes you through breathtaking scenery, impassable by regular cars and best experienced on a mountain bike. Keep in mind that the route can be extremely challenging; the full loop takes riders over rough terrain and over the Kaldbakur mountain pass.
The 49 km can be done in 8 hours (for experienced riders).
For those who are up for a bit of a challenge but don´t want to scale the mountain pass, biking out to the lighthouse at the end of the peninsula and back is a great option. The round-trip ride typically takes about 4 hours.
Other more leisurely rides include cycling down to the waterfall at the bottom of the fjord and circling back along the other side. The route is approximately 25km of flat road and takes about 4 hours.
Feel free to ask in the coffeehouse for more information about cycling routes.
Opening hours this summer: 10:00-18:00 every day.
We are also an artist residency in the winter time. For more info isit: www.westfjordsresidency.com