Iceland isn’t all Reykjavik and geysers, by hiring a car you can get out of the well trodden golden circle and explore more of what this place has to offer. We did exactly that, heading north to Stykkisholmur on the Snaefellsness Penisular. This sweet little town has a collection of old houses, some of which are lived in, others have been turned into restaurants or museums. Featured in the film Walter Mitty, the place has seen an increase in tourists, yet on a sunny November day, it still feels kinda sleepy.

On the hill overlooking the town is Stykkishólmskirkja, a large white Church which dominates the landscape. Throughout Iceland you find all sorts of Church buildings, each one unique; this one looks decidedly Lord of the Rings like. After a rainy walk around the town, we decided to visit the Volcano Museum, which houses a range of volcano related artwork from around the world as well as information on Icelands volcanic history. The guy working there was incredibly knowledgeable, was friendly and had great English, so it was a very educational trip!

Interestingly, we watched a film there about Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that closed much of Europes airspace in 2010. It appears that the real problem for the Icelanders was not the ash, rather the flood waters caused by the melting of a glacier on top of the volcano. The situation was so bad that large sections of the main ring Road had to be cut out, in order to try and save the bridges from being washed away in the torrents of water. It struck me that all the news I heard about the eruption was to do with the ash (being in the UK), as that was what appeared to effect us, however there was a much bigger story for the people of Iceland that was not broadcast abroad. Until you go somewhere, you don’t really know what it is like or what the people are facing, only  what your media chooses to share.

The next day we went on a boat trip to explore some of the nearby islands in the bay, with an operator called Viking Sushi. Their boat clearly hosts large numbers, but we were fortunate in being in a group of only 12 people. Stykkisholmur Bay has hundreds of islands, each with its own story about how it got there (mainly to do with trolls!). The captain provided an interesting commantary and pointed out the white eagle, which is apparently very rare in Iceland.

A highlight of the trip is when they lower their nets and haul in a range of shellfish, crabs and sea urchins. The more adventurous of the group tucked into fresh scallops and the weird orange insides of sea urchins; whilst I looked on with a horrified fascination. I just couldn’t quite bring myself to partake.

Heading back to the harbour, you get a great view of the town, with the snow-capped mountains behind.  Once off the boat, head to Skurinn for a milkshake, it won’t warm you up, but tastes amazing!

Www.instagram.com/Luxuryexplorers