I was super giddy as we pulled into the parking lot to check into the Vogafjos Guesthouse out in the Lake Myvatn area. I had read so many amazing things about this place and was looking forward to my first ever farmhouse stay.
While we may not normally be B&B people, I’m always up for new experiences and after sleeping in the car for 3 days straight, I was looking for a warm room and a soft bed to relax in. Our breakneck pace was catching up to me and I felt as though I needed to be a bit pampered.
One of the first things you will notice is the distinct smell of cow when you open your car door to get out. No worries though – the cabins are nowhere near the barn. These moo-y babies bring you what I think is the most unique thing about this property – fresh milk and cheese every morning. Not only are you seeing the cows at pasture but you can see with your own eyes that they are being treated humanely and responsibly. Not to mention, their breakfast near the barn in the morning is DELISH!
We were handed the keys to our cabin and were super excited about the kitschy “log cabin” style decor. I was a little concerned when I noticed there wasn’t a radiator but I quickly realized these were FANCY-like. The pipes are in the walls and in the floor to provide the full heating experience. We were experiencing one of the coldest Septembers to date and I expected to use them as much as possible.
The rooms are super simple and to the point. The blankets are warm and soft and the mattress lets you sink into it. It was VERY hard to get out of bed.
Don’t expect to come out here in the cradle of nature awesomeness and expect to watch TV. There simply aren’t any in the rooms. Hike your day away and spend the evening sipping on some beer with good ol’ conversation. It isn’t a bad thing to get some sleep in – the breakfast is from 7:30 to 9:30. You gotta get going while the gettin’ is good. The cheese is the first to disappear.
The only thing that was… interesting… couldn’t be helped. Due to the geothermal area that Myvatn is, the hot water in your shower is a bit sulfur-y (more than any other place we had been to in Iceland). When you leave your steamy shower out the door it smells like a volcano exploded inside the bathroom.
We did have a bit of an issue checking in (and I think that this was not the norm) with the person at reception being a bit short with us but that doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that the property itself is pretty darn amazing.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Disclosure: We were guests of Vogafjos Guesthouse however all opinions are our own.
Looks like a very homely place. Very good review.
Hey, thanks for this writeup. I was captivated by Vogafjos when I was there earlier this year (http://offbeateats.org/2012/09/vogafjos-cowshed-cafe-myvatn-iceland/), and I was wondering what their guest accomodations were like. Thanks… (off to plan my return trip…)
We wanted to stay there so much when we went to the Myvatn area, but the folks at Icelandic Farm Holidays told us there was no availability. But when we stopped by for hot cholocate (in an unusually frigid August) and to watch the milking, we found out that wasn’t the case. Glad you had a good stay.
OH BOO! That is so weird that they would lie to you – they are usually so nice. Were you there last August? We were in September and experienced record breaking cold and snow.