Samúel Jónsson's Art Museum

Top choice in The Westfjords


At the tip of the Arnarfjörður, local artist Samúel Jónsson lived out his remaining years at a remote farm in Selárdalur, and filled his days by creating a series of ‘naive’, cartoonlike sculptures. Visitors can peruse the surreal works: a flamboyant house, a circle of lions (created from a postcard Samúel saw of the Alhambra), an ornate church and Samúel’s home.

The 20km drive west from Bíldudalur along Rte 619 beside Arnarfjörður is absolutely magnificent. The tiny gravel track rims soaring mountains, lush pastured valleys and untouched beaches, and looks onto the churning fjord and incredible landscape on its northern side. Towards sunset and on partly cloudy days, the light shifts continually, and rainbows often form.


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