Selatangar - Verstöð á Selatöngum, Iceland
N 63° 50.166 W 022° 14.248
27V E 439121 N 7079340
An old fishing station on the coast in Selatangar where you can see about 20 ruins of fishing huts, fish storage huts and stone walls.
Waymark Code: WM178W2
Location: Iceland
Date Posted: 01/04/2023
Views: 19
The ruins of fishing huts, fish storage huts and stone walls can be found at Selatangar. There are approximately 20 remains in the area, along with a number of stone walls. The settlement has been in use during the summer period from the Middle Ages until the end of the 19th century.
The huts have had an entrance towards the sea, with a long tunnel leading to a larger room. In the large room there is a fireplace and entrance to several small rooms with sleeping places. Up to 8 men have lived in such a hut.
Some of the huts have also been workshops, such as a blacksmith's cabin and a carpentry workshop. These were used on days when you couldn't fish.
Since it is all now ruins, it is a bit difficult to get a complete overview of the fishing settlement. What you see are walls about 1 meter high, which are scattered around the area. However, you can sense the outline of a house at several of the walls. The walls are built of hewn, flat pieces of lava. The very uneven and hilly terrain is solidified lava. It has provided shelter for the various buildings.
The whole area consists of lava fields and black sand and there are not many plants in the area. The coast is rocky and stony and the strong wind from the Atlantic creates big waves. It has therefore been a dangerous profession to be a fisherman here. But when fish were caught, they were stored and dried in the lava caves which are also on the site.
The road to the place is also a bit of an experience, as it is a narrow gravel road. It takes 15 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the area.
All buildings 100 years or older have protected status in Iceland..This place is one of them.
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