# What to do in Borgarnes

- URL: https://www.visiticeland.com/article/a-day-in-borgarnes/
- Published: 2022-08-10
- Last updated: 2026-10-05

> Iceland‘s Ring Road leads straight through the town center of Borgarnes, past supermarkets, roadhouses, and service stations. While most travelers make use of exactly those and then continue with their journey, they are missing out on great lunch opportunities, activities for kids, and museums, just a sideroad away!

Iceland‘s Ring Road leads straight through the town center of Borgarnes, past supermarkets, roadhouses, and service stations. While most travelers make use of exactly those and then continue with their journey, they are missing out on great lunch opportunities, activities for kids, and museums, just a sideroad away!

### For knowledge seekers: Landnámssetrið - The Settlement Center

*Image: Listening, touching, participating - the exhibition about the settlement of Iceland is an interactive one*

[This popular museum](https://www.landnam.is/eng/) offers two half-hour audio-guided exhibitions: the first brings visitors back to the settlement of Iceland and the other illustrates the life of Iceland's most (in)famous Saga protagonist Egill Skallagrímsson.  But instead of just reading annual figures on signs, the interactive multimedia displays make learning about the history of Iceland a fun experience!

### For foodies

*Image: The vegetarian lunch buffet at the Settlement Center is equally popular with locals and tourists*

Borgarnes offers food options for every craving: roadhouse burgers, pizza, ice cream, or hotdogs are served downtown. But there are more options available:

 While in the settlement center, one might as well fill up on their voluminous vegetarian buffet in the adjacent restaurant or try some of the typical Icelandic comfort foods on the menu such as _Plokkfiskur_ (fish stew) or _Kjötsúpa_ (Icelandic meat soup).

For a coffee- and cake break afterward the charming [_Blómasetrið coffeehouse_](https://blomasetrid.is/) overlooks the bay. Its colorful interior is stuffed with flowers, gifts, plush couches, gifts, and coziness. 

Nearby the settlement center a path along the beach leads to the historical merchant houses of[ _Englendingavík_](https://englendingavik.is/). Where goods were once traded, but coffee and cake are now served on a veranda overlooking the calm skerry coast.

### For kids

*Image: What to do in Borgarnes*

Belonging to Englendingavik is _Sofia‘s toy museum_, a lovingly curated collection of dolls, playthings and knickknacks from the past century.

By following the beach path past Englendingavik, [_Bjössarólo playground_ ](https://www.west.is/en/place/bjossarolo-playground)offers its little visitors an adventurous variety of playground equipment, built with recycled materials by the idealist Björn Guðmundsson.

Not tired yet? No matter what the weather,[ _Borgarnes Swimming Pool_ ](https://www.west.is/en/service/borgarnes-swimming-pool)has entertainment for the whole family covered: indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs in different temperatures, and – waterslides for the young ones!

### For movie buffs

*Image: Also Walter Mitty, aka Ben Stiller stopped at Borgarnes - in a pizza place that's really a bakery*

Back to Road 1 and into the buzzing city center:[ Geirabakari ](https://www.west.is/en/service/geirabakari-cafe-konditori)(Geir‘s bakery) is a must for film buffs who always wanted to enjoy the same view as Ben Stiller in the „Secret Life of Walter Mitty“. While the shooting of the movie didn‘t impress the owner of the bakery and he used the opportunity to go on holiday, the dramatic mountain-ocean-scenery that unfolds in front of the bakery windows certainly impresses everyone, who drops by for a delicious cinnamon bun for the road.

[Explore Borgarfjörður](https://www.visiticeland.com/article/a-day-in-and-around-borgarfjordur/)

**View a short video from Borgarnes here below.**

[Find out more on Visit West Iceland](https://www.west.is/).

[Video](https://vimeo.com/984325149?h=563b77c384)