Wednesday, February 5, 2020 - 14:13 by saudarkrokur
When the buzz of an exciting, new Icelandic port called Saudarkrokur began to surface in late 2018, it soon became apparent that this relatively unknown Icelandic cruise port was definitely one to watch!
Well placed on Iceland’s north coast and in the shelter of the Skagafjordur fjord, Saudarkrokur currently offers one berthing space alongside for cruise vessels up to 200m in length, along with two additional anchorages: 0.5nm and 0.8nm away respectively.
An additional floating tender pier is planned for March 2020 in readiness for the Icelandic port’s first operational cruise season.
The port is equipped with WiFi and washroom facilities and is 15 minutes walking distance from the Old Town with its museums and quaint streets. Worth a mention is the Verslun Haraldur Juliussonar - a time-traveller style general store that has been in business since 1919 and where the gas is still pumped by hand.
Shuttle services to the more modern side of the town with its bakery, swimming pool, nine-hole golf course and ATM/bank are available upon request. On foot it is about 30 minutes each way.
There are several historical places of interest in the vicinity, landmarks in the form of ancient Viking battle fields, turf-roofed churches and farmhouses, geological phenomena, geothermal swimming pools, waterfalls, museums, river rafting, fly fishing and even virtual reality Viking battle re-enactments.
Hence local tour operators can create an array of shore excursions for both classic and expedition focused cruise lines: port to port and overland tours included.
Skagafjordur is well known for having the finest horses and horse farms in Iceland.
Alongside offering horseback riding tours, demonstrations and horse shows, the annual horse round-up takes place in late September - an unforgettable experience and insight into local life. The date lends well to a late summer stop off on a repositioning cruise and maybe the Northern Lights will also make an appearance.
The neighbouring tiny port of Hofsos (easily accessible by Zodiac) with its cluster of 18th century black-tarred wooden houses also lies under the jurisdiction of the Port of Saudarkrokur and the town’s swimming pool is considered one of the best in Iceland. It is built into the hillside, infinity styled, filled with natural hot water and bestowed with glorious views of the fjord and nearby Drangey Island, which is home to thousands of puffins every summer.
“We are very pleased to see that our port is making waves and getting noticed. It’s been a few years coming but finally the word is out, and we will welcome our first calls this year.
At the time of writing summer 2020 will see Saudarkrokur welcoming maiden calls from Scenic Eclipse and Seabourn Quest. 2021 already has seven bookings confirmed - including two calls from Azamara, a return call from Scenic Eclipse and a maiden call from Mystic Cruises’ World Explorer,” comments Saudarkrokur’s harbour master, Dagur Baldvinsson.
He adds: “We are very excited about being part of the Cruise Europe community. We have heard such good things about the association and are positive that this will provide our port with the support and platform it needs to continue in our mission of bringing more ships to our ports and passengers to our shores.”
New member: Saudarkrokur(c) Port of Saudarkrokur
