Skálakot Manor Hotel Hvolsvöllur

Being the fourth generation running this farm, our main focus is on breeding Icelandic horses and offering Icelandic hospitality. Skálakot is located in the very heart of southern Iceland.

Surrounded by stunning nature in the tranquility of the countryside. Just under the wide expanses of the Icelandic highlands and in the vicinity of glaciers and volcanoes, overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean.

At Skálakot we offer a wide range of horseback riding tours. Both short tours and multi-day tours. Therefore everyone should be able to find a tour based on their skills and horseback riding experience.

Skálakot Manor Hotel and Restaurant is the perfect place to rest and relax after being out in the beautiful nature of South Iceland. With luxury rooms and restaurant for our customers prepare for their next adventure.

The region offers many of the best sights in South Iceland, with stunning nature like waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers and black sand beaches. Meaning that you don’t need to spend to much time on the road, you can instead enjoy nature and activities.

ROOMS
When we decided to enlarge our accommodation facilities we longed to build for the future. We wanted our guests to enjoy a unique experience that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the country. We wanted our guests to experience a romantic, comfortable and luxurious mood.

Ensuring that each room was unique and for the overall look of the hotel to be based on a design in which the details and atmosphere generate complete wellbeing and relaxation.

The result was Skálakot – Manor Hotel, fourteen bedrooms with, restaurant and personal services. Extension from the farm where we actually live, therefore we look at our visitors as guests of the family. That’s the Icelandic sense of hospitality that we have been brought up on.

The interior design of the hotel echoes the Art Deco period. Which is a style of visual arts and architecture, which first appeared in France at the beginning of the 20th century. Characterized by a fusion of luxury and modernism, in which exclusive materials and great craftsmanship blended in a modern form.

We offer one Master suite, one Mini suite, six Grand double rooms, four Standard double rooms, and two Standard Single rooms. Every suite and room has a 43″ HDTV, WiFi, tea kettle, hairdryer, bathrobes and a collection of soaps. The Grand rooms, Mini and Master suite also have a Nespresso coffee machine.

MASTER SUITE
The Master suite is definitely the highlight of our rooms. From the 3rd the floor you have the best view of the Vestmannaeyjar islands and over to the coastline.

Big open space with an old fashion bathtub in the middle of the room. A private fireplace to enjoy the evening after a long and exciting day with a nice cup of Coffee from the Nespresso machine. Of course, there is also a shower at your disposal.

The Suite is 39 square meters (420 square feet). And the bed size is 200 x 200 centimeters (6.5 x 6.5 feet) and can be used as a double or twin bed. It offers the possibility to add two extra beds if needed.

Located on the third floor like our two Standard single rooms it is the perfect place if families like to have the third floor for themselves.

MINI SUITE
Our Mini Suite is ideal for families. It has a separate living and sleeping room, what gives us the chance to add an extra bed with still having enough space and privacy. Also, the suite has a Nespresso machine and Teakettle, for coffee and tea all day long.

The total room size is 28 square meters. The bed size is 180 x 200 centimeters (5.9 x 6.5 feet) and it is possible to have the bed both as double or twin. The suite has a sofa, armchair, chair, desk, closet, and couch. As well as Marshall Bluetooth speaker.

STANDARD ROOM
We offer four spacious Standard Double rooms here at Skálakot. Two of these rooms are located on the ground floor and two on the second floor. All Standard Double rooms are facing the mountainside. The rooms are from 21 square meters in size and they all have a private bathroom with shower.

Bed size is 180 x 200 centimeters (5.9 x 6.5 feet) and they all have a possibility for double or twin beds. All rooms have a private bathroom, table and chair, and Marshall Bluetooth speaker.

RESTAURANT
The Manor Hotel Restaurant offers fine dining with a good selection of dishes made with passion from fresh ingredients.

The restaurant has a cozy and relaxing vibe, with nice surrounding. The Skálakot is also a nice place to step in for refreshments on your way exploring the waterfalls and black sand beaches of South Iceland.

Horseback riding day tours
Here you can find some of our short horseback riding day tours. You can book the tour online, please give us a call to make sure we have available if you are booking the tour with short notice. (same day or the night before)

HORSEBACK RIDING TOUR – ÍRÁRFOSS WATERFALL
This horseback riding tour to Írárfoss waterfall starts from our Manor in Skálakot. Includes all the gear you need for the horseback riding, such as helmet, boots, and rain gear if needed. After a short briefing, we start to gear up the horses as we head out for nature.

We ride along hills and mountains nearby Skálakot towards the waterfall Írárfoss (The Irish waterfall). Which is a beautiful 30-meter high waterfall in a small river running down from the highlands below the glacier Eyjafjallajökull.

The name of the waterfall is related to a man from Ireland, called Ásólfur Alskik who lived there at the settlement time of Iceland for more than 1200 years ago. At the waterfall, you will get the change to take some pictures and enjoy the surrounding before heading back to Skálakot.

Afterward, at the Manor Hotel, you can stop for refreshments and food. It is the perfect place to relax after the riding tour and enjoy some of our local food and refreshments.

Although a great first-time experience. Or the perfect tour for people that do not have much time but still want to enjoy horseback riding as well as beautiful nature.

Skálakot is one of the top breeding farms for the Icelandic horse. We have been running horseback riding tours for more than three decades. Therefore we have a lot of experience and always try our best to meet the needs of the people we have for each tour.

EYJAFJALLA TOUR
A 2-hour horseback riding tour where we get to know our pure breed Icelandic horse a little better. You will meet us here at our stable in Skálakot. There we will prepare you for the tour and you will get the opportunity to know your horse for the ride. We will provide you with a helmet and rainwear if you need.

We start riding up the hill towards the mountain behind our farm. After a short climb, we arrive in a small valley surrounded by mountains to the north. To the east, you will see the beautiful mountain Holtsnúpur and the valley Holtsdalur.

To the south, we have an open view over the low land and to the coastline and the Vestmannaeyjar to the south. When spend a little bit of time here to enjoy the view before we start riding back to the lowland aiming for the Írárfoss waterfall on the other side of our farm.

The Írárfoss waterfall is a small but beautiful 30 meters high waterfall in the small river Írá. It is the perfect place to take out the phone and take some nice pictures with you and your horse. At some point, we start heading back to Skálakot along the road.

This is a great horseback riding tour for both beginners and more experienced riders. We will do our best to find the perfect horse for your experience level. After the tour, you can check out our restaurant for lunch or coffee and refreshments before hitting the road again.

GLACIER HORSEBACK RIDING TOUR

A 3-hour tour where we ride up the mountains towards the Eyjafjallajökull glacier and volcano. In nice weather, we have a great view of the Vestmannaeyjar Islands, as well over the south coast of Iceland.

We start from the stable and ride up the hills behind Skálakot to the mountain area south of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. On the way, you will ride through a valley with a small river and cliffs. As we go higher the view will get more amazing as well as the landscape surrounding us.

On one side we have the mountain Holtsnúpur 663 meters high. And the Holtsdalur valley below, with the mighty canyon Holtsárgil. It is an amazing experience to be out on the mountain with no one else around, just enjoying the ride and the landscape all around.

At the place we will turn around we stop for a few pictures and rest the horses before heading back down the hills.

On this ride we ride up and down some steep hills so a good physical condition is required for this tour. If you would like to have a faster ride with more chance to try the tölt, we recommend to have a look at the black beach tour.

THE EYJAFJALLAJÖKULL GLACIER AND VOLCANO
Eyjafjallajökull glacier is a small glacier on the southernmost part of Iceland on a mountain ridge called Eyjafjöll. The size of the glacier is about 80 km2 and the thickness of the glacier ice around 100 to 150 meters. There is a big creator buried underneath the glacier ice in around 1600 meters altitude.

Eyjafjallajökull has been active for hundreds of thousands of years. Since the settlement time of Iceland, the volcano has erupted about 3 to 4 times. The last volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull was in the year 2010 before that in 1821 and 1612.

So hopefully we have to wait for at least 200 years for the next one. The mountain in the Eyjafjöll area is believed to be not more than 800 thousand years old. Mainly formed during a time when the land was covered with glacier ice. The main rock formation is Tuff-stone.

Going on this horseback riding tour you get a great opportunity to explore this area of fire and ice.

BLACK BEACH HORSEBACK RIDING TOUR

A 3-hour horseback riding tour where we ride through green fields on our way to the beautiful black sand beach. We let the horses wade across Holtsós-lake and then ride along the Black Beach. We can have amazing views from the black beach in nice weather.

Over to the ocean to the Vestmannaeyjar Islands and to the mountains and the glacier Eyjafjallajökull in the north. As well as magnificent view along the North-Atlantic coastline.

It is a special feeling to be at this private beach without anyone around and being able to enjoy the surroundings while sitting on the back of the horse.

Sometimes it is possible to see seals swimming in the ocean near the beach, so bring your camera with you. After spending some time on the beach we head back along the river Rimhúsaáll and towards Skálakot.

This horseback riding tour is perfect for people with some horseback riding experience. And it gives you a perfect opportunity to get the know the Icelandic horse very well both its gaits but furthermore, it´s an amazing character.

The black sand beach is formed by the volcanos Katla and Eyjafjallajökull for the past ten to twelve thousands of years. After the last ice age finished around that time the land started to rice as the glacier where melting away.

In good weather and clear sky, you will have a view to the Eyjafjallajökull glacier and the Eyjafjöll mountain area. At the same time there where big glacial outbursts flowing down to the coastline making it bigger and bigger each time.

The black beach tour is a rather long distance that requires a good balance and good physical condition.

GLACIER AND BLACK BEACH HORSEBACK RIDING TOUR

In this grand tour, we offer you to combine two of our most popular tours: The Glacier horseback riding tour and the Black Beach horseback riding tour.

This combo horseback riding tour will give you a great chance to get to know the unique character of the Icelandic horse. At the same time as you are riding through a beautifully diverse landscape.

GLACIER
We start by riding towards the Eyjafjallajökull glacier and volcano that erupted in 2010. On the way towards the glacier, we ride through hills and mountains.

If the weather conditions are good we might have a beautiful view over the South coast and out to the Vestmannaeyjar Islands. Heading back we make a few stops to enjoy the beautiful surrounding. After we return to the stable we have lunch at Skálakot Manor restaurant before preparing for the Black sand beach.

PRIVATE BLACK BEACH
Now it is time to head down to our private black sand beach. Riding across fields and small rivers. As we get closer to the Black sand beach we need to cross the Holtsós sea leak.

Arriving at the black beach we get the change to enjoy a beautiful view. To South, we have a view over the Atlantic ocean and the Vestmannaeyjar Islands.

To east and west, we see an endless black sand beach. And finally to the north, we have a view of the farmland, hills, mountains and the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. During spring and summer, we might run into some Seals playing in the ocean by the coastline.

This is the perfect tour for people who love horses and like to get to know the Icelandic horse in its natural conditions. We offer a wide range of horses so we always try our best to find the best horse for everyone due to their needs and experience of horseback riding.

SUMMER NIGHT HORSEBACK RIDING TOUR

A 1.5-hour horseback riding tour where we get to know our pure breed Icelandic horse a little better and where we get to enjoy the long days that we have here in Iceland in the summer time. You will meet us here at our stable in Skálakot.

There we will prepare you for the tour and you will get the opportunity to know your horse for the ride. We will provide you with a helmet and rainwear if you need.

We start riding up the hill towards the mountain behind our farm. After a short climb, we arrive in a small valley surrounded by mountains to the north. To the east, you will see the beautiful mountain Holtsnúpur and the valley Holtsdalur.

To the south, we have an open view over the low land and to the coastline and the Vestmannaeyjar to the south. When spend a little bit of time here to enjoy the view before we start riding back to the lowland aiming for the Írárfoss waterfall on the other side of our farm.

We ride alongside the river Írá, and after crossing the river we can see Íráfoss. The Írárfoss waterfall is a small but beautiful 30 meters high waterfall in the small river Írá. We pass the waterfall and start heading back to Skálakot along the road.

This is a great horseback riding tour for both beginners and more experienced riders. We will do our best to find the perfect horse for your experience level.

ACTIVITIES
Here you can find a selection of some of our favourite activities near Skálakot. A perfect way to enjoy the best nature has to offer with volcanoes, glaciers and black beaches.

FISHING TOUR

Private fishing in the Rimhúsaáll river near our Manor. Írá river is a small river running down the mountain area beneath the Eyjafjallajökull glacier, before running through the lowland the river forms the beautiful waterfall Írárfoss.

Few kilometres before Írá river reaches the ocean it runs together with the river Kelduáll, from there they go by the name Rimhúsaáll. Rimhúsaáll is a small freshwater river running into the sea lake Hótsós before reaching the ocean.

The river normally has a quite good possibility for fishing, you can expect to catch Arctic char, Brown trout or Sea trout. We offer private access to the river with two fishing rods as well as other equipment needed for the fishing like fishing flies and waders.

Our guide Tor will do his best to show the best places to catch each time. Rimhúsaáll river is a great place for fishing both for beginners and people used to fishing. The surrounding there is beautiful with great views in good weather as well as a rich birdlife. Season from April to October

SNOWMOBILE TOUR

The famous glacier and volcano Eyjafjallajökull is in a short distance from Skálakot Manor Hotel. It is the perfect place for doing an adventure snowmobile tour. The Glacier Eyjafjallajökull is a small ice cap on the south coast of Iceland and underneath the ice is a volcano with the same name.

The volcano erupted in 2010 and the ash from the eruption did affect the air traffic in Europe for a few days. The volcanic eruption lasted for around five weeks. Now the ice has covered the place where the volcanic eruption took place.

The glacier is a great place for doing a snowmobile tour. It is only about 15 min drive from our Hotel to the snowmobile base. There they will suit you up and drive with you up to the mountain towards the glacier to the snowmobile location.

The drive is from 30 minutes to one hour depending on the condition on the mountain, but it is a fun ride in a super jeep. From the snowmobile location, you will do one your snowmobiling on the glacier.

It always depends on the condition on the glacier and the weather condition where they will take you. On a nice clear day, you will get amazing views over the south coast.

BLACK BEACH ATV TOUR

The black volcanic beach in South Iceland is one of a kind and to be able to ride there on an ATV is amazing. You get to ride in a diverse landscape, crossing rivers and sandhills all the way to the coastline.

To see the Atlantic Ocean hit the coast with all its power and beauty. On your way, you will get the change to stop by the famous airplane wreck where Justin Bieber rolled on his skateboard in the music video I’ll Show You.

From the Sólheimasandur black sand area, you head towards the foot of the mountains with a beautiful view to the glacier Mýrdalsjökull and the volcano Katla. In spring and summer, you also have rich birdlife and sometimes there are seals playing in the ocean.

GLACIER WALK

Glacier walk on Sólheimajökull glacier the southernmost glacier in Iceland, and a part of the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap and the volcano Katla.

The glacier has been melting very fast for the last 20 years about 55 meters on average a year. The glacier and the surrounding of the glacier are changing a lot from time to time. Making the glacier very interesting in many ways.

Underneath the ice cap, Mýrdalsjökull is the volcano Katla one of Iceland´s most active volcano as well as being one of the most powerful in Iceland. This tour gives you a good idea of how glacier forms and how they developed through time. You are able to see amazing formations on the glacier, like holes and crevasses.

HIKING TOURS

You can either explore the area around Skálakot by yourself, or you can book a private guide who can show you all the hidden spots.

Guided Tour: There are many available tracks starting directly from the hotel and the guide will suggest the most appropriate one depending on how long time you have and how difficult trails you want to go on. Most tours will start uphill and end downhill.

CANOEING TRIP

Tour description: Before you are starting the tour, you will get a short demonstration about how to paddle a canoe safely. There will always be 2 people in one canoe. If there are uneven numbers, one will go with the guide.

You can expect great views of Vestmannaeyjar, Eyjafjöll, and variety of populations of bird species, and a lot off fun going on this trip.

THE FAMILY FARM
Welcome to our family in Skálakot. We’re the seventh generation running this farm and place our main focus on breeding Icelandic horses and offering Icelandic hospitality.

Skálakot is located in the very heart of southern Iceland, surrounded by stunning nature in the tranquillity of the countryside, just under the wide expanses of the Icelandic highlands and in the vicinity of glaciers and volcanoes overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean.

We are Gudmundur (nick-named Mummi) and Johanna, and we are the seventh generation running this farm in Skálakot. Each generation here has had to contend with the challenges posed by the environment, such as volcanic eruptions, ash fall, famine and cold summers and their impact on vegetation and livestock.

We consider ourselves to be a lucky generation because the challenges we face also happen to be our greatest passions: horse breeding and Icelandic hospitality. And it’s a fact that Icelandic hospitality and horses have both saved the life of this nation for more than a thousand years.

We Icelanders would never have survived in this country if we had not been a hospitable nation; we’re curious about people by nature and strive to provide them with good food and drink because we want our guests to feel good and to tell us stories about themselves.

Because we Icelanders love stories. Icelandic hospitality has always revolved around the guest leaving richer than when he or she arrived, feeling rested and cherishing the memory of a happy experience, having made new friends, that they will long to visit again as soon as possible.

We took over this farm in 1985 and started this development, which is still in progress. Our goal is to eventually pass on this farm to the next generation in the best shape we can. The generation that went before us did everything in their power to build up this place for our future.

That’s the mindset we like to work in from day to day, with a sharp focus on the future and our children in mind. This is where we think it’s best to live – in the beauty and tranquillity of the Icelandic countryside. And that’s the feeling we want to pass on to our guests so that they can also feel at home during their stay with us.

Website: www.skalakot.is

Rooms: 14

Price: from 299 EUR per night