Efstidalur II

Eating ice cream with a view of the cowshed

If you drive from Geysir to Laugarvatn via Laugarvatnsvegur, road 37, you will pass the Efstidalur II farm (one exit behind the new route to Brúarfoss waterfall).

When we visit the Golden Circle with visitors, we like to take a break here to enjoy the homemade ice cream in this special atmosphere with a view of the cowshed.

The ice cream parlor here is open in both summer and winter , normally operating from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in summer and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in winter. Outside the season, I check the farm's Facebook page as a precaution; sometimes there are short-term changes to the opening times .

The homemade dairy ice cream is made from the milk of the cows here on the farm, using only pasteurized milk. All ice cream flavors are made in our own dairy kitchen. Some flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, are almost always on offer, otherwise the offer changes regularly and you will be surprised by new ice cream flavors every time you visit.

You get the ice cream at the counter and can then take a comfortable seat down here in the dining room and eat your ice cream with a view of the cowshed.

As I said, the ice cream flavors change regularly. We've already eaten mango and licorice here...

... as well as strawberry-basil and banana-Mars, and shortly after Christmas I also had apple-cinnamon, which was really delicious and definitely tasted like Christmas. So just try it out a bit!

By the way, the signs here (up in the farm's restaurant) also tell you something about the history of the farm and the family:

The first member of the family to live on the farm was probably Narfi Einarsson the Elder (born 1625). He was a farmer on the Efstidalur farm. Afterwards, his son Einar Narfason (born 1662) took over together with his wife Guðrún Magnúsdóttir (born 1664). Their son Narfi Einarsson the Younger was born here in 1700 and spent his entire life here on the farm.

After the couple Snæbjörn and Björg, their four children Sölvi and Guðrún as well as Linda and Halla and their families have now taken over the business in the 7th generation.

The farm was originally a farm with sheep and cows. The aim was to ensure the farmer and his family's survival in the harsh Icelandic climate with the products that were produced here. For centuries, everyday life on the farm was characterized by hard work for self-sufficiency. The seasons dictated the rhythm of everyday life.

It was only the advent of modern long-term farming techniques that changed life on the farm.

Today the farm is run by the same family in the 7th generation. Now it's not just a farm, the family is also active in tourism:

Since 1995, visitors have been able to ride Icelandic horses, since 1999 it has been possible to stay overnight in guest rooms on the farm, and in 2012 the restaurant and ice cream parlor opened.

As a reminder of the past, you can still see the rusty remains of numerous old agricultural machines standing next to the entrance to the farm.

I think it's worth visiting here in summer and winter!

For me personally, “eating ice cream on Efstidalur” is actually always a worthwhile excursion destination on the Golden Circle!

[Translated from here.]