Sturlureykir Horse Farm: Rye Bread Baked in Hot Ground

Some farm visits are set up for the camera. Sturlureykir, on route 518 near Reykholt in Borgarfjörður, is not one of them. The same family has farmed here since 1886, and it counts among the oldest Icelandic horse-breeding farms still run by one family in one place. The draw for guests is a simple pairing: warm rye bread pulled straight from the ground, and a stable full of gentle horses you are welcome to meet.

Bread Baked in the Earth

The bread is hverabrauð — dense, dark, faintly sweet Icelandic rye. At Sturlureykir it is not baked in an oven. Dough is sealed in a container, buried in a geothermal hot spot on the farm, and left to cook slowly for roughly a day or more (some accounts put it at up to 36 hours) using nothing but the ground’s own heat. This is the same method Icelandic farmers have used for generations wherever the earth runs warm. On a visit you can see the buried spot, hear how it works, and taste a slice served warm, usually with butter and a coffee or hot chocolate.

Meeting the Horses

Sturlureykir keeps around 60 Icelandic horses, with a handful of foals born each year and a bloodline traced back decades on the same land. The self-visit format is relaxed: you walk into the stables, pet and help feed the horses, and learn about the breed from a family that has ridden here their whole lives. The Icelandic horse is small, sure-footed and famously calm, which makes this an easy stop with children. Short horse-riding options are also offered for those who want to ride rather than just watch.

Planning Your Visit

The farm sits along the Silver Circle, the loop that also takes in Reykholt, the Deildartunguhver hot spring and the Hraunfossar waterfalls, so it slots neatly into a day of West Iceland driving. Go earlier in the opening window if you want the calmest experience with the horses.

• Getting there: about a 20-minute drive from The Hvítá Inn, via route 50 toward Reykholt and onto route 518.
• How long to allow: roughly 60–90 minutes for the stables, the geothermal area and the bread tasting.
• Opening hours: open daily, roughly 10:00–15:00 — check sturlureykirhorses.is or west.is before you set out, as rural hours shift by season.
• What to bring: sturdy shoes for the yard, a warm layer (the stables and hot-spring area are outdoors), and cash or card for the bread and drinks.
• Best paired with: Deildartunguhver and Hraunfossar the same afternoon, both within a short drive.

Where to Stay

The The Hvítá Inn sits on the bank of the Hvítá river at Hvítárbakki, right on the road toward Reykholt — which puts Sturlureykir about 20 minutes away and the rest of the Silver Circle within easy reach. It is a practical base for the classic Borgarfjörður circuit, with private-bathroom rooms and a location about 75 minutes from Reykjavík. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Willem van de Poll via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.