Traustholtshólmi is an island in the glacial river Þjórsá, and staying here is one of the most unique experiences you can enjoy in Iceland.
Hákon offers accommodation in one of several Mongolian yurts on the island and will pick you up by boat from the riverbank together with his dog Skuggi.
I stayed for one night in late July and was the the only guest that night which made the experience even more special. I settled in to my yurt and explored the island for a bit. Then Hákon prepared sashimi at the dock from freshly caught salmon that was just minutes out of the water. Incredibly good! There is no way you will ever have fresher fish. The rest was grilled for dinner and served with delicious salads.
I had a great night's sleep in a bed piled with pillows and blankets and fit for a king. It was dark in the yurt (unlike in many other places in Iceland in July) and so quiet and peaceful. An oven, a candle lamp, drinking water, and a chair and nightstand to put my stuff on were provided.
The next morning I had breakfast, and afterwards Hákon gave me a ride back over the river to where I had parked my car.
If you are looking for peace, solitude and a truly unique experience together with amazing food you cannot go wrong with Traustholtshólmi. Most of my Icelandic friends had heard of it and were jealous I got to go.

I had the change to stay in Traustholtshólmi for a day in June and it was just pure magic. I went with few close friends and from the moment we met Hákon and Skuggi on the dock for the boat ride across Þjórsá the magic started and it just didn't end until we were back on the mainland in the rain.

We walked around the whole island, did some yoga, watched the sunset (and sunrise) from a very comfortable seat on the river bank. Shared drinks and talks, secrets and the midnight sun for the whole night until the Dalalæða (waist deep fog) snuck in over the island and made the night even more enchanting and magical.

The whole dinner experience from when we went fishing the wild salmon in the river with Hákon and until we finished dessert was absolutely amazing. Hákon and Skuggi are great hosts and fun to be around and managed to turn a simple dinner into an incredible experience.

The yurts are beautiful and very comfortable to sleep in when you wake up to birdsongs and the river floating around you get the feeling you are one with nature and that is one happy feeling. All other facilities are flawless and fit right in. The toilet (privy) is probably the cutest thing in the world and the big yurt is comfortable, cozy and warm.

I'm definitely planning my next visit to this little getaway, it's perfect in every way and I highly recommend staying there for one night if you're traveling through the country or just looking for some amazing experience. If I had to describe it in three words, they would be: magical, unique and enchanting.

Traustholtshólmi is an island that is definitely off the beaten path of tourists doing the Golden Circle. We were recommended by the owners of Magical Iceland and they also wanted to experience this amazing place so they joined us.

We got there at around 17:30 on what was probably the most beautiful day in a month for Iceland and in midnight sun season, Hákon and his dog Skuggi met us with his Zodiac style boat and took us to the island from the mainland. After a few minutes hike up a hill, there stood 3 yurts, a communal yurt, washroom and shower facilities and probably the most beautiful scenery you can imagine - all ours for the night. Because of such a clear day, we were able to see volcanoes Hekla and Eyjafjallajokull and also the Westman Islands in the distance. Only 3 yurts are rented for the night, so this is as exclusive as it gets. Once settled in the yurt, Hákon called us all to go to the dock to get the freshly caught fish from the glacier river. Along the way, he told us about his projects going on the island, the history and fielded any questions we had. After untangling what was about 7 fish from his net, he proceeded to gut and prepare sashimi style, the fish caught right there. The sashimi is lean and has hardly any oil as it does not feed in fresh water. It waits to go to the ocean to feed so there are no lice or parasites present. After that, Hákon prepared the fillets outside the communal yurt and cooked it over an open wood fire. Along with a salad, potato salad and a rhubarb dessert with cream added, the dinner was fabulous.

After dinner, it was free time so we walked about 5 minutes up a small hill and caught the midnight sun, which was what we were hoping to see-and we did. We went to sleep around 01:30 and it was still light out. The yurt was comfortable and cozy with only the daylight and/or candlelight to light your way. It does get cold but there is a propane heater to use in case it gets unbearable, but the blankets provided were surprisingly warm and there are numerous blankets in the yurt if needed.

In the morning, Hákon had coffee and a light breakfast prepared for us in the communal yurt. After that it was time to say goodbye and then he took us back to the mainland on his boat. This is truly a unique experience that cannot be missed especially when you have great weather like we did. It is pricey, about $800CAD per night, but if you like to have an island to call your own for a night then it might be definitely be worth it.