The Ketildalir valleys are on the southern shore of the Árnarfjörður fjord in the Westfjords. The best known of those valleys is Selardalur, a destination famous because of the sculptures and buildings created by the naiveté artist Samúel Jónsson.
The Ketildalir valleys are on the southern shore of the fjord Árnarfjörður. The valleys are extremely beautiful and offer many great photo opportunities.
Selardalur sculptures
The best known of those valleys is probably Selardalur. It’s a remote destination with an unexpected eccentricity, the colourful sculptures and buildings made by the farmer and naivité artist Samúel Jónsson. When the farmer retired at the age of 72 in 1958, he pursued his dream of becoming an artist. Mostly, Samúel created sculptures from concrete and carried the sand on his back from the shore to his farm Brautarholt. In his backyard, among other things, he replicated the Lions Court in Alhambra, Spain. After Samúel’s death, his art work started to deteriorate, being exposed to the harsh Arctic weather at all times . So in 1998, an association was formed to protect and later restore these objects of art, so future generations could learn about “the artist with a child’s heart”.
Where is the Museum of Samúel Jónsson?
The farm and museum is located about 25 km (15 miles) from Bildudalur. The rough coastal dirt road is only accessible by 4wd vehicle, during the summer time. Please allow for a minimum of 45 minutes for the drive.
Selardalur also offers a wonderful panoramic view across Árnarfjörður, over to high Kaldbakur Mountain (1000 metres), the highest mountain in the Westfjords.
