Súðavík in the West fjords

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will be working in the family garden Raggagarður (Raggi’s garden) in Súðavík in the West Fjords. Raggagarður is a playground in the heart of the village. It is created for kids and adults alike, a place where the whole family can spend time together.

Raggagarður was founded in 2004 and has been in constant progress. We are proud to support the project and our task list will be quite diverse. First of all we will have to tend to the plants and trees in and around the garden. The recreational equipments, benches and tables need maintenance and painting. A small pond is to be constructed with stones collected from the surroundings. We will beautify the area by cleaning up, planting trees, raking some gravel, etc.

The working plan will be flexible and it will depend on the advance of our work, the needs of our local hosts as well as weather conditions. Volunteers should be motivated to work outdoors and be prepared for all kinds of weather.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will stay in a fully equipped house, sleeping in beds. Bringing a sleeping bag is not necessary for the workcamp (but might be essential before and after it).

Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities and will divide the tasks among themselves. Please do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for an international evening.

LOCATION: The workcamp will take place in the Westfjords at the north-western part of Iceland. The region accounts for 10% of the country’s surface but only about 7200 people live there, so it is one of the least populated areas of Europe.

The West Fjords are among the most breathtakingly beautiful places in Iceland, with its high mountains and dramatic fjords cutting deep into the landscape. The Lonely Planet travel guide actually put the area on its top 10 list of regions in the world to visit in 2011.

Súðavík is a small and friendly fishing village in Álftafjörður, with a population of around 170. In January 1995, this tight-knit community was hit by tragedy when an avalanche engulfed the northern part of the village, roaring down from the precipitous slopes of Súðavíkurhlíð, the steep mountain that rears up behind Súðavík, and leaving fourteen people dead. Since then, all new buildings are constructed in the southern part of the village, away from the avalanche risk, while those in the northern half are uninhabited during the winter months but kept intact as a summer resort for travellers.

One of the town’s main attractions is The Arctic Fox Centre. An exhibition and research centre focusing on the only native terrestrial mammal in Iceland, the Arctic fox.

Though the village is small it offers surprisingly many services. Súðavík has two restaurants, a café, a nice and quiet camping place, grocery shop, gas station, post office and bank service.

LANGUAGE: English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

TERMINAL: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Domestic airport is Ísafjörður (IFJ).

SEEDS organises a “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and back. Apart from being cheap and convenient, it allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros).

There will be countless opportunities to discover the area by foot or to hike the surroundings; the location is surrounded by stunning nature.

Our hosting partner will organise free time activities in the area; for instance hiking, sightseeing, horseback riding and barbecuing.

Age: 18+