Mýrdalshreppur - South shore

WORK/PROJECT: This is the fourth year that SEEDS volunteers will have the unique opportunity to get to know and explore the traditional Icelandic dairy and vegetable/carrots farming. Our hosts, a farmer’s family, cultivate carrots, have cows and run a tourist accommodation.

The main tasks in this particular camp will be some environment/construction, beautifying the area and tidying up the surroundings of the farm. Volunteers might be asked to do a bit of renovation work as well, such as some painting preparation work if weather conditions allow. Other tasks will be connected with the carrots cultivation and preparing the fields for the winter time. Those who are interested in animal husbandry should feel free to drop in on the cows in the stalls, assist in milking them or tending to them in general.

The weather conditions in Iceland are unpredictable; be prepared to experience all kinds of weather and be sure of bringing warm clothing since most of the work will take place outdoors.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will stay in a fully equipped house, in a sleeping bag accommodation sharing rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of cooking and cleaning. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for an international evening.

LOCATION: The farm is located in the South of Iceland, a beautiful area surrounded by mountains and glaciers to the north and facing the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

The inhabitants here live in constant threat of volcanic eruptions and the area was hit during the recent eruptions in Eyjafjallajökull 2010 and Vatnajökull 2011, as it got all covered by ashes, but the natives here are strong minded and ‘folded up their sleeves’ as the Icelanders express it and proved the common believe that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Vík, the closest town, is Iceland's most southerly village.  Mýrdalur is bordered by the glacial river Jökulsá to the west and the river Blautakvísl to the east. Its northern border is the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which caps the volcanic Mt. Katla, while its southern limits are black sands and the rolling Atlantic waves. The district lives mainly by agriculture. Although this community of 600 inhabitants faces the open Atlantic, Vík is the only seaside settlement in Iceland left without a harbour due to natural circumstances.  Among the many aspects of Vík that make it attractive are the sea-and-land trips and trips on the Mýrdalsjökull glacier to list a few.  

The natural beauty of the area is spectacular. Just east of the village's outskirts lies one of Europe's biggest arctic tern breeding grounds. South of Vík is a beautiful beach, which the international Magazines named one of the world's ten best island beaches in 1991. A short hike within the close vicinity of Vík is sure to satisfy all serious nature lovers and bird watchers. Vík and its surroundings is one of the main bird life areas in Iceland.

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

TERMINAL: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and vice-versa, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Volunteers should have a motivation for getting to know ways of living in rural areas in Iceland, for working outdoors and be prepared to different kinds of weather. 

Our host will organise free time activities in the area, depending on the weather conditions.

Age: 18+