Situated north of Buðadalur just off Route 60 along the way to the Westfjörds is Hólar Farm, home to a mini petting zoo and animal rescue center run by my friend, Rebecca Kaad Ostenfeld and her family. Rebecca, originally from Denmark, has been in Iceland for some 20 years and we met when we were both students at the Tourist Guide School in Kópavogur. To say she is an animal fanatic and a very hard worker would be understatements!
Rebecca and her husband, Hjalti, moved to Dalasýsla about 15 years ago and since then, have kept very busy raising their family of three children, running the farm, and can even be found working a few part-time jobs from time to time. They house and care for many animals including horses, dogs, cats, ducks, sheep, chickens, turkeys, and goats. In addition, they have some special rabbit breeds that are fuzzy and soft - who does not like to cuddle cute and friendly rabbits? The huge pig, Svinka, is still a must-see, even though not as cuddly as the rabbits, but you won’t convince Rebecca of that!
Yes, there are numerous domestic farm animals on Hólar Farm, but you will find some unique animals and birds, as well. There is often an arctic fox or two on the farm, but they are wild, so they come and go. They can cause problems with the birds and small animals, but they can also be adorable.
Then there is the talking raven, Krummi, who is unable to fly but has become a close family pet. Krummi has been seen on television a few times and is now a movie star after appearing in the Netflix series Katla. Rebecca gets calls from all over Iceland about creatures that are in trouble, like Krummi. She treats her animals like family and her children are growing up in a unique environment. They never know what animal will be in bed next to them when they wake up!
Hólar farm is also well-known for an unusual 2016 letter that arrived from a group of tourists who had visited the farm and wanted to thank the family. Back in Reykjavík, the tourists did not remember the name of the farm, where it was located, nor the names of any of the family members. Rather than address the envelope as one might usually, they drew a map and added hand-written details they could recall. With the magic of the Icelandic Postal Service, Íslandspóstur, the letter arrived safely. By 2019, more than 5 million people had seen the photo of the envelope via social media and news services.
Rebecca has welcomed numerous Snorri groups who have always enjoyed the visit.
Hólar Farm is very active on Facebook and posts some great videos, so be sure to follow her. As Rebecca says, “We would love to welcome you and show you around our farm and introduce you to Icelandic style farming.
Feel free to pet the animals!” https://www.west.is/en/service/holar-petting-farm or