The historical archipelago Svefneyjar (“Sleepy Islands”) on Breiðafjörður fjord in west Iceland has been advertised for sale at the real agency company Torg. The islands have been in the ownership of two families over the past 18 years.
View of Breiðafjörður and Stykkishólmur. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
Acquisition offers have been called for; the islands are estimated to be worth ISK 150-195 million (USD 1.2-1.6 million, EUR 1-1.2 million), according to realtor Sigurbjörn Friðriksson who is responsible for the sale, Morgunblaðið reports.
Svefneyjar number approximately 60 with a combined land area of approximately 0.4 square kilometers.
The archipelago is the birthplace of poet and natural scientist Eggert Ólafsson and served as home to the district assembly of Reykhólahreppur until the end of the 19th century when it was relocated to Flatey.
Considerable benefits come with owning the land. It is a nesting ground for eider ducks (eider down is a valuable export product), and egg collecting, bird and seal hunting has been practiced there, as stated on nat.is.
Also, Svefneyjar locals became the first in Iceland to harvest seaweed when the seaweed processing plant Thorverk in Reykhólar was established in 1986.
Svefneyjar have been for sale since November 2011.
ESA
