When we detoured from the main road to find Stracta Rental Apartments on the 4th day of our trip in Iceland, I felt like we were heading into nowhere. 

A large portion of the roads in Iceland are gravel (in both literal and technical terms), not asphalt but simply covered with volcanic gravel.

So, we drove along such a road for at least 15 minutes until we reached low buildings in the middle of a plain with volcanic stones, near a small lake.

The place was convenient for an overnight stay after we visited the Seljalandsfoss, Gljufrabui, and Skógafoss waterfalls, the view of the black beaches from the Dyrhólaey lighthouse, the puffins nesting there, followed by Reynisfjara beach and the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon.

If you want to use a ready-made 6-day Iceland itinerary, check out the post about it.

Communication with customers is entirely online. You receive a code in advance to open the box with the key. Inside the living room, there’s an instruction sheet about the electricity and an explanation of why the heating cannot be turned up beyond a certain maximum.

Jule 2024

Rating for Stracta Apatments by the 5D Sensograph: 4.8 out of 5.

(click on the 5 sense icons to fast jump to the details about the experiences associated with each)

       

       

       

       

       

Experience accents as per the 5D Sensograph:

See a pleasant interior, but there’s also an excavator and some construction materials around.

Feel it was cozy, but for some reason, we couldn’t heat the rooms, and the fuse blew at one point.

Hear very quiet, only the soft calls of birds, not common for Bulgaria.

Smell in the morning, the aroma of coffee, kindly provided by the hosts, and small chocolates.

Taste complimentary capsule coffee, tea, and chocolates.

Reading time: 5 min

You don’t have 5 min to read? Then try the fast mode, go only through bold and colored text: 3 мин.

You don’t feel like reading? See the short movie further below: 1:54 min.

 

See in Stracta Apatments …

… The two-bedroom apartment we stayed in had a pleasant design: I think it was worth the money (around EUR 450 per night for the entire apartment, with a private bathroom and toilet). It was nice, cozy, and comfortable.

… A distant view of the glacier, and on the other side, the ocean. But it was only a small view, and right next to us, there was an excavator and piles of construction materials. This is likely necessary, considering how often Iceland’s nature surprises its residents, so repairs are a frequent necessity.

 

Feel  in Stracta Apatments …

… The presence of a private bathroom with a toilet: this is a convenience that is necessary for us, and we value it.

I hasten to add that in Iceland, accommodations are expensive. A double room costs at least EUR 250, or at least that was the case when I was looking, and often with a shared bathroom and toilet. So, having a private bathroom is something that costs extra.

… Kitchenette: with stovetops, a toaster, an espresso machine, and an electric kettle, but no oven. There’s no kitchen paper either, only tissues in a box. So, if you need it for wrapping sandwiches, you’ll have to buy it at the supermarket.

You can find shopping recommendations and supermarket chains in the post What to eat and drink in Iceland – facts, advice, and tips & tricks you won’t find elsewhere – Part 5.

… Unfortunately, the heating in the place is limited to maximum degrees for the radiators: there are 2 portable heaters available, but as soon as you turn both on, the fuse blows. If one heater works and you turn on the hairdryer in the bathroom, the fuse blows again.

We needed to dry our shoes, clothes, and socks after a surprise wave at the Reynisfjara black sand beach, or as the signs warned us, a sneaky wave, despite following all the safety guidelines.

You can learn more about the sights you can visit in Iceland from my post What can you do in Iceland? Part 4 of the Iceland Travelogue.

That’s why it was important for us to have warm radiators. The portable heaters also helped, but we had to be careful with the fuse.

 

Hear in Stracta Apatments …

… When you’re in the middle of a field with lava rocks covered in moss, the silence is absolute. Only the night birds communicate with each other. There was no volcano eruption nearby, nor a glacier activity, so it was very peaceful. If it rains, the most you’ll hear is the raindrops tapping on the roof.

Movie-watching time: 1:54 min.

Smell in Stracta Apatments …

… Complimentary coffee and tea: it’s nice that the hosts kindly provide such extras to their guests, considering the lack of cafés and shops within a 10-20 km radius. So in the morning, the place smells of coffee.

 

Taste  in Stracta Apatments …

… The compliments don’t stop at drinks: small chocolates add to the pleasant feeling of the thoughtful gesture toward the guest.

I recommend Stracta Apartments, it was one of the nicest places out of the four we stayed at.

How to get to Stracta Apatments?

Just use the Google map here by clicking on the red pin of its location and then select directions:

A: Orustustaðir, 881 Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Iceland

T: + 3548518081

Check-in: 3 pm

Check-out: 11 am

How to book your stay?

I recommend that you check the packages that the hotel offers on their website because they are very affordable. But for your convenience, I have also put a box on booking.com. Compare the prices and choose an option.

Booking.com

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Where to follow the latest posts of the review and rating blog placescases.com?

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Are you looking for information about good restaurants, hotels, and all kinds of nice places around the world and in Bulgaria? Then dig into the categories of the one-of-its-kind blog for reviews and evaluation of interesting places, refracted through the 5D Sensograph of the 5 human senses – placescases.com. You may find something just for you.

Do you ever wonder how some places differ so much from others in service, environment, and overall experience? This means you are also interested like me in The Experience Economy by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore. I constantly add to my collection reviews about those of them, which practice its principles, regardless of whether intentionally or accidentally. If you are curious to understand which they are, explore the category The Experience Economy.

If you need to rent a car, you can reserve it here, in the box of the largest booking platform, below.