Interesting Places in West Iceland

The West Fjords

The Westfjords is a peninsula in northwestern Iceland. It is connected to the rest of Iceland by a 7 km wide isthmus between Gilsfjörður and Bitrufjörður.

The Westfjords are very mountainous; the coastline is heavily indented by dozens of fjords surrounded by steep hills. The cliffs at Látrabjarg comprise the longest bird cliff in the northern Atlantic Ocean and are at the westernmost region of Iceland. Millions of birds nest in the cliffs. It is Europe's largest bird cliff, 440m high and around 14 km long.

The Drangajökull glacier is located in the far north of the peninsula and is the fifth largest of the country, but the only glacier of the region.

The lack of flat lowlands in the area makes it unsuitable for agriculture, but good natural harbors in many of the fjords and closeness to fishing areas are vital for the local economy. The Westfjords is sparsely populated; the total population in 2007 was 7,380. The largest town is Ísafjörður.

Isafjordur

The town is connected via road to Bolungarvík which lies 15 km to the northwest, and to the small town of Súðavík to the east. The partly one-lane Breiðadals-og Botnsheiðagöng (Breiðadals-og Botnsheiðar Tunnel), completed in 1996, leads to the small towns of Flateyri and Suðureyri, as well as the more southern parts of the Westfjords.

Fishing has been the main industry in Ísafjörður, and the town has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. A vast decline in the fishing industry, due to many reasons such as political fishing restrictions in the early eighties and natural causes, has led the inhabitants to seek work elsewhere making the population numbers decreasing.

Hornstrandir

The settlements and farms have all been abandoned, and nowadays an increasing number of travellers visits the area to enjoy the solitude, the magnificent landscapes and spend a few days hiking. The area is accessible by boats from Isafiord. The area along with the cove Adalvik and the bay Jokulfjords were declared a nature reserve in 1975.

This sheer cliff is one of the greatest seafowl colonies of the world. Its highest peaks reach 534 m above sea level. In earlier times.

Snaefellsnes

There are small fishing villages around the coast. A boat trip is possible for whalewatching from Stykkisholmur.

Stykkishólmur is situated to the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Most of the people make their living from fishing and tourism. A ferry called Baldur goes over the Breiðafjörður fjord to the West Fjords (Vestfirðir).

The Snæfellsjökull volcano is situated on the penansula, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland. With its height of 1446m, it is the highest mountain (glacier) on the peninsula. The volcano can be seen on clear days from Reykjavík, a distance of about 120 km away. The mountain is also known from the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by the French author Jules Verne.

A walk along the coastline at Arnarstapi is recommended to watch the birds and the magnificent lava formations.

People from all over the world, believers in the energy radiation of Mt. Snaefellsjokull, gather in the area every summer to recharge their "batteries" and rock crystals.

You can hike from Arnarstapi to the top of the glacier.

The area surrounding Snæfellsjökull has been designated a national park by the government of Iceland.