Deserted beaches, ink-black cliffs, glacier-gouged valleys, snow-crusted peaks: the Westfjords encapsulates all the natural splendor you’d expect from Iceland – only without the crowds. This fjord-slashed, mountain-studded, almost entirely treeless peninsula receives far fewer visitors than Iceland’s better-known regions. Covering more than 22,000 sq km (8494 sq miles), but with a population of barely 7000 people, it’s one of Iceland’s most sparsely inhabited areas (the official population density in the Westfjords is roughly the same as the Falkland Islands).
If it’s wildness you’re after, the Iceland Westfjords deliver in style. There are epic beaches tinted with mineral hues, great cliff faces teeming with sea birds, tiny fishing hamlets, mist-shrouded fjords, lonely headlands, and waterfalls that thunder with a sound and fury that stupefies. Geologically speaking, this is Iceland’s most ancient corner: it’s a place that feels mythic and mysterious, a land of lore straight out of the sagas.
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The reason the peninsula remains relatively underexplored is, fundamentally, its remoteness. Although its southern edge can be reached in a day’s drive along the Ring Road from Reykjavík, you’ll need the best part of a week to reach its western or northern tips – assuming you manage to get there at all, that is. The Westfjords are challenging to navigate even in good weather, with many valleys and fjords connected via ferries, or high mountain passes that are clogged by snow for much of the year. Away from the main roads, much of the peninsula is rugged, pothole-pocked and unpaved, making a 4WD preferable, if not always essential. Villages (as well as petrol stations) are few and far between.
But the tough nature of travel here has an obvious upside. Few tourists have the time (or inclination) to explore, leaving the Westfjords mainly for Icelanders and the more adventurous traveler. Whether you come to camp or kayak, hike or bike, bird spot or whale watch, the Westfjords feel wild in a way precious few places do these days.
Here’s our guide to the best experiences in Iceland’ Westfjords.
1. Watch the sunset on Rauðasandur
Out at the southwestern tip of the Westfjords lies Rauðasandur, a great 10km (6-mile) crescent of sand which, at least in Iceland, is a rarity. Rather than the black volcanic sands you’ll find on many of the island’s other beaches, Rauðasandur’s sands shimmer with reds, pinks, golds, oranges, and roses that positively glow at sunset.
All but deserted for most of the year, it’s an otherworldly place – catch it in the right light and it’s not hard to imagine you’re wandering along a beach on some extraterrestrial planet. It’s reached by a bumpy, 10km (6-mile) side road off Rte 612.
Detour: If lonely, end-of-the-world beaches are your thing, Breiðavík is also worth seeking out.
2. Ride a rugged trail on a quad bike for superb fjord views
If you want the views without the hard work, a quad bike makes short shrift of even the most rugged trail. ATV Ísafjörður offers two-hour trips in custom ATVs, accessing trails that are off-limits to pretty much any other form of vehicle.
Planning tip: Expect to get muddy and chilly: even a well-insulated onesie won’t manage to keep out the Icelandic cold after an hour or two.
3. Photograph puffins at Látrabjarg
For twitchers, Látrabjarg must feel darn close to Valhalla. Every summer, thousands upon thousands of seabirds flock to these sheer, 400m-high (1312ft) cliff faces to roost, soar, squabble, babble and breed. Fulmars, kittiwakes, terns, gannets, razorbills and skuas are just a few of the species that can be spotted, but as ever, it’s the comical puffins that steal the show – their waddling charm and wonky flying are endlessly endearing (making it even harder to understand how Icelanders can bring themselves to consider them a delicacy – they’re best served smoked, apparently). Even if birds aren’t your thing, Látrabjarg is worth the journey: it’s Iceland’s most westerly point.
4. Hike in the wilderness of Hornstrandir
The Westfjords are wild, sure, but Hornstrandir is where wild becomes all-out wilderness. Since 1975, this rocky northern outpost of tundra, glacier, crag and cliff has been protected as a nature reserve, and it’s the best place in the Westfjords – if not all of Iceland – to experience what the island was like before the first Viking settlers arrived.
The area’s pristine rivers, clifftops, beaches, mountains and fjords are strictly protected and patrolled by rangers, and the only camping allowed is at designated campgrounds (there’s also a mandatory requirement to pack out all rubbish). Unsurprisingly, there are adventures galore here, from hiking and climbing to whale watching, and lots of good guiding operations, including Borea Adventures.
Planning tip: Hornstrandir is one of the only places where it’s possible to spot an Arctic fox, Iceland’s only native mammal. Otherwise, guarantee spotting one by visiting the Arctic Fox Center in Súðavík.
5. Soak in the hot pot at Krossneslaug
Hot springs (both natural and artificial) are everywhere in Iceland, and the Westfjords are no exception: there are hundreds of places to take a hot dip, some well known, others known only to locals. Few are as Instagram-worthy as Krossneslaug, a geothermally heated pool on the Strandir coast overlooking a rocky black beach straight out of an Ingmar Bergman movie. It’s quite a setting, and the water is balmy, emerging at a balmy 34˚C to 38˚C (93˚F to 100˚F).
6. Visit the cultural museums in Ísafjörður
Reykjavík it isn’t, but by Westfjords standards, Ísafjörður counts as a bustling metropolis. Home to about 2700 people, this small harbor city has some of the region’s most interesting museums. This includes the Westfjords Heritage Museum, and the quirky Museum of Everyday Life, which explores the day-to-day experiences of the people of the Westfjords through a mix of movies, oral testimonies, and possessions. The city also has some good restaurants and cafes: try Tjöruhúsið for seafood or Edinborg for a local brew.
7. Kayak across Ísafjarðardjúp
Ísafjarðardjúp is the largest – and some would say most impressive – of the many fjords that make up the Westfjords. Bounded by Ísafjörður to the south and Hornstrandir to the north, it’s a classic slice of glacial scenery. The island wildlife sanctuary of Vigur is a popular target, particularly for puffin watchers. It’s also the location of the oldest lighthouse in Iceland, built in 1837.
Planning tip: Several operators offer guided, multiday kayaking trips along the fjord, camping at remote beaches and headlands – often you’ll also spy sea eagles, seals and sometimes whales as you kayak across the bay.
8. Learn about the Westfjords’ seafaring past
In little Bolungarvik, the evocative Ósvör Maritime Museum explores the salty history of the Westfjords. Back in the age of the Vikings, the people of the Westfjords eked out a tough living from the sea, fishing, hunting and trading, creating a maritime culture that endures to this day. This living museum has some fascinating exhibits, including a collection of turf-and-stone fisher huts, vintage rowing boats and a salt house where the catch was dried. The highlight, though, is the salty guide who shows you around, regaling you with seafaring lore while dressed in a traditional lamb’s leather smock.
Planning tip: The museum is open daily in the summer months.
9. Ride a horse or bike on the Þingeyri peninsula
The remote Þingeyri peninsula is best explored on two wheels (or four legs). A rough dirt track snakes along the coastline, tracking the southern edge of Dýrafjörður to the Viking settlement at Haukadalur. It’s one of the most stunning tracks in the Westfjords, perfect for an adventure by mountain bike or, better still, in the saddle of one of Iceland’s famous stubby-legged horses. In good weather, you can pedal or clop onwards to the lonely lighthouse of Svalvogar.
Planning tip: Bikes and horseback riding tours can be arranged in the small village of Þingeyri.
10. Go on a 4WD safari along Iceland’s scariest road
Driving along Kjaran’s Ave from Patreksfjörður, you can’t help but wonder what kind of lunatic thought building a road here was a good idea (as the name suggests, it was a local chap called Kjaran; he carved out the road in his spare time with a bulldozer). Not that it’s really a road at all: at best, it’s more like a gravel track, flanked by sheer mountain above and sheer cliff below, teetering over drops that’ll have your stomach turning somersaults. Along the way, the road skirts the foot of Kaldbakur, the highest mountain in the Westfjords, which you can summit when the weather permits.
Planning tip: The road should only be attempted with an experienced guide: contact Westfjords Adventures.
11. Look for the northern lights
With practically zero light pollution, the Westfjords is one of the best places to watch the northern lights (aurora borealis) in Iceland. Peak aurora activity occurs between the darkest months of October and March, but you also need clear skies to see them, which can be a problem in the Westfjords.
Planning tip: To maximize your chances of seeing the aurora, it’s worth contacting a specialist guiding company, who have access to the latest weather forecasts and detailed aurora predictions: Wild Westfjords is a reliable operator. If you have time to spare, just hang around a while: chances are the aurora will make an appearance sooner or later.
12. Be spooked at the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft
The Strandir coast is a pretty strange place, so it’s not hard to see how sorcery and witchy activities found their way into the area’s folklore. This curious little museum in Hólmavik explores the history of the occult, with exhibits and artifacts delving into the facts (and more often than not fiction) behind the legends.
There are some deeply odd things on show here, from blood cups to magical staves, witches’ brooms and grimoires (spellbooks). There are also some troubling tales of the witch-burning that swept through the Westfjords in the 17th century.
13. Take a road trip along the Strandir coast
In the Icelandic imagination, the isolated Strandir coast is said to be the home of trolls, elves, spooks and sorcerers – but these days most people go there to experience nature in its rawest state. The eastern flank of the Westfjords has some of the region’s most dramatic scenery: big mountains, big cliffs, big fjords, in fact, big nature in every sense. The rough, bumpy road from Hólmavík marks the beginning of the roughly 240km (150 mile) drive to Norðurfjörður, an isolated and largely deserted road where you could go several hours without passing another car. Pocked with coves and beaches where the only sunbathers are seals, it feels about as far from the outside world as it’s possible to get
Planning tip: Cell phones and wi-fi don’t work here, and it’s finer for it.
14. Visit the Factory, an art gallery in Reykjarfjörður
Herrings were once the lifeblood of Reykjarfjörður, but the fishing glory days are long gone. Enterprising locals have since turned the area’s old processing plant into a contemporary art gallery, the Factory, displaying adventurous paintings and striking sculptures by leading Icelandic artists. It’s a curious experience to find a cutting-edge gallery in the middle of the Westfjords, but it works brilliantly.
15. Get drenched by Dynjandi waterfall
If the Westfjords have a best-known sight, then it’s probably Dynjandi: the mighty, multi-leveled waterfall that tumbles down a 100m (328ft) cliff face and is, by both height and volume, the largest waterfall in the Westfjords. It’s the largest of a series of falls that you pass on the way up from the car park (a difficult-to-pronounce roll-call including Hæstahjallafoss, Strompgljúfrafoss, Göngumannafoss, Hrísvaðsfoss, Kvíslarfoss, Hundafoss, and Bæjarfoss). But it’s only when you stand under the main chute that you realize the massive force of the water smashing down from the surrounding snowcap. Its name translates to something like “the Thunderer”, and it’s apt: the waterfall can be quite deafening, every inch as impressive as better-known Icelandic falls like Gullfoss, Goðafoss, and Dettifoss.
Planning tip: Note that the drive up to the falls is along a potholed road: it can be heavy going in wet weather.
