The Westfjords
The Westfjords are the oldest and one of the most remote parts of Iceland. Deep fjords, steep slopes and small communities define the region. It has some of the most spectacular nature in the country, but fewer visitors than most other places.
The landscape of the Westfjords
The Westfjords are a large peninsula joined to the rest of Iceland by a narrow isthmus between Gilsfjörður and Bitrufjörður. The bedrock consists of old basalt layers that Ice Age glaciers have carved into deep fjords and flat-topped plateaus. The coastline is extremely indented, with many fjords. There is little geothermal activity and no active volcanoes, but the region does have Drangajökull, its only glacier.
Ísafjörður and surroundings
Ísafjörður is the main town of the Westfjords and stands on a spit in Skutulsfjörður. The town has old timber houses from the monopoly and free-trade eras, including the Factor's House and the Tar House, which are among the oldest buildings in Iceland. The Westfjords Heritage Museum is in Neðstikaupstaður. The music festival "Aldrei fór ég suður" ("I never went south") is held in Ísafjörður at Easter, and the European swamp soccer championship takes place over the August bank holiday weekend.
Nearby towns include Bolungarvík, Súðavík, Flateyri and Þingeyri. The avalanches in Súðavík and Flateyri in 1995 took 34 lives and led to the construction of large avalanche barriers.
Main natural attractions
- Dynjandi – a waterfall about 100 m high in Arnarfjörður that spreads out like a bridal veil.
- Látrabjarg – the largest bird cliff in Iceland, 14 km long and up to 441 m high.
- Rauðisandur – a long, reddish-golden sandy beach.
- Hornstrandir – an abandoned area and nature reserve where the Arctic fox is protected. Accessible only by boat or on foot.
- Hornbjarg – a 534 m bird cliff in Hornstrandir.
- Selárdalur – the artworks of Samúel Jónsson, "the artist with the child's heart".
- Pollurinn near Tálknafjörður and many other natural hot pools.
History and culture
Jón Sigurðsson, the leader of the independence movement, was born at Hrafnseyri in Arnarfjörður on 17 June 1811. There is now a museum and memorial chapel, and 17 June, his birthday, became Iceland's National Day. In the 17th century witch burnings were more common in the Westfjords than elsewhere in Iceland, and the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft is in Hólmavík on the Strandir coast. Gísla saga Súrssonar tells of the outlaw Gísli, who hid in Dýrafjörður and Geirþjófsfjörður.
Transport
Travel in the Westfjords has long been difficult because of mountain roads that close in winter. Tunnels have helped: the Vestfjarðagöng tunnel (1996), the Bolungarvík tunnel (2010) and the Dýrafjörður tunnel (2020). The Baldur ferry crosses Breiðafjörður from Stykkishólmur to Brjánslækur. There are flights from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður and Bíldudalur.
Frequently asked questions
How high is Dynjandi?
Dynjandi is about 100 m high and spreads out to about 60 m wide at the bottom.
How do you get to Hornstrandir?
In summer boats sail from Ísafjörður and Norðurfjörður. No roads lead there.