Reykjavík Grapevine - 27.09.2019, Side 42

For most people, Iceland, with its popu-
lation of only 360,000, fulfils the de-
sire for rural island experiences. But if
you’re hankering after another level of
remoteness, Vestmannaeyjar has got
your back. At least, that's what I found
when I hopped over to the archipelago
with Hidden Iceland.
Vestmannaeyjar—or ‘The Westman
Islands’ as they are often called—are a
collection of around 15 islands and rock
formations off the southwest coast of
Iceland. Only one of these, ‘Heimaey,’
is actually inhabited year-round. The
archipelago is steeped in history–both
ancient and modern–and all kinds of
wild tales originate there, from islands
that rise suddenly from the sea, to ma-
rauding pirates, to children collecting
lost baby puffins in cardboard boxes.
A ferry good arrival
But the first adventure that a trip to
Vestmannaeyjar offers is actually get-
ting there. The most common way to do
this is by boat, although Heimaey does
have an airport. In the winter the boat
departs—when possible—from !orlák-
shöfn for a three-hour journey. But in
the gentler summer months, a faster
service runs from Landeyjarhöfn, and
takes only 30 minutes.
Arriving by boat, it’s hard not to be
struck by the islands' variety of incred-
ible cliffs, caves, basalt columns and
other geological features. The cliffs
house Vestmannaeyjar’s famed puffin
colonies, which are some of the largest
in the world. More than two million
puffins come to nest and raise their
young during the summer months ev-
ery year.
The proximity of the nest sites to
the town on Heimaey leads to an ador-
able natural phenomenon every year,
when the baby pufflings (yes, that’s
the scientific term) spread their wings
and fly the nest. Like many hip young
things, they are drawn to the lights of
the big city—and unfortunately, find
themselves stranded in the streets and
gardens of the town. But there are help-
ers on hand to assist the poor pufflets
(definitely not a scientific term). Dur-
ing the time in August and September
that the fledglings are taking flight,
local children are allowed to stay up
late, roaming the streets to collect the
baby birds and provide them with a safe
haven for the night before releasing
them back into the wild the next day.
Turbulent past
In addition to peculiar puffin pastimes,
Vestmannaeyjar is also well known for
its recent, turbulent volcanic history.
The best place to learn about this is the
Eldheimar Volcano Museum, which is
housed in an impressive modern build-
ing on the hill above the town. The mu-
seum was created around the excavated
ruins of a house that was completely
buried by volcanic ash and tephra dur-
ing the 1973 eruption. The story of this
eruption and the consequent evacua-
tion of Heimaey is one of the defining
narratives of Iceland’s recent history.
In the early hours of the morning on
January 23rd, 1973, the inhabitants of
Heimaey were awoken by a violent vol-
canic eruption. In an incredible stroke
of luck, stormy weather the previous
day had inhibited the fleet of fishing
boats from going out to sea, meaning
they were all available to be used for a
quick getaway.
In an impressively short amount
of time, the majority of the island’s
5,300 residents were evacuated to the
mainland. The eruption lasted for 5
months, destroying around 400 homes
and drastically changing the landscape
of island. The Eldheimar museum ef-
fectively retells the story of this dra-
matic time in Iceland’s history through
personal stories of residents and in-
teractive exhibits, and is well worth
spending some time in.
Take it to the top
Another way to gain perspective on the
1973 eruption is to climb up the vol-
canic cone ‘Eldfell’ which it created.
More than 40 years after the event,
Eldfell is still starkly bare and lacking
the plant life that covers nearby older
peak Helgafell. What’s more, in various
rock cracks and crevasses on the hill,
it is possible to reach down and feel
the heat from the still slowly-cooling
reaction. In fact, the warmth from the
lava flows was harnessed by the island-
ers on their return to Vestmannaeyjar
to heat the houses of Heimaey for years
afterwards.
The short, steep hike up Eldfell of-
fers panoramic views of the whole of
Heimaey and the surrounding islands,
including Surtsey.
Another product of violent volca-
nic activity, Surtsey appeared as if by
magic out of the ocean in a matter of
days in 1963 and is now a highly pro-
tected UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From the top of the hill, it is possible
to make out its outline in the distance,
looking like the curved side of a guitar
lying half-submerged in the water.
Pirates!
Heimaey’s geography hides a few more
stories, many of which speak to the
resilient and irrepressible nature of
the island’s inhabitants. One of the
more tragic tales involves the invasion
of Vestmannaeyjar by Algerian pirates
in 1627. Around 500 people were living
on the island and more than half were
ultimately captured by the pirates,
who transported them back to Algeria
where they were sold as slaves. Many
locations around Heimaey still bear
names that relate to this time, includ-
ing Hundra"mannahellir, ‘the cave of
the hundred’, where 100 of the island’s
terrified residents were said to have
hidden to try and evade the pirates.
Today, Vestmannaeyjar is calm and
peaceful, with only the roaring wind
from the Atlantic Ocean to liven things
up. But it only takes a look at the land-
scape around you to remember the
islands’ rich history, and realise that
there are plenty more stories yet to
come.
Distance from
Reykjavík:
151 km

How to get there:
Take Route 1 south
and turn ri!ht
onto 254.
Then take the
ferry.

Day tour to
Westman Islands
provided by:
Hidden Iceland
hiddeniceland.is
42The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 17— 2019
Islands In The Steam
A day explorin! Vestmannaeyjar’s wild landscape and history
Words: Josie Gaitens Photos: Dominika Milek
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