Iceland review - 2004, Page 46

ICELAND REVIEW 44
dises, such as the Reykjanes peninsula in Ísafjar›ardjúp with one of
the region´s most enjoyable hot swimming pools. Those interested in
the netherworld can visit the Exhibition of Witchcraft and Sorcery in
Hólmavík and also head to Djúpavík, once a thriving village with a
grand herring factory in the Strandir area, now a ghost town shad-
owed by the mountain, Háafell. If you travel by road from West
Iceland, your trip around the West Fjords will start at the charming
northern coast of Breidafjör›ur bay, Bardaströnd, with the small
hamlet of Reykhólar, a birdwatcher’s paradise, from which you
might even see an eagle circling overhead. In this area as on many
other places in the region, there are many walking trails that are
marked with sign poles and cairns.
SERVICE
The region offers lots of accommodations, quality campsites in
Tálknafjör›ur. fiingeyri, Ísafjör›ur and Hólmavík, as well as restau-
rants and various other services for tourists. Swimming pools are in
most villages as are tourist information centres and car service sta-
tions. Very popular are the summerhouse villages in Súdavik and
Flókalundur. During the summer season lots of festivals take place in
the whole area and everybody is welcome to take part. Interesting
trips are also offered on a daily or weekly basis, mainly in the Ísafjord-
ur-area.
IN THE WILDS
The West Fjords is Iceland’s least populated region, with only about
8,000 inhabitants in an area of 9,520 km2. So perhaps one of the
main reasons visitors are starting to take notice is that the West
Fjords is an area where one can walk in solitude. You can stand on
the precipice of a rocky cliff and just be alone. And the remoteness of
the region will endure. Great care has been taken to protect the nat-
ural beauty of the West Fjords, and the regional tourism and environ-
mental protection projects have already won several awards for their
achievement in developing both cultural and sustainable tourism.
Serving as Iceland’s outpost in the north-
west, and located at the westernmost point
of Europe, the West Fjords is a rugged land-
scape stretching into the deep recesses of the natural world - miles
off the usual Icelandic tourist trail. The West Fjords is a massive jag-
ged peninsula which lips into the Arctic Ocean to the northwest of
Iceland. The region is characterised by vast spreads of exposed wild-
erness, mountainous terrain and steep bluffs that serve as sanctuaries
for a plethora of bird species. Also, there are deserted settlements,
remote farms, small fishing villages and deep fjords that serve as wa-
terways to some of Iceland’s richest fishing areas. Up there, the win-
ters simply last. And during the summers, visitors can witness the et-
ernal glow of the midnight sun.
IN HARMONY WITH NATURE
While the major industry is fishing, tourist activity in the West Fjords
is becoming more and more important. Visitors from across the glo-
be journey to the geologically oldest part of Iceland to gaze at the
subarctic flora and fauna; spot seals, whales, foxes and millions of
seabirds; hike the high mountain terrain; paddle sea kayaks through
the blueness of the fjord; sail around the numerous isles and skerries
of Breidafjördur; explore the remote fjords on horseback or to
snowshoe, ski and ice-fish during the winter. But, how do you get
there? The region is only a 45 minute flight from Reykjavík. After
landing in Ísafjör›ur, Bíldudalur or Gjögur, visitors have many
options, such as ferrying to the uninhabited wilderness and stupen-
dous cliffs of Hornstrandir, where the Arctic pack ice sneaks in close
to land and seabirds galore flap through the air.
CULTURE AND ACTIVITIES
The West Fjords is rich in culture and full of museums and
exhibitions, such as the 200-year-old houses of the Folk and Maritime
Museum at Nedstikaupstadur in Ísafjördur, the Ósvör Maritime Muse-
um in Bolungarvík, the exhibition of natural resources and their usa-
ge in Reykhólar. The folk museum Hnjótur in the southern fjords,
close to the famous bird cliff Látrabjarg, tells the fascinating story
about how the people survived by using birds, eggs and other natu-
ral resources. In a region so depopulated, one might imagine that
myths abound. They certainly do, but there are also unexpected para-
Geologically the oldest part of Iceland with
subarctic flora and fauna (seals, whales and
foxes), high mountains and deep fjords.
Warmest months: June - August.
Coldest months: January - March.
Population of the West Fjords: 8,300.
THE WEST FJORDS: A truly remote paradise
EXPOSED
NATURE
Further information: www.vestfirdir.is www.vesturferdir.is info@vestfirdir.is
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First Scandinavian Travel
award winner 2001
Icelandic Environmental
award 2002
WWF
award winner 1998
Kaldbakur cliffs.Látrabjarg Bird cliff, the westernmost point of Europe.
ADVERTORIAL
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