Iceland review - 2014, Síða 83

ICELAND REVIEW 81
around iceland
That leads us to the cliff of all cliffs: the 14 km (9 mile) long
Látrabjarg, home to an unfathomable number of birds. The
perfect place to snap a picture—close up—of the colorful puffin
before heading to Patreksfjörður, a great hub to explore the
southern part of the Westfjords. Last year the first tourist opera-
tor in the area, Westfjords Adventure, started in the town, help-
ing visitors to explore this large area up close and personal.
North we go, to the villages of Tálknafjörður and Bíldudalur.
On the way you will quickly get a feel for the area’s unique
nature; for both the landscape and the people of the Westfjords
are powerfully influenced and shaped by Mother Nature like
nowhere else. A good place to see it all in action is The Icelandic
Sea Monster Museum in Bíldudalur.
The next stop on the way to the region’s capital, Ísafjörður, is
the waterfall Dynjandi. With a cumulative height of 100 meters,
it is 60 meters wide at the bottom and Iceland’s most photoge-
nic waterfall.
From Dynjandi there is a short drive to the farmstead Hrafns-
eyri, the birthplace and museum of Iceland’s independence
hero, President Jón Sigurðsson. After that, head up to Hrafns-
eyrarheiði pass. Be sure to stop and take a photo or two before
continuing to Þingeyri. Just above the village is the mountain
Sandfell, an easy hike offering the perfect panorama over the
surrounding area. One thing you are guaranteed up there is
some space to clear your mind—and some fresh air to fill it up
again.
From Þingeyri it’s only 45-minutes’ drive, past the interest-
ing villages of Flateyri and Suðureyri, to Ísafjörður. That is the
perfect place to rent a boat and visit the Hornstrandir Nature
Reserve, an uninhabited peninsula north of Ísafjörður and west of
Drangajökull glacier where the Arctic fox roams free from being
hunted, and birdlife is prodigious. This is the best place in Ice-
land for hiking. And if it’s birds you like, then a voyage to Vigur
Island is a must. A great little island with thousands of
feathered inhabitants.
The town of Ísafjörður, with its great museums and restaurants,
makes for an ideal base for exploring the northern part of the
Westfjords and visiting nearby villages like Bolungarvík before
continuing the journey to Súðavík and Hólmavík, one of the best
drives Iceland has to offer; with long narrow fjords hemmed in by
strong, tall fortress-like mountains. Before leaving Súðavík, make
sure to visit the Arctic Fox Center.
Hólmavík, with its Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft,
is the center of the Strandir region. A drive to Norðurfjörður via
Drangsnes for the midnight sun, some sheep and a dip into the
Krossnes swimming pool, is a must before heading south.
The Árnes Region has many picturesque walking paths, offer-
ing views north to Hornbjarg as well as the renowned Dranga-
skörð rock pillars that gradually merge with the ocean. There you
will also find two abandoned herring factories from the mid-20th
century when Djúpavík was booming. From Norðurfjörður fjord
you can travel by boat north to the nature preserve—another op-
tion would be to walk from Djúpavík and sail back.
Crossing the Westfjords border takes only about two hours
from Reykjavík—but there’s no ‘Welcome to the Westfjords’ sign
to greet you… somehow you just know. You’ve arrived.
westfjords.is