Iceland review - 2014, Qupperneq 104

102 ICELAND REVIEW
Home to 4,200 people, Heimaey is the only one of the 15 Vest-
mannaeyjar (‘Westman Islands’) which is inhabited. Boasting
the second-largest fishing station in the country, fisheries remain
the main industry on the island.
ouT of The ashes
In 1973 the Eldfell volcanic eruption buried 400 houses in lava and
ash and threatened to bring life on Heimaey to an end but most
inhabitants returned to rebuild their community. The effects of the
eruption are still present. Signposts with names of vanished streets
have been placed in the new lava, the tables at the cozy café Vin-
aminni are dedicated to lost neighborhoods and the people who
lived there, pillars around town indicate how high the ash level was
at the end of the eruption and the volcano Eldfell blocks the view
that islanders used to have of Iceland’s southern coast and Eyjafjal-
lajökull glacier. A hike up Eldfell reveals that steam is still coming
out of its lukewarm rim.
sea, BirDs anD More
Vestmannaeyjar are also famous for their birdlife, particularly the
puffin, as the islands are home to the world’s largest puffin colony,
numbering millions of birds. Bird watching tours are inevitably
popular, as are sightseeing tours by sea and air, walks, horseback
riding and sea angling. Golfers favor the island’s unusual 18-hole
golf course. The town also has a number of restaurants and cafés,
hotels, guesthouses, a campsite and swimming pool. The only
aquarium in Iceland, Sæheimar, is located on Heimaey and Sa-
gnheimar, the local folk museum, is also worth a visit. Whatever
you do, don’t miss the brand new Eldheimar – Pompeii of the
North visitor center.
At a distance of 8 km (5 miles) from the mainland, Heimaey can
be reached by ferry in only 30 minutes from Landeyjahöfn. Flights
are also offered by Eagle Air from Reykjavík. So start planning
your island hop now!
vestmannaeyjar.is/en/visit
veSTmannaeyjar –
iSland Hopping
The Vestmannaeyjar archipelago consists of 15 islands,
famous for their rich birdlife and volcanic activity.
Travel
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Clockwise from the top left: the heimaey harbor is one of the busiest in iceland; Skansinn heritage museum; view of the town, looking across the new lava;
vestmannaeyjar seen from landeyjahöfn, the ferry port.