Norðurfjörður / Valgeirsstaðir

About Norðurfjörður / Valgeirsstaðir

Valgeirsstaðir is a mountain hut and campsite run by Ferðafélag Íslands (the Touring Association of Iceland) in Norðurfjörður, the northernmost village in Árneshreppur on the Strandir coast of the Westfjords. It sits about 25 metres above sea level near the end of the road along this coast, reached along Route 643 north of Hólmavík, and the association describes it as accessible by all cars in summer.

The hut is a restored, electrically heated farmhouse on two floors, sleeping 26 people in five bedrooms, with a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room, two toilets and a shower. Campers pitch on the grass beside the house and can use a restored sheep shed next to it, which has a small cooking area and a toilet, plus a charcoal grill between the two buildings. A bed in the hut is listed at 11,000 ISK per night; the camping price is not published, so ask the warden on arrival.

The site is open only in summer, typically from early June to late August, when a warden is present. It is locked in winter. Book the hut in advance through the Touring Association, as groups and hikers heading for Hornstrandir use it.

Norðurfjörður has a small shop about ten minutes' walk away, and the Krossneslaug outdoor pool, set on the beach a few kilometres north, is the best-known stop in the area. In summer, boats run from the harbour to the Hornstrandir nature reserve, including the Hornbjargsviti lighthouse area, making Valgeirsstaðir a common start or end point for multi-day hikes. Walking trails also lead into the mountains around the fjord. The drive in is long and partly on gravel, so fill up with fuel in Hólmavík and check road conditions before setting out.