Westfjords Region

About Westfjords Region

The Westfjords region (Vestfirðir) is the large peninsula in the far northwest of Iceland, a claw of land joined to the rest of the country by a narrow neck between two fjords. Its coastline is cut by dozens of long, narrow fjords, and steep flat-topped mountains drop straight into the sea on almost every side.

That shape explains everything about traveling here. Roads have to follow each fjord in and out, so a village 20 kilometers away across the water can be an hour's drive. Around 7,300 people live in the whole region, more than a third of them in Ísafjörður, and the rest in small fishing villages and scattered farms.

Most travelers treat the Westfjords region as three separate parts. In the south, Látrabjarg bird cliff, Rauðisandur beach and Dynjandi waterfall sit within a few hours of each other. Ísafjörður and the fjords of Ísafjarðardjúp make up the north, with boats across to the uninhabited Hornstrandir reserve, while the Strandir coast runs up the east side as the quietest stretch of all.

From Reykjavík it is about 455 kilometers and five to six hours by road to Ísafjörður via Hólmavík. The other option is the Baldur car ferry across Breiðafjörður from Stykkishólmur on Snæfellsnes to Brjánslækur, which drops you close to the southern sights; book ahead and check the current schedule. Domestic flights take about 40 to 50 minutes to Ísafjörður, Bíldudalur or Gjögur.

The region is worth the effort if you have at least four or five days, since the drive in and out eats most of a shorter trip. June to early September is the best time to visit, with long daylight, puffins at Látrabjarg in early summer and every road open. The main roads are kept open through winter, but snow, ice and wind can shut mountain passes at short notice, so check the official road-conditions map and weather warnings before each drive.