Iceland attractions

Hvalfjörður

Hvalfjörður is a fjord in West Iceland between Mosfellsbær and Akranes, about 30 km long and 5 km wide, and roughly 40 minutes' drive north of Reykjavík. The name means Whale Fjord. Nobody knows for certain why: one theory is that early settlers found whales beached here, another links it to the mountain Hvalfjall at the head of the fjord, and a folk tale tells of an elf woman who turned her lover into a vengeful red-headed whale called Rauðhöfði. Most traffic skips the fjord through the Hvalfjörður tunnel, opened in 1998. It is about 5.8 km long, runs 165 m below sea level and has been toll-free since September 2018. Driving the old 61 km Route 47 around the fjord instead adds roughly an hour but takes you along quiet shores and past farms, beaches and mountain valleys. The main natural sight is Glymur, a waterfall of about 198 m near the head of the fjord. The hike to its viewpoints crosses the river on a seasonal log, which is only in place in summer, so June to September is the practical window. Hvammsvík, on the shore of the fjord, has geothermal pools by the sea. The fjord also has a history. During the Second World War it was an Allied naval anchorage, and the British base HMS Baldur stood on the Hvítanes point. Today Iceland's only whaling station operates from a former US Navy pier in the fjord, and the Grundartangi industrial area with its aluminium smelter is also here. Outside summer, check road and weather conditions before choosing the Route 47 loop over the tunnel, and allow extra time for photo stops along the shore.

Borgarfjörður

Borgarfjörður is a fjord and the surrounding district in West Iceland, about an hour's drive north of Reykjavík through the Hvalfjörður tunnel. The fjord itself is dotted with flat islands, and its waters can conceal currents. Borgarnes, on the fjord, is the largest town in the region and the usual gateway. Do not confuse Borgarfjörður with Borgarfjörður eystri, a small village in the East Fjords. Inland, the valleys of the district hold several of West Iceland's best-known sights. Deildartunguhver is Europe's most powerful hot spring, pumping out about 180 litres of water per second at 97°C; some of it is piped 34 km to heat Borgarnes and 64 km to Akranes. The Krauma baths beside it mix that hot water with cold glacial water. Further up the valley, Hraunfossar is a long series of streams seeping out of a lava field into the river Hvítá, with Barnafoss a minute's walk east. Reykholt is one of Iceland's most important historical sites. It was the home of the medieval writer and chieftain Snorri Sturluson, and visitors can see Snorralaug, the old geothermal bathing pool named after him, and the Snorrastofa cultural centre. Beyond the valleys lies Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest glacier at about 935 km², where a man-made ice tunnel can be visited on tours. The district works as a day trip from Reykjavík or as the first stop on a drive to Snæfellsnes or the north. Winter daylight is short, so plan fewer stops in the dark months and check road conditions before driving inland in snow.

Eastfjords Adventures

Eastfjords Adventures is a small local tour operator based at Ferjuleira in Seyðisfjörður, a fjord town in East Iceland that is also a cruise-ship port. Its guides run hiking, jeep, e-bike and winter trips around Seyðisfjörður and the wider Eastfjords, as well as tailor-made tours, so it is a practical option if you arrive by ship or want a local guide rather than a large coach tour. In summer, hikes range from easy nature walks to summiting one of the peaks above the fjord. Jeep tours follow the fjords, climb to mountain tops or head into the highlands; the featured private Stuðlagil and Highlands jeep tour takes six to seven hours and costs 199,900 ISK for the group. The Hidden Waterfalls e-bike tour lasts about three hours and costs from 22,900 ISK per person and follows the fjord. The company operates all year. In winter the programme switches to hiking, snowshoeing and ski touring; the intermediate snowshoe hike takes about three hours and costs from 18,900 ISK per person. Winter trips depend on snow and weather, so keep your plans flexible. Prices above are the operator's listed rates at the time of writing; check the current programme and book directly by email or on +354 832 4781. The shorter tours of around three hours fit around a cruise stop, and the town's swimming pool is nearby for afterwards.

Westfjords Region

The Westfjords (Vestfirðir) is the large, claw-shaped peninsula in the far northwest of Iceland, joined to the rest of the country by a narrow isthmus. It is the least visited of Iceland's main regions: around 7,000 people live there, most of them in Ísafjörður and a handful of fishing villages, and much of the coast is steep mountains dropping into long, narrow fjords. The best-known sights are spread out. Dynjandi, a broad tiered waterfall about 100 m high, sits at the head of Arnarfjörður. In the southwest, Látrabjarg is a bird cliff several kilometres long that marks the westernmost point of Iceland, with easy views of puffins from May to mid-August, and nearby Rauðisandur is a long beach of reddish-golden sand. In the north, Hornstrandir is an uninhabited nature reserve reached only by boat from Ísafjörður or Norðurfjörður, known for arctic foxes and multi-day hikes. The Strandir coast on the east side is the most remote area of all, with Krossneslaug pool at the end of the road. Hot pools and natural springs such as Hellulaug near Flókalundur and Reykjafjarðarlaug are scattered across the region, and most villages have a geothermal swimming pool. Ísafjörður has the widest choice of restaurants, tours and boat trips. The usual season is June to early September, when all roads are open, the Baldur car ferry makes two crossings a day between Stykkishólmur and Brjánslækur, and the midnight sun lets you drive late. Many roads are narrow, winding and partly gravel, so allow more time than distances suggest; plan on at least four to five days to see the main sights. In winter, mountain passes such as Dynjandisheiði can close in bad weather and some roads are only cleared on certain days, so check road conditions before travelling. Domestic flights from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður are the fastest way in.