Fjords in Iceland

Hvalfjörður

Hvalfjörður is a fjord in West Iceland, about 30 km long and 5 km wide, between Mosfellsbær and Akranes, with its mouth roughly 40 minutes' drive north of Reykjavík. Most drivers heading north never see it, because Route 1 dives under the water through the Hvalfjörður tunnel. That is their loss. Driving Route 47 around the shore adds about an hour, and in return you get quiet beaches, farms and valleys with almost no traffic, plus Glymur and the Hvammsvík nature baths along the way. The name means Whale Fjord. Nobody knows for sure why, though one theory points to whales stranded here in the settlement era and another to the mountain Hvalfell at the head of the fjord. A folk tale prefers a red-headed whale called Rauðhöfði, created when an elf woman cursed her unfaithful lover. The Hvalfjörður tunnel opened in 1998 and runs about 5.8 km under the fjord, reaching 165 m below sea level. Since September 2018 it has been toll-free, which makes it the obvious choice when you're in a hurry. Glymur, one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls at about 198 m, is the big draw at the head of the fjord. The full hiking loop crosses the Botnsá river, which is only practical in summer, so time your visit for the warmer months if you want the whole loop. Closer to the mouth, the Hvammsvík nature baths sit right on the shore. During the Second World War, Hvalfjörður was a busy Allied naval anchorage, and Arctic convoys bound for the Soviet Union gathered here. Outside summer, check the official road-conditions map and weather warnings before choosing the shore road over the tunnel.

Borgarfjörður

Borgarfjörður is a shallow fjord in West Iceland and the farming district that spreads inland from it, about an hour's drive north of Reykjavík through the Hvalfjörður tunnel. Borgarnes, on a narrow point in the fjord, is the main town and the usual first stop. Don't confuse it with Borgarfjörður eystri, a small village on the far side of the country in East Iceland. Most of what is worth seeing in Borgarfjörður lies up the valleys rather than on the water. Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring, pours out about 180 liters of near-boiling water per second, and pipelines carry it 34 km to heat Borgarnes and 64 km to Akranes. Right next to it, the Krauma baths mix that water with cold glacial meltwater for a soak. Farther up the valley, Hraunfossar is a long row of springs spilling out of a lava field into the milky Hvítá river, and Barnafoss is a short walk upstream. Reykholt, between the two, was the home of the medieval writer and chieftain Snorri Sturluson, and Snorralaug, the old stone bathing pool named after him, is still there. Out in the Hallmundarhraun lava field, guided tours go underground into Víðgelmir, one of the largest lava tubes in Iceland. Deildartunguhver, Reykholt and Hraunfossar fit comfortably into a day trip from Reykjavík, and the district also makes an easy first stop on the way to Snæfellsnes or the north. Summer gives you long days for a side trip toward Langjökull glacier. In winter, daylight is short, so plan fewer stops and check the official road-conditions map before heading inland in snow.

Eastfjords Adventures

Eastfjords Adventures is a small tour operator based at Ferjuleira in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland, close to where the ferry and cruise ships dock. It runs hiking, jeep, e-bike and winter trips around the fjord and the wider Eastfjords, with a local guide instead of a seat on a big coach. Summer hikes range from easy nature walks to the peaks above the fjord, and the jeep tours climb into the mountains or head inland. The longest trip is the private Stuðlagil and Highlands jeep tour, which takes six to seven hours and was listed at ISK 199,900 for the whole group in 2026. Shared between a family or a few friends in one car, that works out better than it first looks. For something shorter, the Hidden Waterfalls e-bike tour follows the fjord for about three hours, from ISK 22,900 per person. In winter the program turns to hiking, snowshoeing and ski touring, and the intermediate snowshoe hike also takes about three hours, from ISK 18,900 per person. Snow and weather decide whether winter trips run, so leave some slack in your plans. Seyðisfjörður is about 30 minutes' drive from Egilsstaðir over the Fjarðarheiði mountain pass, so check the official road-conditions map before you cross it in winter. The three-hour tours fit around a cruise stop, and Sundhöll Seyðisfjarðar, the town pool, is a short walk away for afterward. All prices here are the operator's listed 2026 rates, so confirm the current schedule and book by email or phone before you travel.

Hesteyri

Hesteyri is a deserted village on Hesteyrarfjörður, the westernmost of the Jökulfirðir fjords in Iceland's Westfjords, inside the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. No road reaches it, so you arrive by boat from Ísafjörður and step ashore onto a meadow of wildflowers, with a few wooden houses spread along a river that runs into the fjord. At its peak, around 80 people lived here. Norwegian whalers set up a station nearby at Stekkeyri in the 1890s, which later became a herring factory, and its rusting ruins still stand on the shore. Residents began moving away in the late 1940s, and by the early 1950s nobody lived at Hesteyri year-round. The old homes are now summer houses, and in summer the Doctor's House (Læknishúsið) serves food and rents rooms to visitors. Because Hesteyri is part of Hornstrandir, the reserve rules apply: arctic foxes are fully protected, dogs aren't allowed and camping is limited to designated sites. Film fans may recognize the village as the setting of the Icelandic horror film I Remember You (Ég man þig). Scheduled boats to Hesteyri run from Ísafjörður in summer and take about an hour each way, and some operators sell guided trips that include a walk through the village. Pack rain gear even in July, since Westfjords weather turns quickly and return pickups can run late. Outside the summer season, anyone entering the reserve must register their travel plans with the Environment Agency in advance.

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.