Activities in Húsavík
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Saltvík Horse Farm
Short horse rides (one to three hours) and longer tours (five to nine days) are available at Saltvík horse farm, 5km south of Húsavík.
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Whale Watching
Húsavík lies on the edge of Skjálfandi, a wide, deep bay with good water circulation, natural shelter and little variation in tides - ideal conditions for whales. The area has become Iceland's premier whale-watching destination, with 12 species coming here to feed in summer.
Minke whales are by far the most common species seen in the bay, with regular sightings of white-beaked dolphins, humpback whales and porpoises and less frequent appearances by orcas, fin, sei or pilot whales, and the 'big one' - blue whales.
It takes about an hour to sail to the prime feeding grounds, where crew and participants get busy looking out for telltale signs of a surfacing whale. Although…
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Whale Watching, Norður Sigling
The original whale watching operator is Norður Sigling, which started whale watching here in 1994. It has four boats, including the 20-tonne oak schooner Haukur. Trips run up to four times daily from mid-May to mid-September. Hot chocolate and pastries are provided during the trip, but it's still a good idea to wrap up well before departure as it can be bitterly cold out on the boat, no matter how warm it feels in town.
In early and late season both operators may have only one departure daily, so check in advance. If there are no sightings, you can usually get on another trip for free.
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Gentle Giants - whale watching
The second whale watching operator in Húsavík is Gentle Giants, with two boats making trips up to five times daily from June to mid-September. Hot chocolate and pastries are provided during the trip, but it's still a good idea to wrap up well before departure as it can be bitterly cold out on the boat, no matter how warm it feels in town. In early and late season both operators may have only one departure daily, so check in advance.
If there are no sightings, you can usually get on another trip for free. You can buy tickets from the 'lighthouse' ticket booth opposite the church.
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Húsavíkurfjall
Húsavík's lovely setting looking out over the blue-green bay to the mountains and sheer cliffs to the south makes it an appealing location for some hiking. In a couple of hours you can make it up the steep trail (4.9km) to the summit of 417m-high Húsavíkurfjall. The path starts on the main road just 1.8km north of town.
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North Sailing
North Sailing operate their whale-watching tours from Húsavík harbour. It has a fleet of beautiful old-school boats, including the 20-tonne oak schooner Haukur. Their popular ‘Whales, Puffins & Sails’ tour stops at beautiful Lundey, and overnight trips to Grímsey are possible a few times during the summer.
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excursion to Jökulsárgljúfur National Park & Dettifoss
The SBA-Norðurleið bus picks up at Húsavík at 10:00 daily in summer, and does a return eight-hour excursion to Jökulsárgljúfur National Park & Dettifoss , stopping at the main sights.
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Gentle Giants
Gentle Giants, with their flotilla of lovingly restored fishing vessels, operate their whale-watching tours from Húsavík harbour. It also runs special trips to lovely Flatey – you’ll most likely see whales along the way.
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Puffin-watching Tours
Norður Sigling runs daily combination whale- and puffin-watching tours to Lundey (three to four hours) and Flatey (five to six hours), as well as full day trips to Grímsey on request.
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Horse riding, Torfunes
Torfunes horse farm at Ljósavatnshreppur, 32km south of Húsavík, offers three-hour horse rides from May to September, as well as six- to eight-day trips in July.
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Sea-angling Trips
Gentle Giants offers sea-angling trips (three to four hours) and tours to Flatey (five hours). You can buy tickets from the 'lighthouse' ticket booth opposite the church.
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Jeep tours
Highland Expedition Tours offers super Jeep tours year-round in the northeast region.
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Swimming Pool
The local swimming pool has hot pots, and water slides for children.
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