Vestmannaeyjar

Introducing Vestmannaeyjar

Black and brooding, Vestmannaeyjar forms 15 eye-catching silhouettes off the southern shore. The islands were formed by submarine volcanoes around 11, 000 years ago, except for sulky-looking Surtsey, the archipelago’s newest addition, which rose from the waves in 1963.

Several islands are scattered with summer huts, used by bird hunters and egg collectors, but Heimaey is the only inhabited one. Its little town and sheltered harbour lie between dramatic klettur (escarpments) and two ominous volcanoes – conical Helgafell and blood-red Eldfell. The latter has only been around for 34 years – it was created during the huge five-month eruption that buried parts of the town under 30 million tonnes of lava. Heimaey is famous for its puffins – around 10 million birds come here to breed – and for Þjóðhátíð, Iceland’s biggest outdoor festival, held in August.

Maybe it’s the relative isolation or maybe it’s because everyone lives on top of a temperamental volcano – whatever the reason, Heimaey is one of the friendliest places you’ll find. It’s also a self-sufficient working town – the islands supply around 15% of Iceland’s fish catch.

The ferry Herjólfur provides daily connections to Þorlákshöfn on the mainland. It carries cars, but Heimaey is small enough to explore on foot. There are also flights here from Reykjavík and Bakki (near Hvolsvöllur). An undersea tunnel was discussed recently, but the 100-billion-krónur price tag looks a little high.

Heimaey

Heimaey enjoys a spectacular setting, squeezed between dramatic cliffs to the west, and the two looming volcanic cones to the east. It has better tourist facilities than many towns on the mainland.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009