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The Westfjords
The Westfjords is where Iceland’s dramatic landscapes come to a riveting climax and where mass tourism disappears – only about 10% of Iceland's visitors ever see the region. Jagged bird cliffs and broad multihued dream beaches flank the south. Rutted dirt roads snake north along jaw-dropping coastal fjords and over immense central mountains, revealing tiny fishing villages embracing traditional ways of life. In the far north, the Hornstrandir hiking reserve crowns the quiet region, and is home to cairn-marked walking paths revealing bird life, Arctic foxes and ocean vistas. The Strandir coast is less visited still, with an end-of-the-line, mystical feel, geothermal springs and minuscule oceanside hamlets.
Leave plenty of time: unpaved roads weave around fjords and over pothole-pitted mountain passes, but the scenery is never short of breathtaking. Once you get used to it, you may not want to leave.
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Tips & Travel trends to help you pick the perfect time to visit this destination.
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Westfjords.
Park
Hornstrandir Nature ReserveCraggy mountains, precarious sea cliffs and plunging waterfalls make up Hornstrandir, one of Europe’s last true wilderness areas, covering some of the…
Waterfall
DynjandiTumbling in a broad sweep over a 100m-rocky scarp at the head of Dynjandivogur bay, Dynjandi is the most dramatic waterfall in the Westfjords. The bumpy…
Beach
RauðasandurStunning Rauðasandur beach stretches out in shades of pink and red sands on the southern edge of the peninsula. Pounded by surf and backed by a huge azure…
Museum
Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & WitchcraftThe multilingual displays at this award-winning museum brilliantly convey dark, dramatic tales. Unlike the witches of New England's Salem trials, most of…
Museum
Samúel Jónsson's Art MuseumAt the tip of the Arnarfjörður, local artist Samúel Jónsson lived out his remaining years at a remote farm in Selárdalur, and filled his days by creating…
Museum
Westfjords Heritage MuseumPart of a cluster of historic wooden buildings by the harbour, this museum is in the Turnhús (1784), which was originally a warehouse. It's crammed with…
Museum
Ósvör Maritime MuseumThe old turf-and-stone fishing shacks of the Ósvör Maritime Museum powerfully evoke a past age. A guide in a typical lambskin fisher’s outfit shows you…
Gallery
The FactoryCrumbling plaster, towering chimneys and vast water tanks ensure Reykjarfjörður's old herring factory is an atmospheric place. The trappings of old…
Landmark
Ísafjörður–Suðureyri–Flateyri TunnelCompleted in 1996, this 9km-long tunnel network beneath the mountains becomes an unusual one-lane tunnel in parts of the 6km stretch from Ísafjörður to…
Museum
Museum of Everyday LifeCelebrating the magic of the mundane is the aim of the powerful, creative displays here, where shoes, books and mini-movies each come with personal…
Beach
BreiðavíkAn enormous and stunning golden-sand beach, framed by rocky cliffs and the turquoise waters of the bay. Certainly one of Iceland’s best beaches, the…
Island
VigurCharming Vigur is a popular destination for day trippers from Ísafjörður. In season it's a nesting site for hundreds of puffins, and the rest of the year…
Visitor Center
Arctic Fox CenterThe study of the Arctic fox has been underway on nearby Hornstrandir for years, and this locally loved exhibition details the life of the creatures, their…
Museum
Jón Sigurðsson Memorial MuseumFarmstead Hrafnseyri is the birthplace (on 17 June 1811) of Jón Sigurðsson, the architect of Iceland’s independence. The interesting, modern Jón…
Museum
Sorcerer’s CottageThe three-room turf-roofed Sorcerer’s Cottage is part of the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft in Hólmavík and shows what living conditions were…
Landmark
KerlingLegend has it that this stumpy rock stack is the remains of a petrified troll and Uxi, her bull, is the formation out at sea near the island of Grímsey…
Beach
IngjaldssandurOn the northern edge of Dýrafjörður, Rte 624 forks off west from Rte 60. It turns into a dirt road and passes an abandoned farmhouse before swerving…
Museum
Skrímslasetur Icelandic Sea Monster MuseumMoody, fun, elaborate and dramatic exhibits about Icelandic and foreign monster legends fill the rooms here. The interactive multimedia table tells 180…
Museum
SteinshúsOne of Iceland's most famous poets, Steinn Steinarr (1908–58), is commemorated at this museum set in his former homestead. It details, in Icelandic and…
Cultural Centre
Culture HouseThe intensely close-knit nature of Westfjords life is evoked in the 2nd-floor displays in what was once the town hospital. Look out for vintage scales for…