A woman hikes in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.

© Isley Reust

Hornstrandir Nature Reserve

Top choice in The Westfjords


Craggy mountains, precarious sea cliffs and plunging waterfalls make up Hornstrandir, one of Europe’s last true wilderness areas, covering some of the most extreme parts of Iceland. It’s a fantastic destination for hiking, with challenging terrain and excellent opportunities for spotting Arctic foxes, seals, whales and teeming bird life. It is essential to plan ahead and get local advice, as vast snow drifts with near-vertical faces can develop on the mountain passes, rivers can become unfordable.

The best time to visit Hornstrandir is in July. Outside the summer season (which runs from late-June to mid-August; ferry boats run June to August) there are few people around and the weather is even more unpredictable. If you're planning to visit the park prior to 15 June, it is mandatory to register with a ranger.

A handful of hardy farmers lived in Hornstrandir until the 1950s, but since 1975 the 580 sq km of tundra, fjord, glacier and alpine upland have been protected as Hornstrandir Nature Reserve and are a national monument. The area has some of the strictest preservation rules in Iceland, thanks to its incredibly rich, but fragile, vegetation. Always keep to marked trails, stick to designated campgrounds and carry out all rubbish.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Westfjords attractions

1. Ósvör Maritime Museum

22.32 MILES

The 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…

2. Natural History Museum

22.62 MILES

Features a comprehensive collection of minerals (lignite from when Iceland was covered in forests) and taxidermied animals – including a giant blue…

3. Vigur

23.73 MILES

Charming 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…

4. Culture House

25.04 MILES

The 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…

5. Ísafjarðarkirkja

25.05 MILES

More than 740 clay birds, arranged in flight soar above the altarpiece of this modernist church.They were made by locals during a group art project. Look…

6. Seamen's Monument

25.06 MILES

Ísafjörður's big bronze Seaman's Monument depicts two fishermen with their nets and commemorates those who've lost their lives at sea.

7. Old Town

25.07 MILES

Ísafjörður's historic quarter borders it's eastern edges. Start explorations in Tangagata to see gabled, tin-clad homes, often brightly painted in…

8. Whalebone Arch

25.09 MILES

Of minor interest is the whalebone arch made from a whale’s jawbone in the central town park.