Westfjords
The Oldest Part of Iceland: Where the Fjord Roads Run Out
Only a small fraction of Iceland’s visitors ever turn northwest onto the fjord roads, which is exactly what keeps the Westfjords feeling, to us, like the country from decades ago. This is Iceland at its least tamed: flat-topped mountains dropping straight into the sea, red-gold beaches with nobody on them, natural hot pools warmed at the water’s edge, and Europe’s greatest bird cliff at the western tip. Add the folklore coast of Strandir and the trackless wilderness of Hornstrandir, and you have the region we reach for when travelers tell us they want Iceland stripped back to its rawest, most elemental self.
Come and Discover the Westfjords
Impressions of the Westfjords
What to See and Do in the Westfjords
Our top 5 reasons to visit this region
Feel the Sand at Rauðisandur, the Red-Gold Beach
Take off your shoes at a 10-kilometer (6-mile) stretch of sand that changes color with every hour of light, from pale gold to deep red. With Snæfellsjökull floating across the bay on a clear day, it is one of the most quietly astonishing beaches in the country.
Where the Foxes Aren't Afraid
Sail from Ísafjörður into Hornstrandir, a peninsula with no roads, no residents, and no crowds, where your only company on the coastal paths is likely to be an inquisitive Arctic fox, fully protected and unafraid of people.
The Coast of Magic
Drive the remote shore of Strandir to Drangsnes, where three free hot tubs sit on the edge of the fjord, then carry on to the abandoned herring factory at Djúpavík. This is the coast Iceland associates with magic.
Marvel at the House That One Man Built
Drive to the end of the gravel road at Selárdalur to see concrete lions, a church with an onion dome, and a courtyard copied from a photograph of the Alhambra, all made alone by a farmer who had never left Iceland. Coffee is served in his house, and everyone is welcome.
No Ticket, Just Water
Soak at Reykjafjarðarlaug, a natural pool ringed by boulders on the shore of Arnarfjörður, with a proper swimming pool beside it. No ticket booth, no shower, just a changing hut, the fjord, and whoever else has found their way there.
"The Westfjords are like a family farm at the end of the world. The whole region is buzzing with creativity and the people are so warm, just like the extraordinary hot springs dotted everywhere!"
Anna Sólrún Bates
Itineraries for Inspiration
The Westfjords ask for time and repay it double. Our itinerary inspirations below can add the region to journeys of ten days or more, looping the fjord roads between Látrabjarg and Ísafjörður and returning along the Strandir coast through Hólmavík, so the detour becomes the heart of the trip rather than an afterthought.
Inspirational Itinerary Name Goes Here
Trip Name, possibly going over into two lines
Day Tour Inside the Volcano
What our travelers find useful
A Summer Region, Mostly
Several mountain passes and the road out to Látrabjarg close outside the warm months. From June to September everything is open; in winter, come for Ísafjörður and the skiing rather than the full loop, which is not reliably driveable.
The Ferry Shortcut
The car ferry Baldur crosses Breiðafjörður between Stykkishólmur and Brjánslækur, saving hours of driving and adding an optional island stop at Flatey. It is the easiest way to link the Westfjords with Snæfellsnes without doubling back.
Fuel When You Can
Stations are far apart out here, and running low is a real risk rather than a theoretical one. A simple rule serves well: below half a tank, fill up at the next pump you pass, whatever else you had planned.
The White Line at the Cliff
At Látrabjarg, a painted line marks the safe distance from the edge, because puffin burrows undermine the grass beyond it and the ground can give way. Lie down to photograph the birds if you like, but keep your weight behind the line.
The View from Bolafjall
A road climbs from Bolungarvík to an old NATO radar post, and what opens up at the summit is one of the finest views in the country, with cliffs dropping 700 meters (2,300 feet) below. It is open in summer only, and the drop is unfenced in places, so mind your footing.
Iceland stories to inform & inspire
The Best Time to Visit Iceland? Honestly, It’s Whenever You Can Go
Before or After Your Cruise, Give Iceland a Few Days of Its Own
Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland: Which One Is Right for You?
Discover More of Iceland
Reykjanes Peninsula
The Reykjanes Peninsula is where your trip begins, minutes from the airport, and where the planet still looks half-finished: young lava, hissing vents, and a spot where you can stand with a foot on each of two continents.
Snæfellsnes & the West Iceland
Snæfellsnes and the West gather the whole island into one peninsula, with a glacier straight out of a Jules Verne novel, saga country, and Europe's strongest hot spring just down the road.
Capital Reykjavik
Reykjavík runs on heat from the ground small enough to cross on foot yet big on music, books, street art, and the geothermal pools where the city gathers.
The East
The East refuses to be rushed. The fjord roads take the long way around on purpose, wild reindeer graze the slopes, and towns like Seyðisfjörður tend to hold onto visitors longer than planned.
The North
The North is home ground for us. Come for the whales of Húsavík, the steaming lava and craters around Lake Mývatn, and Akureyri, the friendly northern capital where the coffee is always on.
The South
The South is the drive everyone dreams of: black beaches, glacier lagoons, a moss-walled canyon that twists toward the sea, and an ice cave you can visit even in summer, all lined up along one unforgettable coast.
Highlands
The Highlands are Iceland with nothing tamed: a volcanic interior open only in summer and reachable by 4x4 alone. Painted rhyolite peaks at Landmannalaugar, glacial rivers you ford rather than cross, and silence in every direction.