Highlights: 
The Westfjords are the westernmost part of Iceland and an unspoilt region of incredible beauty. They are home to some of the country’s most dramatic natural gems and, being off-the-beaten-track attractions in Iceland, these gems are usually far from the crowds.
The Westfjords are a wide area, stretching as a peninsula to the northwest of the mainland. The peninsula is ancient, mountainous and has many fjords of varying length.
The town Ísafjörður serves as the capital of the region, in spite of the fact that it has just 3,000 year-round inhabitants. There are many fishing villages in the fjords, as good fishing banks are found around the Wesfjords, yet all are much smaller.
The agriculture, unlike in the rest of Iceland, is very scant, due to the steepness of the mountains and the limited areas of lowland. Fishing and tourism, therefore, are the driving trades of the region.
While there are many incredible places in the Westfjords, the most iconic and beautiful are listed below.
The Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
Many places in the Westfjords are now deserted, such as the northernmost part of the peninsula, Hornstrandir. Due to the region’s beauty and wildlife, it was made a protected nature reserve in 1975. Its allure, however, was made famous much earlier; the 1834 poem Floriggi by Valdimir Dunjic was based on this area.
Hornstrandir is a holy place for travellers who seek solitude, peacefulness, breathtaking scenery and great hiking trails. It also has a special appeal for animal lovers, as the arctic fox is protected here, and, unlike in the rest of the country, curious of visitors, rather than cautious.
Between May and September, it is also a great place to see puffins.
Dynjandi Waterfall
Dynjandi, meaning ‘Thunderous,’ is considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. It is really a series of waterfalls, seven altogether, with a cumulative height of 100 meters (330 feet), that tumble down steps so perfectly formed they barely seem natural.
How Iceland inspired J. R. R. Tolkien and the Game of Thrones crew is immediately apparent at Dynjandi.
Látrabjarg Bird Cliff
While not technically correct, many say that Europe’s westernmost part is the massive vertical seacliff Látrabjarg, in the westernmost part of the Westfjords. While officially on the North American tectonic plate, Iceland is considered a European country, leading to the confusion.
Over 400 meters (1,312 feet) high, these cliffs are renowned for the millions of seabirds that nest here in summer. These include Atlantic Puffins, which come between May and September. Like the foxes of Hornstrandir, the puffins of Látrabjarg are protected and thus have very little fear of people, allowing visitors to get within metres.
Other than its beauty, Látrabjarg is renowned for the act of heroism that occurred here. In 1947 a British trawler stranded at the base of its cliff. The stranded sailors would have no doubt frozen that night if their vessel had not been seen.
Local farmers, however, did see it. For generations, their families had learnt how to scale down the cliffs on ropes to collect bird eggs, and by using this technique, they abseiled 200 metres (656 feet) to the rescue.
Rauðasandur Beach & Sjöundá
The beach by the cliff is called Rauðasandur, rare for its pale red, almost pink sand. Along with many seabirds, the beach is home to hundreds of seals.
At Rauðasandur one can find the remnants of a farm where one of Iceland’s most notorious alleged killers once resided. Two farmers lived there with their wives, but one fell in love with the spouse of the other and she with him. Though no one knows exactly what happened, their original partners were found dead, and they were later sentenced to death.
This dramatic event later served as an inspiration for Icelandic author Gunnar Gunnarsson's masterful novel The Black Cliffs.
The Látrabjarg cliffs in the Westfjords mark both the westernmost point of Iceland and Europe. Hosting millions of birds, it is Europe’s largest bird cliff, 14 km (9 mi) long and 441 (1,444 ft) high.
It takes around six hours to reach Látrabjarg from Reykjavík, so it is recommended that visitors travel there as part of a wider trip around the beautiful Westfjords.
Birdwatching at Látrabjarg
Látrabjarg is home to a wide variety of birds, in large parts thanks to the shelter and seclusion the cliffs provide as nesting grounds.
It is not only the variation of species that makes Látrabjarg such an awe-inspiring place and undoubtedly one of the world’s best birdwatching locations; the sheer volume of individuals is staggering, with some estimating over five million nesting here in summer.
The main species are Skuas, Arctic Terns, Guillemots, Eider Ducks and Razorbills. Of course, however, the stars of the show are the Atlantic Puffins.
At least a million puffins nest here, often very near to the top of the cliff. As they are protected here, they have very little fear of people, and will let them within feet for some great photo opportunities.
You should not, however, get too close to puffins for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they nest on sheer cliff faces, so a slip could send you falling. Secondly, puffins burrow rather than nest, making the surface of the cliff edge even more unstable; even if you caught yourself before tumbling, you could still crush an egg or a chick. Thirdly, puffins are socially aware animals, and if one flies off in a panic, it is common for all others to follow, spoiling the moment for everyone and putting chicks and eggs at risk.
Be aware the puffins can only be found at Látrabjarg from May until late August.
The Rescue at Látrabjarg
In 1947 Látrabjarg was the site of a famous act of heroism, in the form of a dramatic rescue. The British trawler Dhoon capsized, like so many other boats have, beneath Látrabjarg. Only twelve of its crew members survived the tumultuous, rocky ocean, pulling themselves up at the base of the cliffs.
They would have no doubt died of hypothermia, if not for the fact that they were seen by local farmers. Though 190 metres (632 feet) above them, with time of the essence, the farmers knew exactly what to do.
For generations, Icelanders had scaled down the cliffs of Látrabjarg on ropes to collect eggs and feathers, a practice that continues to this day. The farmers, therefore, put their harnesses on, scaled down, and pulled all twelve sailors to safety.
Wikimedia, Creative Commons, Photo Credit: Evgeniy Metyolkin
Rauðasandur is a beach in the Westfjords, famous for having red and golden rather than black sands like most other beaches in Iceland.
Nature at Rauðasandur
Rauðasandur beach is located besides Látrabjarg, Europe's highest birdwatching cliffs. These cliffs are home to millions of seabirds, with razorbills, guillemots, gulls, fulmar, and hundreds of thousands of puffins (between May and September).
Many of these birds can be seen from the beach as they make their way to and from the ocean.
The beach, like all in the Westfjords, also boasts great seal-watching opportunities. Grey and Harbour Seals can often be seen bobbing in the water, or hauling out on the sands.
Though not at all guaranteed, the Westfjords boast the best whale-watching from the land in the country. Though most of these animals are found in the fjords themselves, the lucky may spot some from Rauðasandur.
The reason why Rauðasandur has its unusual colouration is because the Westfjords are no longer volcanically active, meaning there is no constant creation of the ashy sands that are found on other beaches such as Reynisfjara in the South.
In summer, it even looks somewhat tropical.
History and Culture at Rauðasandur
The remnants of a farm named Sjöundá can be found on Rauðasandur. At the beginning of the 19th century, this was the site of one of Iceland’s most famous murder cases.
Two farmers and their wives lived there but one farmer, Bjarni, and the other's wife, Steinunn, had an affair. They were sentenced to death, accused of having murdered their spouses. Bjarni was executed abroad but Steinunn died in prison in Reykjavík and was buried at Skólavörðuholt.
In the 20th century, she was moved to consecrated grounds and is buried in Hólavallagarður in Reykjavík. Steinunn's decendants, believing her innocent, recently gave her a tombstone.
Icelandic novelist Gunnar Gunnarsson based his masterpiece Svartfugl (The Black Bird) on the Sjöundá murder mystery.
Credit: Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Emstrur
Located in the Westfjords of Iceland, Patreksfjörður is a charming village of approximately 650 inhabitants.
Its name means ‘the fjord of St Patrick’, named as such as it was settled by a reverend after Iceland’s conversion to Christianity.
Services at Patreksfjörður
Patreksfjörður has grown into a great destination for tourism as the industry has developed in Iceland. Even so, its main industry, as it always has been, remains to be its fisheries.
The town has several options for accommodation, with hotels, guesthouses, bungalows and a campsite. It also has restaurants, cafes, and a swimming pool, making it a perfect place to stay for those exploring the Westfjords.
Bíldudalur is the nearest airport for those who do not have the time or license to drive to Patreksfjörður. There is one flight a day here from Reykjavík, and regular buses between the two towns.
Sites near Patreksfjörður
This settlement, in the southern part of the region, is close to many major attractions. Those in the nearest vicinity include Dynjandi, Látrabjarg, and Rauðasandur.
Dynjandi, meaning ‘Thunderous’, is without a doubt one of the country’s – if not the world’s – more spectacular waterfalls. Falling from a height of 100 metres (328 feet), it tumbles in many steps, giving it an ethereal, otherworldly ambience.
The path leading up to Dynjandi has many other waterfalls to be admired.
Látrabjarg is the name of a set of cliffs, and is one of the world’s best spots for bird watching. Along this stretch, millions of birds can be seen, including, from May to September, the adorable and elusive puffin.
The puffins here are protected, and will let you get remarkably close for some excellent photographic opportunities.
Rauðasandur, meanwhile, is a beautiful beach. Unlike most in Iceland, defined by volcanic black sands, the sand here is golden, red and orange, lending the area a somewhat tropical beauty.
