Westfjord Ring Road: Snaefellsnes: Borgarfjordur

Wikimedia. Creative Commons. Credit: ProgressChrome. 

Látrabjarg, in the Westfjords, marks the western-most point of Iceland, and in fact, Europe. Hosting millions of birds, it is Europe’s largest bird cliff at 14 km length and a height of 441 meters.

In 1947 Látrabjarg was the site of a famous rescue mission when Icelandic farmers rescued the 12 surviving members of the British trawler “Dhoon” after they stranded under the sea cliffs. The rescue was an astounding deed, only possible because the local farmers practised egg gathering from the cliffs. Using the same methods,  the farmers hung from swings in order to heave the fishermen up 190 meters to safety.

A documentary by Oskar Gislason was made about this rescue a year later. During the shoot, the trawler “Sargon” stranded in what would be a miraculous repeat of incidents.  That rescue mission was documented in the film also which can be seen today in Reykjavik.

Látrabjarg is home to a wide variety of birds, in large parts thanks to the shelter and seclusion the cliffs provide as nesting grounds. The area is also completely free of Arctic Foxes, leaving the birds without a predator. Guests here can see such birdlife as; Skuas, Arctic Terns, Guillemots, Eider Ducks and, of course, the Atlantic Puffin. Puffins can be found at Látrabjarg from May until late August.

Látrabjarg is beloved by birdwatchers and hikers alike, sporting fantastic and isolated trails that truly demonstrate Iceland’s penchant for tranquillity. One of the best ways to access these hiking trails is by renting your own vehicle and driving from the capital, Reykjavik. This will take approximately 6 hours, and you will need to be fully fueled before departure (there are no petrol stations along the way).

Dynjandi (meaning “Thunderous”) is a series of waterfalls in the Westfjords and the largest of its kind in the region. Dynjandi is particularly beloved by visiting nature enthusiasts and aspiring photographers, who are able to snapshot this fantastic natural feature from a wealth of angles.

Geography

Dynjandi can be found close by to Dynjandisvogur Bay and Arnarfjörður fjord, an area widely famed for its eclectic birdlife, stunning natural vistas and picturesque coastlines.

Colloquially titled “the Jewel of the Westfjords”, Dynjandi (otherwise known as “Fjallfoss”) cascades approximately 100 metres in total, falling in a trapezoidal shape (30 m wide at the top, 60 m wide at the bottom). In the summer, the average flow rate of Dynjandi is 2 to 8 cubic meters per second, whilst the winter sees 1 to 4 cubic metres per second.

Those wishing to view Dynjandi from the top are able to hike nearly 200 metres up the cliffside. As they do, they will pass the seven individual waterfalls that lead to the largest: Hæstahjallafoss, Strompgljúfrafoss (Strompur), Göngumannafoss, Hrísvaðsfoss-Kvíslarfoss, Hundafoss and Bæjarfoss (Sjóarfoss). In 1996, there was a rocky path built to the top Dynjandi by volunteers, making the hike little more than 15 minutes in total.

Visit Dynjandi 

To travel to the Westfjords, one of your best options would be renting your own vehicle and driving yourself. Dynjandi is approximately 363 km away from Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavík, meaning it will take some commitment to visit. Alternatively, you could choose to join a guided tour around the Ring Road and the Westfjords, either by bus or Super Jeep, allowing an experienced tour guide to take responsibility for the driving.  

Since 1981, Dynjandi has been considered a National Monument, meaning extra care must be taken not to stray from the specified walking trails. Iceland’s vegetation is incredibly fragile, often taking decades to repair once damaged. Remember, take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints.

Snæfellsjökull (1446 m) is an ice-capped volcano found on the tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland. 

Though many consider Snæfellsjökull to simply be a particularly impressive ice cap, it is, in fact, a 700,000-year-old glacier-capped stratovolcano. The mountain is actually called "Snæfell" (Snowy Mountain), though the “jökull” (Glacier) is often added to help distinguish it from other mountains of the same name. For the first time in recorded history, Snæfellsjökull had no snow or ice at its peak in August 2012, causing concern amongst locals that climate change is threatening the nature of the mountain. 

On clear days, one can see Snæfellsjökull from Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik, approximately 120 kilometres away over Faxa Bay, making for an impressive sight—and a tick off the bucket list if you can’t make it to travelling across the Peninsula itself. The volcano makes up just a small part of the larger Snæfellsjökull National Park. 

History 

Nearby villages include Hellissandur, Rif and Ólafsvík, all of which were commercial and fishing hubs throughout the peninsula’s long history of human inhabitance. Fishing took off primarily in the 13th-Century, with fishing stations being built in all areas with easy access to the open ocean. 

One notable example would be the settlement of Dritvík, one of the largest fishing stations in Iceland at the time, utilising around 40–60 boats and employing between 200–600 people. Fishing in the region declined during the 19th century due to a change in Iceland’s fishing practises, though it is still an important source of livelihood for those living on the Peninsula. 

Snæfellsjökull has, for centuries, been considered to be one of the world’s ancient power sites, a source of mysticism, energy and mystery for the peninsula’s superstitious population. This likely has something to do with the stratovolcanoes place in the Icelandic sagas; the feature takes a prominent role in Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss, a late 14th-century saga that tells the story of  Bárður, half-human-half-troll, who became the “guardian spirit of Snæfellsjökull.”

In Literature 

Snæfellsjökull serves as the entrance to a fantastical subterranean world in Jules Verne’s classic 1864 novel “Journey to The Centre of The Earth.” Given its central place in the novel, Snæfellsjökull has become one of the most popular spots for visitors in Iceland and has inspired a wealth of writers, poets and artists. 

Since “Journey to The Centre of The Earth”,  Snæfellsjökull has appeared in the Blind Birds trilogy by Czech SF writer Ludvík Souček (partially based on Jules’ work) and in Under The Glacier, a novel by Iceland’s only Nobel laureate, Halldor Laxness. 

Nearby Attractions 

Along with the glacier, attractions include the two nearby basalt cliffs called Lóndrangar and the many fascinating lava formations at the beautiful Djúpalonssandur beach, such as the arch rock Gatklettur. At Djúpalonssandur, one can also test their strength just as the ancient sailors once did with the four "strength" stones, Amlóði ('Useless'), Hálfdrættingur ('Weakling'), Hálfsterkur ('Half Strength') and Fullsterkur ('Full Strength').  In the area, one can also explore the Saxhóll volcano crater and 'the singing cave' Sönghellir, which is named after the loud echoes inside. 

Hraunfossar in Borgarfjordur district is a series of beautiful waterfalls  formed by rivulets streaming from a short distance out of the Hallmundarhraun lava field.

The lava field flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjokull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvita river from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. These are some of the most magnificent falls found in Iceland and not to be missed.

Wikimedia. Creative Commons. Credit: Reykholt. 

Deildartunguhver is a hot spring located in Reykholtsdalur, Iceland. Deildartunguhver is the highest flowing hot spring in Europe and is widely known for its rapid flow rate (180 litres/second).

Water at the hot spring emerges at a steady 97 °C, making it incredibly dangerous for those who venture too close. Thankfully, there are a number of wooden walkways and observation points found at Deildartunguhver that trail you around the hot springs themselves. Visitors here will also be able to check out the Blechnum spicant, aka; “deer fern”, a type of plant that grows nowhere else in Iceland.

Due to the sheer energy bubbling under Deildartunguhver, much of the water is used for heating Icelandic homes. One pipe travels 34 kilometres to Borgarnes, whilst another travels 64 kilometres to Akranes. This means that if you’ve taken a shower or bath within a 65-kilometre radius of Deildartunguhver, you have already touched the water from the hot spring.   

This is a fantastic example of how Icelanders efficiently use the geothermal energy provided and is one of the major reasons as to why Iceland has such an excellent reputation for Green Energy.

Whilst in the area, you choose to make a stop at Krauma Geothermal Bath & Spa, a fantastic and relaxing complex that makes for a cheaper, more isolated alternative to the Blue Lagoon. Visitors to Kraua will experience the hot water of Deildartunguhver blended perfectly with glacial water from Iceland’s smallest ice cap, Ok (pron; “ock”), creating the perfect bathing temperature. Krauma has a total of six pools, a relaxation room and two steam baths.

Ísafjörður is a town in the northwest of Iceland and the largest settlement of the Westfjords of Iceland.

Ísafjörður is located on a spit within the fjord Skutulsfjörður, which is part of the larger fjord Ísafjarðardjúp. The town is the largest settlement in the Icelandic Westfjords with a population of around 2,600 people. Its main industries are fishing and tourism.

History 

According to Iceland’s Book of Settlement, the fjord Skutulsfjörður was first settled in the 9th century by a man called Helgi Magri Hrólfsson. Around the 16th century, Ísafjörður grew rapidly due to it becoming a merchant trading post. The town was granted municipal status in 1786. 

The oldest house still standing in Iceland, built in 1734, is located in Ísafjörður as part of the local folk museum. The area also includes the most extensive body of old timber frame houses in the country, constructed in the 18th century by foreign traders. One of these is Tjöruhús, now a seafood restaurant, and another Turnhús, now a maritime museum. 

Throughout its history, Ísafjörður has inhabited one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. Several factors, however; such as fishing restrictions in the 1980s, drops in the fish population and monopolisation from bigger fisheries in Reykjavík; have led to a sizeable decline in the town’s population. In recent years, the tourism industry has yet again created local jobs and economic prosperity for the town. 

Nature 

The climate of the Westfjords and Ísafjörður is tundra, bordering closely on subarctic, meaning the winters are cold and the summers cool. Due to Ísafjörður being located in a fjord surrounded by steep mountains, during the peak of the winter solstice, the rays of the sun don’t reach the town for weeks on end.

Events and Happenings

Ísafjörður, despite its isolation and small population, boasts a proportionately urban atmosphere. The town hosts a multitude of events and festivals attended by people from all over Iceland, such as the Ski Week Festival, the Act Alone theatre festival, the European Championship of Swamp Soccer and alternative music festival Aldrei fór ég suður. 

Credit: Wikimedia, Creative Commons. Photo by TommyBee

Hrafnseyri is an old town in the Westfjords that dates back to the Settlement Era and has links to Iceland’s independence movement.

The settlement is named after one of its earliest residents, Hrafn Sveinbjarnason, who lived here in the 12th Century. He is not the area’s most famous child, however; it was also the birthplace of Jón Sigurðsson, the father of Iceland’s push for independence from Denmark.

Although Jón never lived to see his dream of a free nation pan out, he is still revered nationwide. At Hrafnseyri, there is a museum dedicated to him and his efforts, aptly called the Museum of Jón Sigurðsson.

To add to the historic ambience that imbues this village, there is a cafe within an old turf-roofed building.