The Westfjords of Iceland are ever so beautiful, a bit off the beaten track for some, but very much worth visiting during your Iceland visit.
If tranquillity and breathtaking landscapes are what you are looking for, then the Westfjords are the place to check out.
During my 8-day visit to the Westfjords of Iceland, I stayed for one night in the lovely fishing village Patreksfjörður in the southern part of the Westfjords, which is Iceland's westernmost village.
Top photo: Ráðagerði boutique hotel
Patreksfjörður village
This tranquil little village has a population of about 720, making it the largest in the southern part of the Westfjords.
When I travel around my country, I like to chat with the locals to get stories and local knowledge. And I always visit the village museum to get as much information as I can about the area in question.
I also try out the guided tours in each area to see what they have to offer.
A Guided Tour of Patreksfjörður village
Patreksfjörður village
We joined a free guided tour of Patreksfjörður, which started at 08:00 from the Information centre, which is now located at the offices of Westfjords Adventures at Þórsgata 8a.
Almost every town and village in Iceland has its own museum, but unfortunately, the Pirate Museum in Patreksfjörður closed down. Instead, the locals offer free, 1.5-hour guided tours on request in their lovely fishing village.
Now isn't this a lovely gesture? As so often, we drive through towns and villages and never get this special touch of getting to know the locals and bonding with the village, so to speak.
Patreksfjörður harbour
Joining us on the guided tour were American descendants of a woman born in Patreksfjörður, who were visiting their roots, so to speak. It was so lovely; they were so enthusiastic and appreciative of the local information provided.
Seeing that Patreksfjörður is the biggest village and the service centre for the southern part of the Westfjords, you will find a health-care centre, police station, a gas station, a garage, a bank and a post office, a church and a swimming pool, restaurants, and 2 small supermarkets in the village.
Patreksfjörður is a small village, so everything is within walking distance.
Our local guide walked us through the village and told us its history, the story of the houses, local stories, etc.
Patreksfjörður harbour
The name Patreksfjörður means the Fjord of St. Patrick, named after St. Patrick, the mentor of the settler of this area, Örlygur "the old" Hrappsson, who, by the way, did not stay in Patreksfjörður, but moved on and became one of the settlers of Kjalarnes in the south, Landnámabók - the Book of Settlement tells us.
See also:
A Visit to Kollsvík Cove - the Smallest Settlement in Iceland
Was the first Christian Church in Iceland built at Esjuberg in Kjalarnes?
Patreksfjörður is divided into Vatneyri and Geirseyri spits, but one has to be local to know where the division is nowadays.
Patreksfjörður has a long history of fishing, and most residents in this village work in the fishing industry: fishing, fish processing, and fish farming.
By the harbour, you will see a lot of activity, ships, and boats sailing out and returning loaded with fish, which they sell at the fish market.
The monument for drowned fishermen
And you will notice the fish farming rings in several fjords in the Westfjords, including Patreksfjörður.
Earlier on, foreign fishermen from, for example. France, Spain, Portugal, and England fished and traded from Patreksfjörður, with their bases in this village.
You will find several memorials for lost fishermen in the village, but in every hamlet in Iceland, a memorial has been erected to honour those who have been lost at sea. I call these memorials the heart of the village, and I always go to pay my respects to them.
On the memorial above is written in several languages: "This memorial is raised in honour of everyone who has and will travel through our fjord for fishing. The ones who disappeared into the ocean don't dwell there; they dwell in the hearts of their loved ones. - Jón úr Vör".
In Patreksfjörður, in addition to the memorial for Icelandic and international fishermen, you will find a memorial for French and English fishermen.
A guided visit to the fish processing factory in Patreksfjörður
On the guided tour, you will, amongst other things, get to visit the fish processing factory in Patreksfjörður, which makes for a really interesting visit.
I joined this tour during my stay to get a better knowledge of the village under local guidance. And it intrigued me to pay a visit to the fish processing factory, as I hadn't been inside one since I worked in one in Reykjavík when I was 13 and 14 years old.
Back then, we stood on our feet cutting and cleaning fish for up to 12 hours per day during our summer break.
Before entering the fish processing, we even got to dress up ;) Hygiene is of utter importance when it comes to dealing with Iceland's most important export and the reason why we can live on this northern island - the fish! So we dressed up in white plastic coats and got a hairnet.
All dressed up at the guided visit to the fish processing factory in Patreksfjörður
The process of cleaning and cutting the fish was explained to us by the local Skjöldur Pálmason (Skjöldur is, by the way, also the name of one of the towering mountains above Patreksfjörður), and I was amazed. There is so much new technology since I was working in fish processing.
Machines now do precise work, and we got to peek through the windows of the machine below to see how the fish is filleted. We spent some 20-25 minutes inside the fish processing factory and left much wiser than when we arrived.
In wintertime, the road to Reykjavík is kept open so that the fish can quickly reach their destination. And, the heath leading south from Bíldudalur to Patreksfjörður is always cleared of snow so the salmon can be transported by trucks south to Reykjavík, each truck often carrying 10-50 tonnes of salmon.
A guided visit to the fish processing factory in Patreksfjörður
The heaths further north, Dynjandisheiði heath, and Hrafnseyrarheiði heath are closed during wintertime (up to 7 months) due to heaps of snow. Fortunately, the new Dýrafjarðargöng tunnel opened the route in 2020.
I don't know if you have watched the Icelandic series Ófærð - Trapped, but Patreksfjörður is another such remote village by the sea surrounded by mountains.
The Westfjords of Iceland, which are among the two oldest geological parts of Iceland, are renowned for their tall, majestic mountains. But tall mountains can accumulate massive snowdrifts.
A dreadful tragedy happened in Patreksfjörður on the 22nd of January 1983, when 2 massive avalanches came rushing down from the mountains above this lovely little village, damaging 19 houses and killing 4 of the inhabitants :( The first avalanche came rushing down from the mountain Brellur, and the other one from Litlidalur.
Patreksfjörður village
This tragedy took place at Geirseyri, where you can see a memorial to the 4 victims of the avalanche. Apart from the fatalities, 10 other people got caught in the avalanche/slush flood, including a friend of mine, who was pushed by the flood straight to the sea - fortunately, she got saved.
Every helping hand at Patreksfjörður and the neighbouring villages came to the rescue, and help was sent from Reykjavík. Way too many people have been killed in avalanches in the Westfjords of Iceland, and I cannot write about this without shedding a tear, as avalanches have a great impact on the whole Icelandic nation.
Do stop by the memorial in remembrance of the 4 victims of the avalanche and pay your tribute to them. You will find similar memorials in other villages further north in the Westfjords - at Flateyri village, Hnífsdalur village, and Súðavík village, which I have written about in other travel blogs about the Westfjords.
The memorial for the victims of the avalanche in Patreksfjörður
On the 18th of February 1910, a big avalanche fell on Hnífsdalur village in the northern part of the Westfjords. My great-grandfather, Guðmundur Guðmundsson, got caught in this avalanche in Hnífsdalur, but thankfully, he survived. You can read about it in my travel blog:
Hnífsdalur Village in the Westfjords of Iceland & the big Avalanche in 1910
You can see avalanche defenses just above the Patreksfjörður village, and in 2017, defenses were mounted on top of the mountain Brellur. They are called Verndarenglarnir or the Guardian Angels, which is such an appropriate name.
I had to zoom in to get a photo of the Guardian Angels, as they are way up on the mountain, so the photo is a bit grainy, but I wanted to show them to you anyway. They will be pointed out to you on your guided tour.
These avalanche defenses have now made the Westfjord villages safe to live in.
Avalanche defenses just above Patreksfjörður village - the Guardian Angels
Now it was time to choose an accommodation. When I choose my accommodation in the Westfjords, I am mainly interested in family-run hotels and guesthouses, and always choose to stay in such accommodations on travels in my country if possible, to get acquainted with the locals.
This time around, I stayed at Guesthouse Ráðagerði, which opened its doors to guests on the 1st of June 2017 after a thorough renovation by the new owners.
Guesthouse Ráðagerði
Talking to Ingveldur at Ráðagerði
Ingveldur Ásta Björnsdóttir, the host and one of the new owners of Ráðagerði, told me the story of this stately house and how it came about that she, her husband Árni Freyr Valdimarsson, her uncle Sigurður Svanur Sigurðsson, who all have strong roots in Patreksfjörður, and a local friend, Jón Árnason, decided to open a guesthouse in this stately old house in Patreksfjörður.
Let me first tell you that Ingveldur's ancestors were pioneers in Patreksfjörður, so her roots are firmly planted in the Westfjords.
Ráðagerði, which had been for sale for a while, had seen better days and had become somewhat dilapidated when they got the idea of buying it and giving it the love and attention it needed.
Ráðagerði guesthouse
They wanted to return to their roots and give back to their old society in the Westfjords, which is so close to their hearts.
Ráðagerði was built in 1945, and one of its owners was the grandfather of our ex-President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, whose brother's name is Patrekur - maybe he was named after Patreksfjörður fjord?
At Ráðagerði, four families lived at one time, and here Ingveldur was born. At some point, when Ingveldur's mother was pregnant with her, a 3-year-old boy lived in the same house with his mother; he later became Ingveldur's husband.
So Ráðagerði is the first house in which the future husband and wife lived together, as it were :)
The view of Patreksfjörður from the window
Ingveldur was 7 years old when her family moved south to Reykjavík for work, but she spent every summer with her grandmother in Patreksfjörður until she met her husband at 16.
Árni Freyr's family owns land in Kvigindisdalur valley on the opposite side of Patreksfjörður fjord, and if you look closely out of the windows of the lounge, you can spot his family farm.
Here he spent his summers until he met his future wife, who was also staying with her relatives across the fjord for the summer.
Ingveldur and her family put a lot of work and joy, as she told me, into renovating Ráðagerði themselves, and their mothers helped them with the renovation of the old house, in which they had lived so many years ago.
Ráðagerði - the restaurant area
Little by little, they made Ráðagerði into the beautifully decorated, modern, and welcoming hotel it is today.
Guesthouse Ráðagerði is the boutique hotel in Patreksfjörður, intimate and small, with friendly local hosts available for a chat, local stories, or guidance on where to go and what to do in the Westfjords.
I love the flowers in the windows and the cozy feeling in the breakfast and lounge area, where you can get free coffee and tea - and a bite of assorted chocolates.
Ingveldur picks the flowers from the hills above Patreksfjörður and drives to Tálknafjörður to get cotton grass for the flower arrangements.
My room at Ráðagerði
There are 11 rooms at Ráðagerði, either with a private bathroom or a shared bathroom. Our room was lovely, with twin beds and shared bathroom facilities, on the second floor of the majestic house with a beautiful ocean view of the fjord and the village.
Everything was spotlessly clean and brand-new, and the duvets were just out of their box, seeing that the guesthouse only opened in June 2017.
There was no TV in our room, but there was a big TV in the lounge and free Wifi. Who needs a TV when the view from the room is that of a beautiful fjord in Iceland?
My room at Ráðagerði
A walk at night in the quiet village is just what the doctor ordered. It is hard to beat the silence and tranquillity of taking a walk on bright Icelandic summer nights.
There is something magical about the bright Icelandic nights, and I barely sleep during this time of year in my country.
Guesthouse Ráðagerði flanks the mountains overlooking Patreksfjörður, and from here you have a beautiful view of the village, the surrounding mountains, and Patreksfjörður fjord.
The view of Patreksfjörður from my room
From time to time, humpback and porpoise whales can be seen in the fjord near the village. The whales follow mackerel, which swim into the fjord, round them up, and feed on them.
The upper floor at Ráðagerði is accessible by stairs, so there is no wheelchair access, but there is plenty of other accommodation in Patreksfjörður with handicapped access, which the owners of Ráðagerði will be glad to direct you to, e.g., Hotel West, where I have stayed, and about which I have written another travel blog.
Breakfast at Ráðagerði
A hearty breakfast is included in the room price, with freshly baked homemade bread every day. The dairy truck comes twice a week and brings them milk and dairy products.
Ráðagerði is located at Aðalstræti 31. Here you can see the exact location on the map.
Aðalstræti means Main Street, but when you drive into the village, you will be driving on Strandgata, Strand Street, which is by the ocean and below Aðalstræti.
You cannot miss this prominent house, which looks like a small castle.
Patreksfjörður village and Ráðagerði
Once in Patreksfjörður, or Patró as it is called by the locals, you can join guided tours to the nearby nature pearls, Látrabjarg sea-bird cliffs (60 km away), which are the best place in Iceland to photograph puffins, and the extraordinary Rauðasandur beach (30 km away) - both of which can be reached from the south side of Patreksfjörður fjord.
Further up north is my favourite waterfall in the Westfjords, and the Jewel in the Crown of the Westfjords - the majestic Dynjandi waterfall.
And lest we forget the hot pools in the Westfjords, the Westfjords of Iceland are renowned for their natural geothermal pools.
A puffin at Látrabjarg bird cliff
My purpose for revisiting Patreksfjörður and the Westfjords this summer was to join a guided tour of the most dangerous road in the Westfjords - the Kjaran's Avenue, combined with a visit to Dynjandi waterfall, the Jewel of the Westfjords, about which I have written another travel blog.
To reach the southern part of the Westfjords of Iceland, you can either rent a car in Reykjavík and drive there yourself or enjoy the adventure of driving on the Westfjord roads.
Or fly to Bíldudalur, which is only a little bit further north of Patreksfjörður, where the fly-bus from Patreksfjörður will pick you up.
The majestic Dynjandi waterfall
And if you prefer to get a guided tour all the way from Reykjavík, then check out the Westfjords 2-day winter break.
It is also an option to take a bus to Stykkishólmur town on the Snæfellsnes peninsula and from there catch the ferry Baldur to Brjánslækur on the southern part of the Westfjords.
Baldur Ferry from the Snaefellsnes Peninsula to the Westfjords | Via Flatey Island
Baldur Ferry from the Westfjords to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula | Via Flatey Island
Three times per week, there is a bus from Brjánslækur to Patreksfjörður, which is 55 km away from Patreksfjörður on road 62.
One of the locals at Ísafjörður, about whom you can read in my Ísafjörður travel blog.
And, after a couple of days of visiting the sights on the southern part of the Westfjords, you can catch a bus from Patreksfjörður to Ísafjörður on the northern side of the Westfjords and see what they have to offer.
Here is my travel blog about Ísafjörður:
A delightful Visit to Skutulsfjörður & Ísafjörður - the Capital City of the Westfjords of Iceland
Have a lovely time in the beautiful Westfjords of Iceland :)
