When I travel around Iceland, I like to get to know the locals in each part of the country. That way, I get to learn so much more about my country. I do this by visiting the local museum in each village, as almost every village and town in Iceland has at least one museum.
I have found that the older generation, in particular, is very knowledgeable about Iceland, and I love to sit and listen and learn more. And then I write about my experiences here on Guide to Iceland and tell you about all the things I have learnt and seen on my travels :)
Top photo: having coffee with Jóhann, the manager of Hotel West
Patreksfjörður village
What I also like to do on my travels is to try out the guided tours in each area, that way I get to know the local guides and drink in their knowledge of the region. And thus I can tell you more about what each area in Iceland has to offer.
The Westfjords of Iceland are extraordinarily beautiful, a bit off the beaten track, as it were, but so worth the detour. Here you can find the tranquillity for which many people are longing.
When I visited Patreksfjörður village, I found out that their museum, the Pirate Museum, was no longer open, so what was I to do to introduce you to Patreksfjörður, the biggest village in the southern part of the Westfjords?
Hotel West in Patreksfjörður
I looked for the information centre in Patreksfjörður, saw an information sign at Hotel West, and walked in to get information on what to see and do around here.
At the hotel reception, I met the late Jóhann Svavarsson, the owner of the new hotel in Patreksfjörður – Hotel West.
We chatted for a while, and I found the conversation to be so interesting that I decided to stay for the night at the hotel and check out the surroundings - and maybe take an interview with Jóhann for my travel blog, as I saw that he was very knowledgeable about the Westfjords.
Jóhann, the late owner of Hotel West
Unfortunately, there were no vacancies at the hotel that day, so I had nowhere to stay for the night and ended up camping in a very remote valley in the Westfjords.
That was an experience per se, and on which I elaborate in my travel blog about Arnarfjörður Fjord in the Westfjords of Iceland - the Sea Monster Fjord of Iceland!
I wanted to hear Jóhann's story and get to know a local in Patreksfjörður, so I drove all the way back 3 days later, after staying with relatives in Bolungarvík, way up north by Ísafjörður, the capital of the Westfjords.
I had planned to drive back through Djúpið, the northern part of the Westfjords, and explore that area better, but I drove back the same way I had come. I know I am a bit crazy, but I go out of my way for more knowledge about my country ;)
Patreksfjörður
Patreksfjörður, Europe's most westerly village, is the biggest village in the southern part of the Westfjords with a population of around 700 people and a lot of interesting things to see and do in the vicinity.
This village is the service centre for the southern part of the Westfjords, so it has a hospital, a police station, a bank, a post office, a swimming pool, restaurants, and two supermarkets, to name a few.
Patreksfjörður harbour
The primary industry in Patreksfjörður village is fishing and fish processing, and by the harbour, you will see a lot of ships and boats. When the ships come in with their catch, there is a whole lot of activity in this area.
Patreksfjörður has had a very long history of fishing and trading. Earlier, when foreign fishermen fished in the sea around this area, they and the merchants had their base here.
Now, back to Jóhann Svavarsson, who just opened up a new hotel in the restored building of the old cooperative store in Patreksfjörður.
Jóhann and I had a lovely talk on the porch of the hotel
This now beautifully restored building was built in 1952 and has a history that is intertwined with the inhabitants of Patreksfjörður.
When the cooperative was located in this building, the storage room was located on the ground floor, where there is now a breakfast restaurant and a lovely veranda.
On the first floor, the grocery store was located, where there are now seven en-suite hotel rooms and the hotel reception, and the offices were located on the top floor, where there are now 10 en-suite hotel rooms.
In 2013, this once elegant building had become dilapidated. Back in 2013, another hotel belonging to the Fosshotel chain opened in the old freezing plant, located not far from Hotel West on the main street of Patreksfjörður, Aðalstræti.
Beautiful Patreksfjörður village
A travel company was needed in this area, so in 2004, Jóhann Svavarsson and other pioneers founded a company called Umfar, a guiding and travel-planning company, with the primary purpose of guiding travellers who wanted to hike in the Westfjords or take guided bus tours.
The southern part of the Westfjords is very popular, with the main attractions being Rauðasandur and Látrabjarg bird cliff, which are two extraordinary places in this part of the Westfjords. After the Fosshotel chain opened, more and more travellers were visiting this area.
Over time, a larger travel agency was needed, and Jóhann and his friend founded Westfjord Adventures, which took over the bulk of the smaller-scale operations of Umfar.
With two very knowledgeable Vestfirðingar in Patreksfjörður
Accommodation was needed for the travel agency, and the old cooperative building, standing empty for the longest time and having seen better days, seemed perfect for this new enterprise. It was for sure dilapidated, and renovations would be costly.
To renovate this building, additional income was needed, so it was decided to open a hotel in the building by obtaining bank credit to cover the initial renovation costs. I had heard from a relative that plans were underway for a new hotel in Patreksfjörður when we were considering where to stay for our next family reunion.
I had planned to check out this hotel the next time I visited the Westfjords. We had already had one family reunion back in 2010, further up in the Westfjords, at Núpur in Dýrafjörður, as my grandmother was born in this area in a very remote place in Ingjaldssandur.
Hotel West in Patreksfjörður
Back then, the commune was not interested in opening an information centre in Patreksfjörður, so Jóhann took the lead and opened one in his new travel agency at Hotel West.
The information centre is now located at the offices of Westfjords Adventures in Þórsgata 8a.
Hotel West was opened with ten en-suite rooms in the attic in the summer of 2014. The hotel got great reviews, and more and more people were visiting the Westfjords, so more rooms were needed.
Seven additional en-suite rooms were fitted in on the first floor, along with a reception. And on the 1st of May in 2016, Hotel West opened up with 17 en-suite rooms.
My husband speaking to Jóhann in the reception of the hotel
And then I walked in, just after the new rooms had been presented, and wanted to talk to someone at the information centre about what there was to do here in the village, and where I could find a local to talk to, since the village museum had closed down!
And thus I met Jóhann, the owner of this new hotel by coincidence – or was it fate?
As the travel agency, Westfjords Adventures, and the information centre had just moved to another location in the village, but the information sign was still hanging up ;)
Jóhann told me that he had sold his company and was concentrating on the hotel business.
Our room at Hotel West
I stayed for the night in one of the new rooms on the first floor. The room was lovely, brand-new, spotlessly clean, and minimalistic. It was so lovely snuggling up under the fresh and clean duvet in a hotel room after days of travelling in the Westfjords - it was just what the doctor ordered.
When I travel, I have to see everything of interest, so my travel days are long and full of hiking and seeing this and that (turf houses, elf locations, museums, this monolith, that waterfall, this remote valley, the view-dials, etc. - you get my drift).
I love staying in hotels, but I don't get to do it very often, so I didn't want to go to sleep. Our room had two big windows with a beautiful sea view - and I mean the sea was just across the street, as the hotel is located right next to the waterfront.
Our room at Hotel West
I just stared out the windows from my bed for the longest time – it was so calming to have such a fantastic view. The night was still, and I felt like I was in heaven.
I had been having a lot of allergies during my summer vacation, so I was exhausted. And on top of that, I had spent a sleepless night in a tent in a remote valley with sheep visiting the tent the whole night long!
The following day, Jóhann told me it was lovely to watch the Northern Lights from the room in the wintertime. I bet it is! I only see the Northern Lights in Reykjavík from my balcony, and there is light pollution in the city.
Northern Lights as seen from my balcony in Reykjavík
Sometimes whales show up in the sea right in front of the hotel!
Jóhann told me that one day he had seen 5-6 Porpoise whales following schools of mackerel in the fjord just outside the hotel.
The Porpoise whales rounded up the mackerel, and for 1 minute, there was a lot of commotion while the whales fed on the mackerel. I would have loved to see this!
Patreksfjörður fjord - fish farming
Once in a while, Humpback whales can be seen in the fjord.
I have seen Humpback whales on Whale-watching tours, and they are so playful that it is a delight watching them. Especially when they breach - i.e., jump into the air.
There are many birds on the sea, and Jóhann told me that there were also two pairs of loons staying on the sea by the hotel.
The loon is such a beautiful bird and a favourite of mine. I took this video of a group of loons singing at Lómatjörn pond at Reykhólar 2 days after my visit to Patreksfjörður.
Our bathroom
With the large windows, our room was bright and lovely. The floors are wooden, and in the bathroom, there was a heated towel rack.
I always visit the local swimming pools when I am travelling around my country, but every town and village in Iceland has a swimming pool. So I always travel with a wet towel and swimsuit in the car. I was very grateful for the heated towel rack in the hotel - one gets more appreciative of amenities after camping in a small tent :)
Also, when camping, finding electricity to charge my three cameras is very much appreciated - I know that other travellers will be able to relate to this.
The breakfast area at Hotel West
There was free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV in our room, and breakfast was included in the room rate.
I cannot get out of bed in the mornings without my coffee, so my husband had breakfast and brought me some coffee in bed.
He had a continental breakfast and made himself some waffles in the dining room, where waffle dough is provided. In autumn, you can get homemade whortleberry jam (blueberry jam), which is delicious.
The breakfast area at Hotel West
Dinner is not served at Hotel West, but at restaurant Heimsendi - the restaurant at World's End and the hotel have joined hands so the hotel guests can visit the lovely World's End to get their dinner.
My husband and I had lunch in the Heimsendi restaurant - outside on the big terrace in still and sunny weather and 20°C - it was heavenly, and I did not want to leave this lovely village.
Heimsendi restaurant in Patreksfjörður
This brand-new cosy little restaurant is located in a bright red building on Eyrargata 5 down by the docks. It is bigger than it looks from the outside, as it is on two floors.
The restaurant staff was amicable and welcoming, and I loved the bright and colourful decor and the multi-coloured lights. It was so cheerful :)
Inside Heimsendi restaurant
If you look closely, you will see that the stairs are made of pallets, an excellent idea. And I saw a play corner for the kids, which is always good to have in restaurants.
What I especially noticed is the beautiful, big wall-sized painting of Patreksfjörður town, which you can see in the photo above. Very colourful.
Inside Heimsendi restaurant
I looked at the restaurant menu and saw that Heimsendi offers a wide selection of food, so everybody should find something to their liking. Heimsendi provides a wide variety of fresh seafood, of course, since fishing is the primary industry in Patreksfjörður.
Seafood soup, cod, catfish, halibut, cured trout from the next fjord, Tálknafjörður, traditional Icelandic fish stew, fried trout from a local farm, etc., etc.
They have an excellent selection of meat as well, and the premium beef comes straight from a local farm in Barðaströnd in the vicinity - so everything is local, fresh, and first-class, which speaks for itself, I think.
And on the menu was deep-fried SKYR, which is an Icelandic speciality.
A hamburger at Heimsendi restaurant
My husband loves hamburgers, so a big hamburger was his choice of the day, which he said was very yummy.
In the photo below, you will see the lovely Una Lind, one of the owners of Heimsendi - the Restaurant at the Edge of the World (which is actually what the Icelandic name "Heimsendi" means).
Heimsendi is a good, family-friendly restaurant and a lovely place to visit in Patreksfjörður town.
With Una Lind at Heimsendi restaurant
Hotel West and Heimsendi restaurant are open all year round. The road to Reykjavík leading to the southern part of the Westfjords is always kept open, as it is of utter importance that the commercial vehicles carrying fish can reach their destination quickly.
In wintertime, the Hotel West offers jeep rides over the heath and all the way up to Bíldudalur village.
This heath leading to Bíldudalur is cleared of snow as the salmon from Bíldudalur has to be transported to Reykjavík - the commercial vehicles carry up to 10-50 tonnes of fish. The heaths further into the Westfjords north of Bíldudalur are closed in wintertime due to snow – and heaps of it.
The Dýrafjarðargöng tunnel opened in 2020, making transportation much easier for this part of Iceland.
Patreksfjörður village
I know that many of our foreign visitors are intrigued by the Westfjords and want to see how locals live there in the winter.
Guide to Iceland's blogger, Bernharður Guðmundsson, writes a blog about living in the Westfjords, and I have seen the great interest our readers are showing his blog - they love to know more about the Westfjords!
Now you will have a chance to visit this remote area both in the summer and in the winter, and spend some time in a town in the Westfjords with the locals.
And experience a life of tranquillity, which so many city dwellers around the world seek nowadays. And as Hotel West writes on their website: "You can enjoy nature's tranquillity - the real 'sounds of silence'."
Patreksfjörður fjord
Jóhann said that April and May in Patreksfjörður are usually beautiful and calm months when nature is starting to wake up, and the migratory birds start flocking over to Látrabjarg bird cliff to breed.
He told me that in the wintertime he can take his guests on a guided tour around the village and show them the fish market and the fish farming. Fish farming is the equivalent of large-scale industry in the Westfjords, even though you don't notice it much, apart from the fish farming rings you will see in the sea in the Westfjords.
Jóhann himself experimented with fish farming as a hobby in 1971, which shows what a forward-thinking man he is. There are many more such experiments that he told me about.
Looms at Reykhólar in the Westfjords
Remember the hotel owner, Hörður at Hotel Laki? He and Jóhann are very much alike. I love talking to such forward-thinking entrepreneurs.
Jóhann had so many good ideas that he shared with me. One of them I particularly like - "Follow your birds to Iceland" directed at the foreign countries where "our" migratory birds live in wintertime.
We always look at the migratory birds in Iceland as ours, as they spend some 5 months here during their breeding period. But where are they in the wintertime?
The plover and the whimbrel in the Westfjords
On my travels, in the wintertime around the world, I have come across some of "our" migratory birds and have had an "aha" moment when I realised where "my birds" live in wintertime in the warmer countries.
I met f.ex. the whimbrel, the one on the right in my photo above, on the beach in the Canary Islands - very far from Iceland.
And I know that "our" Arctic tern flies all the way down to South Africa in the wintertime!
Talking to Jóhann at Hotel West
This is an excellent idea that, unfortunately, has not yet come to fruition. Have you ever wondered where "your" birds stay in the summertime?
Jóhann Svavarsson and his wife, Sigríður Björg Gísladóttir, were both born and bred in Patreksfjörður but moved away to other parts of Iceland for several decades because of work.
Jóhann worked as an Electricity Utility Director for our Icelandic power company, RARIK, and stayed in the beautiful, historical Skagafjörður in the north for 35 years for work.
So he is very knowledgeable about other parts of Iceland as well. They moved back to their birthplace and now live and work in their hotel in Patreksfjörður.
Beautiful Patreksfjörður village
I was telling you that I wanted to meet a knowledgeable local in this area to introduce both Patreksfjörður and the neighbouring areas to you, and I think I met the right person :)
I am very interested in family-run hotels in my country because I know they offer personal service, and you can always go to them with questions or problems, and they are fixed right away.
In Hotel West, you will meet the owners, Jóhann and Sigríður, Jóhann's niece, and their grandchild, who is also working at the hotel.
Patreksfjörður village
And seeing that they are locals, they can tell you so much about their area - and after you leave, you will feel like you have gained a friend.
That is at least how I felt after leaving Patreksfjörður - that I had gained a friend, and now this fjord is so special to me, both for its beauty, but also for the local connections I got.
Patreksfjörður village
Hotel West is centrally located and excellent as a second stop if you are coming from Reykjavík and visiting the Westfjords. It is a comfortable and friendly family hotel.
Sadly, Jóhann Svavarsson died of cancer on the 3rd of June 2017 :( He was taken from us way too soon and will be missed. His family continues to run Hotel West.
A puffin at Látrabjarg
Just across the fjord, you will find the road to Látrabjarg, the largest bird cliff in Iceland, and Rauðasandur, which is a stunning part of Iceland.
These two places are the best-known attractions in the southern part of the Westfjords. You might also want to pop over to Kollsvík, the smallest settlement in Iceland, where you will find the oldest turf outhouse in Iceland.
And a little further up north is Dynjandi waterfall, the Jewel of the Westfjords.
I spent 9 days in the Westfjords and found many more beautiful places about which I have written many travel blogs. The following year, I spent eight additional days in the Westfjords.
A puffin at Látrabjarg
Látrabjarg is the largest seabird cliff in Iceland and one of the westernmost parts of Europe. The birdlife here is impressive, and you will see the most popular Icelandic bird, the puffin, with its colourful beak and feet, in abundance here.
It is possible to get very close to this cute little bird, which is so tame in this area that you almost feel like it is posing for the camera :)
I have found Látrabjarg to be the best place in Iceland to photograph the puffins.
A puffin at Látrabjarg
Rauðasandur or Red Beach is a beautiful red beach in the southern part of the Westfjords. Most beaches in Iceland are black, but the beaches in the Westfjords are golden or pink in colour.
Rauðasandur reaches for some 10 km from Látrabjarg bird cliff. It is a fantastic place, which, in my opinion, is a must-visit, given that you are not afraid of heights.
When I decided to explore the Westfjords during my summer holidays, I wrote to the travel agency Westfjords Adventures to ask if I could join their tour of Látrabjarg and Rauðasandur so I could show you what it's like.
Westfjords Adventures, now owned by a new owner in Patreksfjörður, offers a range of exciting tours.
If I had been able to stay for longer, I would have joined more of their tours to show you.
At Rauðasandur beach
Not everyone is up for driving to the most popular places on their own, so it is good to join a guided tour.
I have written about this tour in another travel blog. See also:
The Natural Wonders of the Westfjords of Iceland - Látrabjarg & Rauðasandur
The following year, I returned to Patreksfjörður and joined a tour of the most dangerous road in the Westfjords; Kjaran's Avenue combined with a visit to Dynjandi waterfall, the Jewel of the Westfjords.
Have a lovely time in the Westfjords :)
