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This is a UNIQUE opportunity to discover Iceland ultimate western boundaries, the remotest and most mysterious parts of the country, unfamiliar to many Icelanders and only now accessible to the general public. Slow travel at its best.

Itinerary

ARRIVAL IN ICELAND

Arrival at Keflavik International Airport and transfer to hotel in the capital area. Overnight at Guesthouse Borgartun or Hotel Cabin. We’ll provide ideas to explore Reykjavik on your own.

MYSTERY OF SELÁRDALUR

You’ll board a flight on Eagle Air at Reykjavík domestic airport to Bíldudalur in the West Fjords. There you will meet with our local guide and tour bus, starting our West Fjord Discovery with a mystery! We drive west, along the south shore of Arnarfjörður, until we reach the very tip of the peninsula, a place called Selárdalur. There is a church, a house and several sculptures, including seals, Leifur Eiríksson, and the lions of Alhambra, made by a self-taught artist named Samúel Jónsson. Samúel is referred to as "the artist with the child’s heart". When he retired at the age of 72 in 1958, he pursued his dream to become an artist. Mostly he created sculptures from concrete, carrying the sand on his back from the shore to his farm Brautarholt. The day ends in Breidavik, an endless bay of golden sand, often decorated with an explosion of colorful sunsets. Overnight and dinner is at Hotel Látrabjarg or Hotel Breiðavík.

BIRD CLIFFS AND ORANGE SANDS

Today is a highlight! It will be a memorable walk in the wilderness to the top of the highest bird cliffs in Iceland, known in the world for its density of northern birds - puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, cormorants and kittiwakes and other cliff birds either in tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or in the millions. Látrabjarg is known as the place where you can get very close to the seabirds and even if you’re not into bird watching, the comic antics of the puffins and the sheer scale of the mob are mesmerizing. In addition to being the most remote bird cliff in Western Europe, "Látrabjarg" is the ultimate fortress against the high waves of the North Atlantic. Greenland is 300 km further west and even further is Canada, areas that are important in the sagas with Eric the Red and the discovery of America. You’ll visit "Raudisandur", endless beaches of red and orange sands - simply awesome! Overnight and dinner is at Hotel Látrabjarg or Hotel Breiðavík.

DYNJANDI WATERFALL

You’ll travel the shore of many scenic fjords with their beautiful beaches, and pass through small fishing villages. You’ll also get to admire the Dynjandi, with its seven levels of plunging water, declared the country's most beautiful waterfall by the people of Iceland. You’ll stop at Hrafnseyri, birthplace of Jon Sigurðsson, leader of the 19th century independence movement. You’ll cross the highest mountains of the West from the majestic fjord "Arnarfjörður" to reach Thingeyri. Thingeyri is the oldest trading post of the Westfjords with a warehouse dating back to the 18th century. Fishing and fish processing are still the main livelihoods here. The town is in a spectacular setting with, Kaldbakur, the West Fjord’s highest peak, and many other beautiful mountains surrounding it. Overnight and dinner at Hotel Sandafell in Thingeyri. Options: Fishing on the fjord and/or horse back riding.

TRUCK EXPEDITION FROM THINGEYRI

Today you’ll enjoy an UNIQUE Adventure expedition by truck, along a rugged track around the peninsula between Arnarfjörður and Dýrafjörður fjord. You’ll stop at Keldudalur valley to visit the old church part of the historical house collection of Iceland’s National Museum. The mountains are among the most magnificent ones in Iceland, the beaches are breathtaking and there are numerous cliffs with dramatic lava intrusions. This exceptional adventure will show you sights that are impressive even in a land full of impressive sights. Overnight and dinner at Hotel Sandafell in Thingeyri.

THE CAPITAL OF THE WEST FJORDS AND VISIT TO A BIRD ISLAND

From Thingeyri you’ll travel further north to Ísafjörður, the capital town of the West Fjords. Then it’s on a bit further to the picturesque village of Bolungarvík and the well known maritime museum in Ósvör. In the afternoon you’ll see the shore and wildlife from the sea as you take a boat trip to Vigur Island which has the smallest post office in Iceland, some beautifully renovated old homes and the only windmill in Iceland. Vigur is known for its bird life, too, with abundant puffins, guillemots and arctic terns as well as and eider duck farm. Once back on dry land you’ll travel the scenic shoreline around countless fjords to Heydalur. Overnight and dinner at the Farm-Guesthouse Heydalur, in the middle of a spectacular countryside setting with a river, waterfall, shrub covered hillsides, mountains, fjords and a shore full of wildlife and flora. You’ll find yourself far from the rest of the world, in enchanted nature where you find also a natural hot pool. There are kayak- and horse rental available.

ABANDONED FARMS AND THE WEST FJORD ICE CAP

Today you’ll explore the long deep fjord Ísafjarðardjúp. Driving along Kaldalón gives you a unique view as you approach Drangajökull, the sole ice cap in the West Fjords. The entire length of the northern shoreline of the Ísafjarðardjúp bay is deserted, all the farms here have been abandoned. One of Iceland's most beloved composers Sigvaldi Kaldalóns, lived in Kaldalón for a time. He was also a doctor, but took the name Kaldalón, because the natural beauty of the place spellbound him. Crossing the wilderness of the Steingrímsfjarðarheiði moorland brings you to Hotel Malarhorn in Drangsnes, with a view of the island Grímsey, known for its many birds. You may also spot some whales in the fjord! Overnight at dinner at Hotel Malarhorn in Drangsnes.

COASTAL WILDERNESS

Today you’ll discover the coastal wilderness of "Strandir", the wildest and remotest coast of Western Europe. The road ends in the middle of nowhere, on the shore at the natural geothermal hot pool in Krossanes. Here you can soak in, it’s hot water with amazing views towards the sea – it’s a uniquely lovely experience. Overnight and dinner at Hotel Malarhorn in Drangsnes. Optional trip to Grímsey Puffin Island for bird watching.

ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE VIKINGS

Depart Drangsnes and heading towards the villages of Hólmavík, crossing the long bridge across Gilsfjörður fjord takes you into “Dalir” the stepping-stone to the New World. Here you’ll visit the reconstructed turf longhouse at the farm of Eric the Red, the birthplace of his son Leifur the Lucky, who discovered America around 1000 AD - five hundred years before Columbus. Continue onto Borgarfjörður where you’ll visit the historical site of Reykholt, the home of Snorri Sturluson, a historian, poet and the writer who recorded Iceland’s sagas in the 13th century. You’ll stop at the lava waterfall Hraunfossar and Europe's largest hot spring Deildartunguhver. Then you’ll take the interior mountain track "Kaldidalur" South past the long glacier "Langjökull" and along the shield volcano "Skjaldbreidur". Visit Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site that was home to the the world's first democratic parliament during the Viking age. In the later evening you’ll you’ll reach Iceland's capital. Overnight at Guesthouse Borgartún or Hotel Cabin in Reykjavík.

Several shuttles are available to transfer from your hotel in Reykjavík to Keflavik airport for your flight home.

Notes