Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [140]
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HIGHLIGHTS
Feel the breeze kiss your face as you rove around saw-toothed cliffs and lonely coves during a life-changing hike across Hornstrandir
Take in the wild serenity of the Strandir Coast, stopping at strangely seductive Djúpavík before soaking in the waters at Krossnes
Pick wild rhubarb on the side of the highway, then gorge on piles of salted fish in Ísafjörður, the Westfjords’ surprisingly cosmopolitan capital
Duel with an arctic tern on adorable off-shore Vigur, learn about the elusive arctic fox, or slink across silent fjordlings throughout beautiful Ísafjarðardjúp
Watch chatty seabirds and clumsy puffins swoop around the crowded cliffs at Látrabjarg
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Getting There & Away
There are twice-daily flights between Reykjavík and Ísafjörður on Air Iceland, and additional summer flights on Eagle Air to Gjögur and Bíldudalur.
Roads in the Westfjords are, as one local pointed out, ‘paved roads with unpaved tracks in between’. Quite a few of the region’s roads are unsurfaced as they follow the deeply indented coastline and wind in and out of fjords and around headlands. Needless to say, the going can be very slow. Always keep an eye on the road – we’ve received accident reports every year about cars crashing over fjord edges. Public bus services are rather infrequent, running mostly from June to August.
On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from June to August, buses run between Ísafjörður and Látrabjarg (Ikr4500, two hours), stopping in Patreksfjörður (Ikr4000) and Brjánslækur (Ikr3000) on the way. Note that the bus only stops in Látrabjarg if booked in advance; if no one has booked, the final stop is Patreksfjörður. You’ll have a two-hour stop to admire the bird life before the bus turns around and heads back to Ísafjörður.
Coming from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður you’ll need to change in Staðarskáli (further south, in northwest Iceland) and Hólmavík. Buses leave Reykjavík for Staðarskáli at 8.30am and 5pm (the 5pm service discontinues in winter), but they only connect with the Staðarskáli–Hólmavík service on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. The bus company Stjörnubílar ( 456 5518, 893 6356; www.stjornubilar.is) runs several buses around the region including the Hólmavík–Ísafjörður leg (Ikr5000) in cooperation with TREX on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, calling in Súðvik along the way (Ikr4500).
The Westfjords can also be reached by the Baldur ferry, which departs at least once a day from Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and lands at Brjánslækur on the south coast. Click here for details. A system of buses link the ferry service to Ísafjördur and Reykjavík. However, the connections are not seamless – expect several hours of waiting.
If you want to travel between Ísafjörður and Akureyri, you’ll also need to change in Hólmavík and Staðarskáli.
Ísafjörður is the best place to arrange a boat transfer to the remote Hornstrandir region, but ferries also run from Bolungarvík and the Strandir coast. Boats only run when the weather is calm between July and mid-August.
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SOUTH COAST
The sparsely populated south coast of the Westfjords is the least dramatic of the region, and it’s nowhere near as wild and wonderful as the peninsulas further north. However, the ferry connection to Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a handy route to the area. Although there are no towns on the south coast, you’ll find a cluster of farms and guest houses near Brjánslækur, the landing point for the ferry.
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DALIR TO DJÚPADALUR
Travellers who don’t take the Baldur ferry will enter the Westfjords from the historic Dalir region in west Iceland. If you have your sights set on the Strandir Coast, follow the new concreted road to Hólmavík, which runs parallel to the rutty Rte 605.
Reykhólar
The little