Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [154]
Many types of adventures can be had in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, but the one I like the most is the comfortable four-to-five-day hike from Veiðileysufjörður to Hesteyri. This scenic hike gives a good picture of the region, and the itinerary can be easily modified if you run into bad weather. The trails on this route are clearly marked, but at the same time there are very few tourists, so it’s a great opportunity to experience the desolate landscape.
On Day 1, sail from Ísafjörður to Veiðileysufjörður, one of the local jökulfirðir (glacier fjords). The hike begins on a street near the bottom of the fjord and follows a cairn-marked trail up the slope and through the mountain pass. From the pass you can descend the mountain on either side until you reach the campsite at Höfn in Hornvík. The hike from Veiðileysufjörður to Hornvík can take anywhere between four and eight hours. My ranger station is based at the campsite here, so feel free to stop by to get the latest weather forecast and information about trail conditions.
I recommend staying in Hornvík for two nights, and use Day 2 to visit Hornbjarg. Hornbjarg is an extremely beautiful bird cliff with diverse flora and fauna. Give yourself the entire day to explore the cliff – there’s a lot to see.
On Day 3, hike from Hornvík to Hlöðuvík. The partly marked trail goes through a mountain pass and is relatively easy to find. Camping in Hlöðuvík is best by the Hlöðuvíkurós (the mouth of the Hlöðuvík river); there is a new campsite here. Like Hornvík, Hlöðuvík faces north – it’s the perfect place to watch the spectacular midnight sun. Figure around six hours to reach Hlöðuvík.
On Day 4, hike through Kjarnsvíkurskarð (a mountain pass) and Hesteyrarbrúnir to Hesteyri (figure around eight hours). Hesteyri is an old village that was abandoned around the middle of the 20th century. There are still several well-kept houses here, amid the fields of angelica. Ruins of a turn-of-the-century whaling station are found near the village. The coffee shop in Hesteyri is a good place to visit at the end of your hike – you can get info about local trails and boats back to Ísafjörður. Boats from Hesteyri usually leave in the afternoon, so it’s possible to plan your departure on the fourth day, but I advise hikers to spend one night in Hesteyri rather than having to race against the clock on the last day of hiking. Pitch your tent at the campsite just south of the village and spend Day 5 doing a series of short walks around the village while you wait for the ferry.
It is important that travellers take all their waste with them and leave no marks after their stay. If you carry driftwood or rocks back to your tent, please take them back before you leave. Fires are forbidden both on the beach and in vegetated land. Further information about the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve is available with the tourist information office in Ísafjörður, which also houses West Tours’ ticketing office.
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On the west coast, camping and sleeping-bag accommodation is provided at Hesteyri ( 456 1123, 853 5034, 845 5075; www.hesteyri.net; sb Ikr3500) and Grunnavík ( 852 4819; www.grunnavik.is; sites Ikr1200, sb Ikr3000; mid-Jun–mid-Aug).
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
Getting to Hornstrandir requires a boat trip from Ísafjörður, from where there are regular services, or from Bolungarvík, Norðurfjörður or even Drangsnes from where boats run with less frequency and/or on request.
If you’d rather make the journey on foot, you can fly from Reykjavík to Gjögur (Click here) and walk in from there. Another possible access route for hikers is to take the Ísafjörður bus as far as the junction of Rtes 61 and 635 and then walk north along Rte 635 to the guest house at Dalbær (41km). From here, you can head up the Snæfjallaströnd coast to Grunnavík.
Scheduled boat services run from