Westfjords, Iceland

What Makes the Westfjords Different From the Rest of Iceland

Iceland has become one of Europe’s most visited countries, yet the Westfjords – a dramatic, deeply indented peninsula in the country’s far northwest – remain almost untouched by mass tourism. This is the oldest part of Iceland geologically, a jagged hand of land reaching into the North Atlantic where fjords slice so deep into the rock that some villages are separated from each other by a ten-minute boat ride but a two-hour drive. It is remote in a way that feels intentional, as though the landscape itself has decided who gets to visit.

What you’ll find here is Iceland stripped back to its essentials: waterfalls that no one has photographed yet, fishing villages where the population is counted in dozens, roads that cling to cliffsides above gunmetal-gray water, and a silence that has genuine weight. The Westfjords cover about 22% of Iceland’s total coastline but are home to fewer than 7,000 people. That ratio tells you everything about the experience that’s waiting.

Getting There (and Why the Journey Is Half the Experience)

Reaching the Westfjords requires commitment, and that commitment is exactly what keeps it extraordinary. There are a few ways in, each with its own character.

By Air

Eagle Air operates small propeller flights from Reykjavík’s domestic Reykjavík Airport to Ísafjörður, the regional capital. The flight takes around 40 minutes and on a clear day offers views of the peninsula that will make you reach for your camera before the wheels even leave the tarmac. The Ísafjörður airport is famously dramatic – one of the most technically challenging approaches in Europe, requiring a sharp curved descent between mountains.

By Road

Driving from Reykjavík takes roughly five to six hours depending on your route, and the roads themselves become increasingly spectacular the further northwest you push. The final stretch via Route 60 through the southern Westfjords introduces you to the region’s terrain gradually – long fjord drives, switchback mountain passes, and the occasional sheep that treats the road as its personal territory. Be aware that many roads in the Westfjords are unpaved and some require a 4WD vehicle, particularly if you’re heading to more remote areas like the Hornstrandir peninsula.

By Ferry

The Baldur ferry operates seasonally (typically June to August) between Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Brjánslækur in the southern Westfjords, crossing through the Breiðafjörður bay with its thousands of tiny islands. This is one of Iceland’s most underrated journeys – three hours on the water surrounded by eiders, Arctic terns, and the occasional white-tailed eagle. If you’re coming from Reykjavík by car, combining the Ring Road to Stykkishólmur with the ferry crossing creates a natural arc that avoids backtracking.

Ísafjörður: The Capital of the Edge of the World

Ísafjörður sits on a narrow spit of land jutting into the Ísafjarðardjúp fjord – a town of around 2,600 people that functions as the Westfjords’ beating heart. It has the compact, self-sufficient energy of a place that knows how to take care of itself. The colorful corrugated-iron houses date back to the 18th and 19th centuries when this was a significant fishing and trading port, and a handful of those original buildings still stand in the old town quarter near the harbor.

The town has proper infrastructure for visitors without feeling overbuilt. There’s a hospital, a cultural center, an excellent swimming pool (geothermally heated, naturally), good coffee shops, and a handful of restaurants that punch well above their weight given the population. The Westfjords Heritage Museum, housed in one of Iceland’s oldest surviving wooden buildings, gives you a grounded sense of what life here actually looked like before the roads came.

Walk the main street on a summer evening and you’ll notice the particular quality of light that defines the Westfjords – the midnight sun bouncing off the fjord at angles that photographers travel thousands of miles to capture. In winter, that same light disappears almost entirely, and the town hunkers down with a cozy resilience that has its own appeal.

The Westfjords Arts Festival, held each summer in Ísafjörður, draws musicians and artists from across Iceland and occasionally from abroad, transforming the town for a few days into something unexpectedly vibrant. Check the dates if you’re planning a summer visit – it’s worth timing around.

The Fjords Themselves: Which Ones to Prioritize

The Westfjords peninsula is essentially a collection of fjords, and choosing which ones to explore depends on your interests and how much time you have. They are not all created equal.

Ísafjarðardjúp

The largest fjord system in the Westfjords, and the one that gives Ísafjörður its position. Several smaller fjords branch off it – Álftafjörður, Seyðisfjörður (not to be confused with the eastern Iceland town), and Mjóifjörður among them. Driving around these sub-fjords takes patience but rewards you with panoramas that feel like they belong in a different century.

Arnarfjörður

This is where Dynjandi waterfall descends, which earns it a section of its own below. Beyond that, Arnarfjörður is one of the longest fjords in the region, and the road along its southern shore passes through farmland so isolated it feels almost surreal – a working horse farm here, an abandoned turf house there.

Patreksfjörður and Tálknafjörður

These twin fjords in the south are home to the region’s most accessible beaches, including Rauðasandur – a beach of reddish-gold sand that looks entirely out of place in Iceland. The color comes from crushed scallop shells mixed with iron-rich sand, and the effect on a clear day is genuinely stunning. Patreksfjörður village has a good grocery store, a gas station, and a couple of accommodation options, making it a useful base for the southern Westfjords.

Hornstrandir

Not reachable by road at all, Hornstrandir is a nature reserve at the very tip of the peninsula, accessible only by boat from Ísafjörður. It was abandoned by its farming population in the mid-20th century and has been left entirely to nature since. Arctic foxes here have never been hunted and show remarkably little fear of humans. The hiking is serious – this is not a day-trip destination for the unprepared – but those who make the crossing find something genuinely primordial.

Dynjandi: Iceland’s Most Spectacular Waterfall You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

If you visit one thing in the Westfjords, make it Dynjandi. The waterfall descends in a series of cascading tiers for a total drop of around 100 meters, widening as it falls from roughly 30 meters across at the top to about 60 meters at the base. The effect is that of a giant bridal veil spread across the mountainside, which is exactly what its informal English nickname – “the Jewel of the Westfjords” – tries to capture, though the reality outdoes any description.

What makes Dynjandi special beyond its sheer visual impact is the way you approach it. The trail from the parking area passes five smaller waterfalls before reaching the main cascade, each one a substantial waterfall by any normal standard, each one essentially ignored because of what comes next. You arrive at the base of Dynjandi having already walked through a gauntlet of beauty, and the scale of the main falls hits with full force.

The mist generated by the cascade carries for some distance on windy days, and the rocks at the base are permanently wet and green with moss. Getting close enough to feel the spray is worthwhile – the sound at close range is physical, a low roar that you feel in your chest. Even in summer the water is glacier-cold.

Dynjandi is located on the northern shore of Arnarfjörður, accessible via a gravel road off Route 60. The parking area has basic facilities. Go early in the morning or late in the evening if you want it to yourself – not always guaranteed but much more likely than at Iceland’s more famous waterfalls.

Wildlife, Birdlife, and the Living Landscape

The Westfjords support wildlife populations that have been squeezed out of much of the rest of Iceland by development and tourism pressure. This is where you come to actually encounter the living Iceland rather than just photograph the geological one.

Arctic Fox

Iceland’s only native land mammal, the Arctic fox, exists in greatest numbers in the Westfjords. The Arctic Fox Center in Súðavík, a small village south of Ísafjörður, is one of the best places to learn about and observe these animals. The center rehabilitates injured foxes and maintains a few resident animals for educational purposes, but foxes in the wild are also regularly spotted along roadsides, particularly near Hornstrandir where they have no fear of people at all.

Seabirds

The Látrabjarg cliffs on the Westfjords’ western tip form one of Europe’s largest seabird colonies. The cliffs extend for roughly 14 kilometers and reach heights of up to 440 meters, hosting millions of birds including razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, and most famously, Atlantic puffins. Puffins nest in burrows at the cliff edge and can be approached remarkably closely – they seem genuinely unbothered by humans crouching nearby. Access involves a drive on unpaved roads, so a 4WD or high-clearance vehicle is strongly recommended. Go between June and August when the birds are nesting.

Marine Life

The fjords and surrounding ocean support harbor seals, gray seals, and various whale species including minke whales and occasional humpbacks. Small-boat whale watching operations run from Ísafjörður during summer months. Kayaking among the seals in the calmer inner fjords is a particular highlight – several operators in Ísafjörður offer guided kayak tours that bring you into contact with seal haul-out spots that you simply couldn’t reach on foot.

Where to Eat and Sleep in the Westfjords

The Westfjords will not feed or house you in abundance, but what’s on offer is genuinely good and in some cases exceptional. The key is understanding the geography – services are concentrated in the larger settlements and essentially nonexistent between them, so plan meals and accommodation carefully before setting out on longer drives.

Eating

Tjöruhúsið in Ísafjörður is the Westfjords’ most celebrated restaurant and one of the best in all of Iceland. It operates from an old warehouse near the harbor and serves a daily changing menu of fish and seafood cooked simply and brilliantly – whatever came off the boats that morning, prepared without unnecessary fuss. There are no printed menus; a server explains what’s available. Go for lunch if you can, when it operates as a buffet. It fills up fast and reservations are essential in summer.

Heimabyggð is Ísafjörður’s reliable everyday option – a café and restaurant in the town center that does good lamb soup, fish of the day, and some of the better coffee in the region. It doubles as a community gathering place, and you’re likely to find locals eating lunch alongside visitors.

Outside Ísafjörður, options thin out. Patreksfjörður has a grill and a grocery store. Þingeyri has a small café. Stock up on supplies whenever you pass through a larger settlement – the distances between services can surprise people unfamiliar with Icelandic rural geography.

Sleeping

Hotel Ísafjörður is the most comfortable option in the capital – clean, well-run, with rooms overlooking the fjord. Litlibær, a restored turf farm guesthouse in the southern Westfjords, offers something entirely different: sleeping in a reconstructed traditional Icelandic farmhouse, surrounded by nothing. It’s one of the more unusual overnight experiences available in Iceland. Across the region, guesthouses and farm stays dominate – Fosshotel Westfjords near Þingeyri is a solid mid-range option with striking views.

Camping is popular and well-suited to the landscape. The official campsite in Ísafjörður is central and well-maintained. Camping at Dynjandi – there’s a small site near the waterfall – is one of those experiences that requires no additional selling.

Outdoor Adventures: Hiking, Kayaking, and Ski Touring

The Westfjords is not a place you experience from a car window, even though the drives are spectacular. The landscape rewards those who get out into it.

Hiking

Day hiking options are scattered across the region without the concentrated trail infrastructure of somewhere like Þórsmörk or Landmannalaugar. That’s part of the appeal. The hike above Ísafjörður to the plateau overlooking the fjord system requires no special equipment and offers views that take in multiple fjord arms simultaneously. In Hornstrandir, multi-day routes connect historic farmstead ruins with wildlife-rich coastal areas – the Hornstrandir to Hesteyri route is a classic, though route-finding skills are essential given the absence of marked trails in places.

Sea Kayaking

Westfjords Adventures in Ísafjörður offers guided kayaking tours that range from a few hours to multiple days. Paddling through the inner fjords at midnight in summer, with the sun skimming the mountain ridges and seals watching from nearby rocks, is precisely the kind of experience that turns a trip into a memory you carry for life. No prior kayaking experience is required for most guided tours.

Ski Touring

This is one of Europe’s best-kept ski touring secrets. The mountains above the fjords offer terrain that ranges from mellow valley runs to serious steep couloirs, and the snow conditions – influenced by maritime weather patterns – tend toward heavy, stable snowpack. The Westfjords Ski Resort above Ísafjörður is a tiny, local affair with a handful of runs and a single lift, but it gives access to backcountry terrain that draws serious ski tourers from across Europe. The season typically runs from January to April. Ísafjörður’s annual ski festival, SkíðaþingID, brings a burst of energy to the town in late winter.

The Westfjords in Winter: A Different Kind of Magic

Most visitors come in summer, and that instinct is understandable – the roads are open, the puffins are nesting, and Dynjandi is in full flow. But winter in the Westfjords offers something that summer cannot: the near-complete absence of other travelers combined with landscapes of extraordinary severity.

From November to February, the sun barely clears the mountains for the shortest days, and some valleys don’t see direct sunlight at all during the depths of winter. This sounds harsh, and it is, but the quality of the low-angled light when the sun does appear – pink and gold across snow-covered fjord ice – is unlike anything you’ll see in summer. The northern lights are frequently visible on clear nights, and the absence of light pollution across most of the region makes for exceptional viewing.

Winter driving requires experience with snow and ice, proper tires (snow chains or studded tires are required by law in certain conditions), and a careful approach to road closures. Mountain passes can close without notice during storms. The Westfjords in winter is not for the underprepared, but for those who know what they’re doing, it’s one of Iceland’s most rewarding experiences.

Ísafjörður stays open and functional through winter – the airport operates, the restaurants are open, and the locals continue about their lives with the matter-of-fact resilience that defines communities in extreme environments. Staying in town for a few days in January or February and watching the brief daily light show from a café window while drinking coffee is a particular kind of pleasure.

Practical Tips for Visiting the Westfjords

When to Go

June through August offers the most accessible roads, the best weather, and the longest daylight hours. July is peak season (such as it is – the Westfjords are never truly crowded). September brings autumn colors and fewer visitors. Winter visits require planning but deliver exceptional experiences. Avoid April and May for road travel – many mountain passes are still snowed in and access can be severely limited.

How Long to Spend

A rushed three-day trip will leave you frustrated. The distances are real, the roads are slow, and the Westfjords resist being hurried. Five to seven days allows you to see the major highlights without feeling like you’re racing. Ten days or more opens up Hornstrandir, serious hiking, and the slower rhythms that make the place genuinely transformative.

Road Conditions and Vehicle Choice

A 4WD vehicle with decent ground clearance is strongly recommended for anyone planning to explore beyond the main Route 60 corridor. The roads to Látrabjarg, Rauðasandur, and many hiking trailheads are unpaved and can be rough. Check road conditions at road.is before setting out each day – conditions can change rapidly, especially outside summer months.

Fuel and Supplies

Fill up every time you see a gas station. In the Westfjords, this is not a suggestion – it’s a genuine practical necessity. The gaps between stations can be substantial, and running low on fuel in a remote fjord with no phone signal and no passing traffic is an experience best avoided. Similarly, carry food and water for longer drives, and let someone know your intended route if you’re heading into remote areas.

Mobile Signal and Connectivity

Signal is reasonable in the larger settlements and along main routes, but drops out entirely in many valleys and remote areas. Download offline maps before you go (maps.me or Google Maps offline work well for Iceland). A local SIM card from a provider like Síminn or Vodafone Iceland offers the best coverage in populated areas.

Respect the Landscape

The Westfjords’ ecology is fragile. The vegetation – mosses, lichens, and low-growing flowering plants – can take decades to recover from being walked on. Stick to marked trails or established paths where they exist, and practice leave-no-trace camping. The foxes, birds, and seals are not exhibits – give them appropriate space, even if they seem indifferent to your presence.

The Westfjords will ask something of you – time, flexibility, a tolerance for uncertainty, and a willingness to slow down. In return, they offer a version of Iceland that most visitors to the country will never encounter: unmediated, vast, and quietly extraordinary.

📷 Featured image by Alec Cooks on Unsplash.