Iceland - Westfjords - Hesteyri, a pensinsula for just us

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula, all for ourself

Iceland Westfjords Route 3 (+ boat to Hesteyri)

Today we drove early to Ísafjörður. From Þingeyri it is about a one hour's drive. It is an interesting drive, with nine kilometers through a one-lane tunnel straight through the mountains. The tunnel requires a decent level of anticipation and civilization, because cars coming from opposite directions cannot pass each other, except at a number os passing bays, where the tunnel is locally broader. These are well indicated. But when you see remote headlights coming your way, you have to use these, and stop if necessary.

Ísafjörður must be the most lively town in the entire Westfjords. It is a the center for outdoor adventures. Several companies organize one-day and longer arrangements like hikes, kayak tours and sailing tours, some even to Greenland and Jan Mayen Island. The total population of Ísafjörður is 3,200, and there are many more facilities, shops and eateries than in the small towns. It also has its own airport with daily flights from Reykjavík.

Several times each year, a cruise ship arrives, and when that happens it is Hayday for the local people, because a herd of 8,000 cruise passengers (more than 2.5 times the local population) will swarm out into the little town, and they want to buy souvenirs, eat, drink, shop more etc.

We went to Ísafjörður, to take a boat which is run by Borea Adventures, a company run by young people, who would drop us at the deserted peninsula of Hesteyri, and pick us up by the end of the afternoon. There was one other couple, who decided to walk a different direction, so we had the whole area, as far as we could look, for ourselves.

There is in fact one main walking path, going from the little jetty all the way up the mountains.

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula, all for ourself

Hesteyri is part of Hornstrandir National Park, and it is home to some wildlife, birds mostly, but even the sheep that you see anywhere in Iceland don't live here anymore. The only land mammal is the Arctic Fox. In the sea around there are seals, and reportedly even whales. A few scattered houses remind of times that a very small group of farmers was living here. Also then, there were no facilities such as telephone or electricity. There was nothing here. Nothing to raise kids in the modern post-war times. By 1948, the people had deserted their houses and moved elsewhere. A last couple stayed on and off at a remote place of Hesteyri, but by 1954 they also had moved to other places.

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

If you are there for a day, what you do is just walk, and be amazed, and take in the views, pick blueberries, watch for fox (we only found their droppings), listen to the sounds of the nature... The absence of sheep or other mammals and the total absence of pollution mean that you can drink the water from the fast running rivers without any problem.

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula, all for ourself

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula, all for ourself

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula, all for ourself

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri peninsula all for ourselves

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri is literally covered with blueberries

Iceland, Westfjords, Hesteyri water is clean and drinkable straight from the rivers

On our way back, from the boat, we actually did spot whales. Of course we were late with the camera, but there are humpbacks and other whales in the fjord.

Iceland, Westfjords, elephant rock, on the way to Hesteyri peninsula, where we saw whales

Iceland, Westfjords, elephant shaped rock on way back from Hesteyri peninsula

It was an amazing day, and when we came back in Ísafjörður we had a wonderful seafood dinner in reportedly Iceland's best fish restaurant, located in the oldest house of Iceland: Tjöruhúsið (1734). It is a lovely informal buffet style restaurant. The chefs (a family of course) make a variety of fish and shellfish dishes in enormous pans and skillets, and refills of these are plentiful. The people sit all together on long tables. Each evening they put a maximum to the people they let in, so advance reservation is highly recommended. We were there in the low-season, but even then it was full, mostly with locals.