iceland-the-westfjords.pdf

(548 KB) Pobierz

168

THE WESTFJORDS

169

The Westfjords

Flung out into the North Atlantic and almost set adrift from the rest of the country, the

region known as the Westfjords is one of Iceland’s most spectacular. Sparsely populated,

fantastically rugged, and isolated by its remote location and limited roads, the Westfjords is

an outdoor adventurer’s dream destination. The landscape here is truly humbling, ranging

from soaring mountains and unfathomably deep and silent fjords to a tortuous coastline

dotted with tiny fishing villages clinging doggedly to a traditional way of life.

To the north lies the uninhabited wilderness region of Hornstrandir, home to the 176-

sq-km Drangajökull (925m), the last surviving icecap in the region. Abandoned by the last

villagers in the 1950s, Hornstrandir is now one of the country’s premier hiking destinations.

South of here lies the region’s largest town, the cosmopolitan oasis of Ísafjörður. A friendly,

happening mini-metropolis, it’s the place to stock up and indulge before heading for the

small villages that line the coast.

Unassuming, determined and often staunchly traditional, these smaller communities have

suffered serious population decline in recent years. Many struggle to persuade their young

people to stay and offer a warm welcome to the tourists who bring valuable income and

energy to their quiet streets. Further south, nesting birds mob the cliffs at Látrabjarg, waves

lash the golden sands at Breiðavík, and craggy inlets and precipitous peaks vie for your

attention at every turn.

Give yourself plenty of time for a trip to the Westfjords. The roads around the coast weave

in and out of fjords and over unpaved mountain passes pitted with giant potholes. The going

is frustratingly slow at times, but the scenery is never short of breathtaking.

THE WESTFJORDS

TOP FIVE

Get to know the locals at the small fishing

village of

Suðureyri

(p176)

Soak up the wild serenity of the Strandir

Coast at

Djúpavík

(p193)

Watch the comic antics of the puffins on the

cliffs at

Látrabjarg

(p172)

Catch the first glimpse of the coast after a

strenuous hike across

Hornstrandir

(p194)

Splash out on anything that isn’t a hostel- or

camp site–cooked meal in cosmopolitan and

isolated

Ísafjörður

(p177)

Suðureyri

Hornstrandir

Ísafjörður

Djúpavík

Látrabjarg

170

T H E W E S T FJ O R D S • • I n f o r m a t i o n

lonelyplanet.com

Information

Tourist offices in the region provide invaluable

free

Vestfirdir

pamphlets, which list all the

tourist facilities in the area. More information

about the Westfjords can be found at www

.westfjords.is.

Getting There & Away

There are twice-daily flights between Reyk-

javík and Ísafjörður (Ikr10,500) with

Air Iceland

(

570 3030; www.airiceland.is)

, and additional sum-

mer flights to Gjögur and Bíldudalur.

Roads in the Westfjords are mostly unsur-

faced and heavily rutted, and they hug the

deeply indented coastline, winding in and

out of fjords and around headlands, so getting

about can be very slow. Public bus services are

limited and infrequent, and most only run

from June to August.

Coming from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður you’ll

need to change in Brú (further south, in west

Iceland) and Hólmavík. Buses leave Reykjavík

for Brú at 8.30am and 5.30pm, but they only

connect with the Brú–Hólmavík service on

Tuesday, Friday and Sunday; Reykjavík–

Hólmavík costs Ikr4900. The bus company

Stjörnubílar

(

456 3518, 893 6356; www.stjornubilar.is)

runs the Hólmavík–Ísafjörður leg (Ikr4000), at

3pm on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

Buses also run to the Westfjords via the

ferry from Stykkishólmur. There are daily

buses from Reykjavík to Stykkishólmur (see

p160), but these don’t link well with the ferry –

you’ll have a few hours to look round, or even

WESTFJORDS

See Hornstrandir Map (p195)

Hornbjarg

Hornvík

Aðalvík

Hornstrandir

Bjarnanes

DENMARK

STRAIT

Hesteyri

Grænahlío

Jökulfirðir

Bolungarvík

Grunnavík

Súg

and

Skálavík

Bolungarvík

Furufjörður

Grunnavík

Sandeyri

Reykjarfjörður

afjö

rðu

Ísa

Ön

rfj

örð

djú

Suðureyri

Syðridalsvatn

Hnífsdalur

Tungudalur

Ísafjörður

Flateyri

Breiðafell

Langeyri

fja

rða

æfj

alla

strö

Æðey

Unaðsdalur

jö

THE WESTFJORDS

Hóll

Ísafjörður-

Suðureyri-

Flateyri Tunnel

Vigur

Skutulsfjörður

Suðavík

Dalbær

Ögur

lón

lda

Melgraseyri

635

D�½

Svalvogar

raf

örð

Lóndjúp

Núpur

M�½rar

622

Skrúður

Vatnsfjörður

Reykjanes

Haukadalur

Selárdalur

ör

Kaldbakur

(998m)

Hrafnseyri

Sjónfrið

(920m)

Grænahlíð

Borgarfjörð

Bíldudalur

Gláma

Dynjandi

rð

Kollsvík

Hænuvík

Breiðavík

Brunnar

Hvallátur

Tálknafjörður

615

Patreksfjörður

Fossdalur

612

Foss

Vatnsfjörður

Flókalundur

Fossá

Ísa

Vaðalfjöll

Djúpadalur (508m)

Hnjótur

Sauðlauksdalur

614

Látrabjarg

Rauðisandur

Kleifaheiði

Stálfjall

Krossholt

sfj

Tungamúli

ör

Brjánslækur

Djúpafjörður

Bjarkalundur

ðu

Reykjanes

Bær

Barðaströnd

Breiðafjörður

To Flatey (5km);

Stykkishólmur (25km)

fjö

Reykhólar

rfj

Mjóifjörður

rðu

Þingeyri

San

Þingeyri

dfel

Reykjarfjörður

rfi

ðu

tre

rð

fjö

alu

lonelyplanet.com

S O U T H C OA S T • • R e y k h ó l a r & B j a r k a l u n d u r

171

an overnight stop. For information on buses

between Brjánslækur and Ísafjörður (via

Látrabjarg), see p172.

If you want to travel between Ísafjörður

and Akureyri, you’ll also need to change in

Hólmavík and Brú.

The car ferry

Baldur

(

438 1450; www.seatours

.is; per car/passenger one way Ikr2190/2190)

operates

between Stykkishólmur and Brjánslækur (2¼

hours). From June to August there are daily

departures from Stykkishólmur at 9am and

3pm, returning from Brjánslækur at noon and

6pm. From September to May it leaves Styk-

kishólmur at 1.30pm Sunday to Friday and

at 9am on Saturday, and from Brjánslækur it

leaves at 5pm Sunday to Friday and 12.30pm

on Saturday.

24 km

14 miles

Boat transfers to the remote Hornstrandir

region can be arranged from Ísafjörður and

Drangsnes from June to August.

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 wonder-

ful as the wilderness areas further north and

west. However, the ferry connection to Styk-

kishólmur 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 guesthouses around

Brjánslækur, the landing point for the ferry,

and the drive west and north from here is

lined with white-sand beaches before rising

into the mountain passes that take you to the

western fjords.

REYKHÓLAR & BJARKALUNDUR

The little town of Reykhólar sits on the tip

of the kidney-shaped Reykjanes peninsula,

a minor geothermal area. There’s little to do

here other than take a dip in the

geothermal

swimming pool

(

434 7738; 10am-10pm Jun-Aug, re-

duced hr rest of year)

or take to the surrounding

hills on foot.

In summer a small

tourist office

is open

(

434 7830; 10am-noon & 2-6pm Jun–mid-Aug)

, and

staff can help with route planning for hikes.

The hiking map

Gönguleiðir Reykhólasveit

(Ikr300) is also useful. The tiny village of

Bjarkalundur on Rte 60 near the beginning

of the peninsula is the starting point for hikes

to the peak of Vaðalfjöll (508m).

There’s a basic

camp site

(

434 7738; sites

per person Ikr600)

near the swimming pool, and

more comfortable accommodation at

Gisti-

heimilið Álftaland

(

434 7878; www.alftaland.is; sb/

s/d Ikr3000/6500/8200;

)

. The rooms here are

simple but comfortable, and there’s a sauna,

hot pots and a good kitchen available for use

by guests.

At Bjarkalundur you can stay at

Hótel Bjarka-

lundur

(

434 7863; www.bjarkalundur.is; sb Ikr2000, s/d

incl breakfast Ikr4900/7100;

Easter-Sep, then weekends to

New Year)

, a large farmhouse with a petrol sta-

Reykjarfjörður

Bjarnarfjörður

Drangar

Drangavík

Ófeigsfjörður

Norðurfjörður

Árnes

Göngumannaskarð

Pass

Krossnes

THE WESTFJORDS

Reykjaneshyrna

Reykjanes

Gjögur

Naustavík

Reykjarfjörður

Reykjarfjörðardalur

Djúpavík

Lambatindur

(854m)

Hólsfjall

(469m)

Laugarhóll

Staður

643

Kaldbaksvík

Strandir

Coast

Bjarnarfjörður

Ós

Bjarna

arðarh rfj-

áls

Hólmavík

Drangsnes

Bær

Grímsey

Þiðriksvallavatn

Steingrímsfjörður

605

Húnaflói

Bitrufjörður

Króksfjarðarnes

To Búðardalur (25km);

Reykjavík (95km)

To Staðarskáli (40km);

Akureyri (110km);

Reykjavík (110km)

tion, a restaurant (mains Ikr900 to Ikr1750)

and reasonably priced rooms.

The only other food option is the super-

market and snack bar

Árnhóll

(

434 7890; snacks

Ikr400-900)

at the petrol station in Reykhólar.

172

S O U T H W E S T P E N I N S U L A • • L á t r a b j a r g Pe n i n s u l a

lonelyplanet.com

Getting There & Away

Buses run between Reykjavík and Reykhólar

(Ikr4800, four hours), via Króksfjarðarnes

(west Iceland) on Monday, Tuesday, Friday

and Sunday. There’s no bus service between

Bjarkalundur and Brjánslækur.

Getting There & Away

Bus schedules are loosely timed to connect

with the

Baldur ferry

(

438 1450)

to Stykkishól-

mur; see p171.

On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from

June to August buses run from Brjánslækur to

Ísafjörður (Ikr2350, two hours). In the reverse

direction the bus drops off at Brjánslækur and

then continues to Patreksfjörður (Ikr600, 1¼

hours) and Látrabjarg (Ikr2500, two hours),

where you’ll have a 90-minute stop to admire

the bird life.

DJÚPADALUR

Heading west, you’ll come to the hot springs

and steaming vents of the Djúpadalur geother-

mal field, 20km west of Bjarkalundur. There’s

an indoor

thermal swimming pool

(

434 7853;

adult/under 14yr Ikr250/100)

here and good accommo-

dation at the welcoming

Guesthouse Djúpadalur

(

434 7853; sb/made-up bed Ikr1700/2500)

SOUTHWEST PENINSULA

The beautiful, sparsely populated trident-

shaped peninsula in the southwest of the

Westfjords is a spectacularly scenic place

and the westernmost point in Europe. Sand

beaches as fine as you’ll find in Iceland, shim-

mering blue water, towering cliffs and stun-

ning mountains weave along and between

the fjords and provide fantastic territory for

hiking, walking and leisurely driving. The

region’s most famous destination, however,

is Látrabjarg, a 12km stretch of sea cliffs that

is home to thousands of nesting sea birds in

summer.

The roads throughout this region are rough

and driving is slow. There are several small

villages on the northern side of the peninsula

to break your journey but only isolated guest-

houses in the far south and west.

FLÓKALUNDUR

The tiny village of Flókalundur was named

after the Viking explorer Hrafna-Flóki Vil-

gerðarson (see p25), who gave Iceland its name

in AD 860. Today, the most interesting thing

in the area is the

Vatnsfjörður Nature Reserve,

established to protect the area around Lake

Vatnsdalsvatn, a nesting site for harlequin

ducks and red-throated and great northern

divers (loons). Various hiking trails run around

the lake and into the hills beyond.

You can stay at

Hótel Flókalundur

(

456 2011;

www.flokalundur.is; sites per tent/caravan Ikr1000/1500, s/d

incl breakfast Ikr8800/11,700;

Jun–mid-Sep)

, an aging

THE WESTFJORDS

wooden bungalow-style hotel with small,

wood-panelled rooms, a decent restaurant

(mains Ikr1200 to Ikr2950) and a petrol sta-

tion. Down the road at Flókalaug is a

thermal

swimming pool

(

456 2011; adult/under 12yr Ikr200/100;

7am-noon & 4-7pm)

, managed by the hotel.

LÁTRABJARG PENINSULA

Best known for its dramatic cliffs and abun-

dant bird life, the Látrabjarg peninsula also

has wonderful deserted beaches and plenty of

opportunities for long, leisurely walks.

Joining Rte 612 from Rte 62, you’ll pass

the rusting hulk of the fishing boat

Garðar

near the head of the fjord before passing the

empty, golden beaches around the airstrip at

Sauðlauksdalur. About 10km further on it’s

worth stopping at the entertaining

Egill Ólafsson

Folk Museum

(

456 1569; adult/under 14yr Ikr500/free;

9am-6pm Jun–mid-Sep)

in the tiny village of Hn-

jótur. The eclectic collection includes salvaged

fishing boats, old aircraft and displays on the

history of the region. A circle of stones behind

the museum commemorates the many fishing

ships lost at sea off the tip of the peninsula.

Breiðavík

a stunning golden-sand beach

stands framed by rocky cliffs and the turquoise

BRJÁNSLÆKUR

There’s nothing much at Brjánslækur except

the terminal for the

Baldur

ferry to Styk-

kishólmur and Flatey and some turf-covered

9th-century ruins just to the south.

If you get stuck here overnight there’s a basic

camp site

(

456 2020; sites per tent Ikr700)

opposite

the ferry landing. About 8km west, opposite a

lovely white-sand beach, you can stay at

Gisti-

húsið Rauðsdal

(

456 2041; raudsdal@vortex.is; sb/made-

up bed Ikr2000/2600)

, which has decent rooms and

a guest kitchen.

At Krossholt, 14km west of Brjánslækur,

you’ll find

Gistiheimilið Bjarkarholt

(

456 2025;

torfi@vestferdir.is; sb Ikr1800, made-up bed s/d Ikr2500/5000)

and

Gistiheimilið Arnarholt

(

456 2080; silja@snerpa

.is; sb Ikr1800)

next door, which runs the geother-

mal pool on the shore.

iceland-the-westfjords.pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: