Westfjords
Travel Guide
Dynjandi cascading in tiers above an Arctic fjord, Europe's largest bird cliffs at Látrabjarg, a red-sand beach, arctic foxes and roads so remote they feel like the end of the world.
From Reykjavík
6–8 h / ferry option
Main town
Ísafjörður
Best time
Jun–Aug
Nearest airport
Ísafjörður (IFJ)
01Introduction
The Westfjords: Iceland Before the Crowds
The Westfjords are what the rest of Iceland felt like thirty years ago. This great clawed peninsula in the northwest is so deeply cut by fjords that a map shows more water than land, and the roads that trace those fjord walls take three times as long to drive as the straight-line distance suggests.
The reward is a sense of space found almost nowhere else in Europe. Dynjandi tumbles in a bridal-veil of tiers into Arnarfjörður; Látrabjarg's fourteen-kilometre cliffs host millions of puffins and razorbills at Iceland's westernmost point; and Rauðisandur's red sand stretches empty even in August.
Beyond the roads lies Hornstrandir, a roadless nature reserve of hiking trails and fearless arctic foxes. The Westfjords demand commitment — long gravel roads, sparse fuel, a short season — but travellers who make the effort routinely call it their favourite part of Iceland.
02Quick Facts
Westfjords at a Glance
The essentials every visitor should know before arriving.
From Reykjavík
6–8 h / ferry option
Main town
Ísafjörður
Best time
