Lost Fjords
The Hornstrandir nature reserve is a place of magnificent untouched beauty and wildlife. The sheer basalt mountains stretch from the sea to the sky chaotically divided by deep fjords, secluded alcoves and valleys.
At the coastline the relentless power of the ocean has molded towering sea cliffs richly populated by birds and many of the alcoves and scurries of the coast are home to an abundance of seals. Inland the crawling glaciers of the last ice age have hewn ancient mountain passes and lakes into the rugged peninsula and there the arctic fox wanders in its natural environment. A
From the settlement of Iceland and until the middle of the 20th century the area was populated by the toughest of Icelandic fishermen and craftsmen. Many of them making their livelihood from crafting unsurpassed vessels for the North Atlantic Ocean. Hornstrandir is now empty of permanent settlers but their abandoned homes and workshops are scattered around the area, nestled deep in the fjords and valleys.
You can be sure that trekking through the Hornstrandir will leave you amazed and packed with memories that will last a lifetime.
Participants are required to arrive in Isafjordur the day before departure for some briefing and preparation.
Trip itinerary
Day 1
We depart from our office in Isafjordur at 08:00 in the morning and drive to the nearby village of Bolungarvik. There our speedboat waits for us and takes us on a 2 hour boat ride to the charming abandoned village of Hesteyri. We have now left the modern world behind and entered a wonderland of sounds from soothing streams and the whisper of the waves by the beach. We start our hike in Hesteyri and head for Hesteyrarskarð mountain pass. From there we start to make our way down to sea level again. Overnight at Látrar.
Day 2
From Aðalvík we aim for a little detour to the top of Straumnesfjall mountain to explore an abandoned radar station built in 1953 by the American army. They figured out this was a pretty harsh place to live at so they abandoned the station in 1960. They might also have gotten tired of no enemies showing up ever. After our detour we will head over to Fljótavík. To get tour destination we need to cross Atlastaðaós river which can get a bit tricky since it is sensitive to sea tides so we need to aim for low tide. Overnight at Atlastaðir.
Day 3
We will start the day hiking along the green banks of Fljótsvatn lake. The lake is beautiful and the mountain range on our left hande side is impressive. We need to cross a few mountain passes to get across the mountain range separating us from our next destination, Hlöðuvík. Overnight at Búðir. An optional evening walk to Hælavík.
Day 4
Today we head up a steep slope to the mountain ridge Skálakambur and follow a route marked with cairns towards the steep Atlaskarð (327m) mountain pass. We will go around Mt Kollur and from there star making our way towards Höfn in Hornvík, the heart of Hornstrandir nature reserve. This is a place of dramatic natural beauty and should not be missed out by anyone travelling in this area. It is necessary to spend more than one day at this awe inspiring place so we will put up camp there for two nights.
Day 5
Nothing compares to the beauty of Hornvík, surrounding are two of Iceland's largest bird cliffs. Like the entire Hornstrandir area, Hornvík is very remote and is only accessible by boat or by foot. We hike to Hornbjarg cliff where thousands of birds can be seen and the massive sculptures of mother nature make human beings feel very small and vulnerable. Many visitors state that the hike to Hornbjarg was the highlight of their Hornstrandir trip. At the end of the day we head back to Hornvík where we spend the night.
Day 6
Today we will pack our tents and gear, hit the road and cross yet another mountain pass to get to Veiðileysufjörður fjord. After crossing the mountain range we descend down to the coast again, following the beach for a while untin we get to Meleyri. From there we will get picked up by a boat that will take us to Ísafjörður, back to civilization after almost a week in the wild. For those eager to wash off their hiking dust, a visit to Ísafjörður swimming pool is ideal. Others can relax, go out, eat and just enjoy for a while before catching the flight back to Reykjavík at around 18:00.
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| Trip no | Dates | Days | Price | |
| 2013172 | Jul. 15 - Jul. 20, 2013 | 6 | 990 EUR | BOOK! |
| 2013192 | Jul. 29 - Aug. 03, 2013 | 6 | 990 EUR | BOOK! |
| 2013198 | Aug. 12 - Aug. 17, 2013 | 6 | 990 EUR | BOOK! |
- Boat ride into the Nature Reserve
- All meals except breakfast on day 1 and dinner on day 6
- Tents, cooking gear etc
- Guide
- Transport to and from Ísfjörður airport
- Travel to and from Ísafjörður, Iceland unless specifically mentioned in itinerary.
- Personal medical insurance
- Personal equipment as pr recommended equipment list.
Terms and conditions
The Borea Adventures trips/voyages are of an adventurous nature and to relatively remote places in Iceland, Greenland and other places. Borea Adventures makes best effort to stick to the planned itinerary but participants must appreciate and acknowledge that the trip/voyage requires considerable flexibility. The company and captain of the vessel reserve the right to adjust the itinerary without notice for reasons beyond their control such as weather, ice-conditions or other unpredictable or unforeseeable circumstances. Once departed on the voyage the captain will have final say on all decisions affecting safety etc and this must be accepted by all participants.
Download full version of "terms and conditions" here.