Pre-departure meeting
We meet at our office in Aðalstræti 17 (downtown main street) the day before departure at 5pm, where we will answer any questions and make final preparations.
Day 1
We depart from the harbour in Ísafjörður on our passenger ferry at 9am. We make our way to the abandoned village of Hesteyri. We have now left the modern world behind and are entering a wonderland of sounds, from soothing streams to 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 the other side to sea level.
Overnight at Látrar.
Day 2
From Aðalvík we have the option of a big detour to the top of Straumnesfjall mountain to explore an abandoned radar station built in 1953 by the American army. They quickly figured out this was a pretty harsh place to live, so they abandoned the station in 1960. They might also have gotten tired of not seeing any enemies, ever. We will then head over to Fljótavík. To get to our destination we need to cross Atlastaðaós river, which can get a bit tricky as it is sensitive to sea tides, so we need to aim to be there at 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-hand 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 with 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 (327 m) mountain pass. We will go around Mt. Kollur and from there start 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 trail 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 until 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 the town.
This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change depending on the weather, conditions and the ability of the group.