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Ísafjörður

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Hornbjargsviti

Wildlife and Heritage of Hesteyri

Introduce yourself to the wild flora and fauna of the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve

Hornstrandir Nature Reserve is a haven for wildlife, featuring rugged landscapes and diverse flora. You’ll find hardy mosses and colourful flowering plants thriving here, along with the chance to spot elusive Arctic fox, harbour seals, and various bird species.

As you explore the area around Hesteyri, your guide will share stories about its past inhabitants and industrial history while keeping an eye out for local fauna. Whether you prefer hiking or simply enjoying the views, Hornstrandir promises an unforgettable experience for everyone.

While we can’t guarantee sightings of the foxes, there’s plenty to appreciate in this remote paradise!

Contents of this tour

Tour overview

  • 1 day
  • Min age: For almost all ages
  • Total Distance: 5km
  • Group Size: 4-8

Description

The only way to explore Hornstrandir is to travel by boat, the journey to our destination is a great way to experience the isolation of this place and its impressive landscape.

Arriving in Hesteyri, we get the chance to hike in pristine nature, observe wildlife, and search for the elusive Arctic foxes. After this, you will enjoy an early dinner of traditional fish soup at the historic Doctors house, followed by Icelandic pancakes for dessert*.

Please drop us an email if you’re interested and want to know more!

*Please note that depending on the conditions and timings, the pancakes and soup may be split to two different times of the day.

 

Meeting point: Our Service Center (white container), Ísafjörður harbour.

Departure: 09:00 AM. Be there half an hour before departure time.

Minimum age: This trip is suitable for almost all ages.

Group size: We need a minimum of 2 participants to operate the tour. Maximum group is 10, but most of our tours are between 4 – 6 people.

Trip difficulty: Easy.

Duration of trip: 10 hours.

Included: Boat ride both ways, professional guide, a delicious homemade light dinner.

Not Included: Lunch

Photos

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Itinerary

We meet at our Service Center (white container) half an hour before departure for a briefing, where we will answer any questions and make final preparations. We depart at 9:00 am from the harbour in Ísafjörður on our passenger ferry.

The boat journey takes just over an hour, depending on the booking that day and we travel through fjords and along mountain cliffs, before being dropped off in Hesteyri. When on land, we then have a full day of exploring and enjoying the pristine nature. We will inform you of the story of Hesteyri and its inhabitants, as well as discuss the plants and animals you may see.

The itinerary is usually flexible, since we have guests that are into photography and might want to test their patience waiting for foxes to possibly appear. For those who wish to take hike, you can  join our guide along the coast of the fjord, or you can of course relax outside the Doctors house and breathe in the fresh, clean air that Iceland is known for.

It’s really hard to promise we will see the foxes. There are many factors which come into play when trying to see them. Our guide will use their extensive knowledge of the area and habits of the fox to help you try and spot them. Please note that the cubs are still in the den until mid June the earliest.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Doctors house for delicious fish soup with bread, followed by pancakes,and enjoy the good company of our fellow travellers. The house itself is an interesting place to visit, like travelling back in time!
After dinner, the boat will collect us and we arrive back in Ísafjörður at approximately 7pm or 8pm the latest.

This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change depending on the weather and the ability of the group.

What to bring

  • Warm outdoor clothing. Please avoid cotton as it keeps you cold when wet and takes a very long time to dry.
  • Waterproof jacket and pants.
  • Hiking boots. Please use waterproof high-top hiking boots which provide ankle support.
  • Hat and gloves.
  • Sunhat, sunglasses and sunscreen, it can get sunny up here!
  • Small backpack.
  • Some snacks or a packed lunch. We serve an early dinner before making our return boat journey. You might want to bring some extra snacks!
  • Water bottle.
  • Don’t forget your camera!

FAQ

This trip is a good option for families and it is easy to make it suitable for most ages. It is a great trip to get away from all stress, internet and other distractions and just enjoy the moment, playing outside in the pristine nature of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.
Arctic foxes are wild animals so we make no guarantees that we will see them. But we try our best. In the last few years, there have been at least two den sites not far away from the farmhouse We will visit those sites and hopefully see them there. The parents get down to the beach at low tide to search for food, so it’s better to be there at low tide. We wished we could have low tide around noon every day…! If seeing and photographing arctic foxes is your number one priority, we urge you to participate in our Hornvik Heights and Sights to Hornvik Bay where it’s guaranteed to see them. The bay has the highest density of arctic foxes in the world.
You arrive in Keflavik International Airport about 40 minutes away from the capital city of Reykjavik. From the domestic airport in Reykjavik there are 2-3 daily 40 minute flights to Isafjordur. You can take the Fly-Bus between the airports and most of the time you can continue same day. Check out Air Iceland Connect for schedules and special offers. You can also rent a car and drive to Isafjordur. The drive, over mountain passes and through fjords is an adventure itself. It’s about 440-500 km depending on which route you take. A new road via Arnkötludalur opened in 2009 which completes the asphalted pathway the whole way, and kills the old myth of bad roads in the Westfjords! The drive will normally take you 5-6 hours. A new tunnel opened in September 2020 under the infamous mountain pass between the fjords of Arnarfjörður and Dýrafjörður. That tunnel makes it much easier to travel through the Westfjords all year round and shortens the route up the West coast. For accommodation in Reykjavik there are many options of hotels and guesthouses that we can book for groups. Please ask us for individual bookings. We strongly recommend you to spend a few extra days visiting the West Fjords and other parts of Iceland. We’re happy to help you arranging few days in the area or give you good tips about exciting things to do while in Iceland.

Map

Highly recommended. Westfjords and the natural reserve Hornstrandir are stunning. The company organises tours around the area hiking, kayaking and many others activities. We saw three whales from the boats, a seal with two cubs and arctic foxes.

Maurizio Limiti via Google Reviews 2023

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