Wildlife of Vigur island

Challenge yourself with a rewarding sea kayaking adventure to Vigur Island

This exciting trip takes you from Seyðisfjorður fjord, out to and around Vigur island, where the bird life is just about as rich as it gets in Iceland. Expect a circus of puffins, eider ducks, guillemots and abundant seal colonies.

A few weeks ago my wife and I were traveling around the West Fjords. It was our goal to go kayaking in the Fjords and this trip far exceeded our expectations. Even though the weather was overcast it made the scenery even more dramatic. Our guide Raguel was both knowledgeable and fun. He led us out to Vigur Island were we were treated to up close encounters with Eiders, Puffins and Arctic Terns. This was rounded out with a fantastic lunch and hot coffee. I am a Sea Kayaking instructor on the coast of Maine and in my opinion Borea Adventures is a top rate guiding company. We are looking forward to our return....

sprak5150, Tripadvisor 2017

Tour overview

Description

Seeing the teeming wildlife of Ísafjarðardjúp bay and sometimes even a whale or two, while enjoying the unique panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and fjords is an experience like no other. Stopping at Vigur to enjoy some coffee or tea among the puffins and eider ducks is sure to get you ready for the paddle back to the mainland.

Meeting point: Our base at Mávagarður C (grey building) close to the Eastern Harbour.

Departure: 9:00 AM. Be there half an hour before departure time.

Minimum age: 16 years.

Group size: We need a minimum number of 2 participants to operate the tour. Maximum group size is 8, but most of our tours are between 2–6 people.

Trip Difficulty: Moderate.

Duration of trip: 8 hours.

Included: Transportation, kayaking gear, professional guide and coffee or tea in the island.

Itinerary

The journey begins at our base in Mávagarður C (grey building), where you meet your guide half an hour before departure and gear up.
We then drive for around 45 minutes from Ísafjörður to Seyðisfjörður fjord, where we have a short safety briefing and paddle lesson.
We begin by paddling to the headland of Folafótur, where there are unusual rock formations caused by erosion and ruins of old settlements where over 100 people lived.
On the way, we keep a lookout for seals and whales that often venture into this fjord.
From Folafótur we make the last leg to the island of Vigur, where we land to take a little break from kayaking and enjoy the slow-paced life on this beautiful island. Thousands of birds call Vigur their home in the summer. There are puffins everywhere on the island as well as Eider Ducks, Guillemots, Razorbills and other marine birds.
The relationship between the farmers on the island and the ducks is very special. The family has collected the down from their nests for hundreds of years, and in exchange they protect the ducks from birds of prey.
After the walk on the island, we get back to our boats and paddle back to the car and drive back to Ísafjörður.

What to bring

Warm woollen or fleece clothing including top, bottoms and socks. Please avoid cotton as it keeps you cold when wet and takes a very long time to dry.
Spare clothing in case you get wet!
Sunhat, sunglasses and sunscreen, it can get sunny up here!
Lunch for the day. One or two sandwiches and your favourite snacks.
Water bottle.
Don’t forget your camera!

FAQ

You can bring cameras and phones to capture those great moments. However, as we all know, water and electronics don’t mix very well. We at Borea hold no responsibility over your personal electronics. That being said, we have very few accidents and you’re unlikely to drop or damage your items if you’re careful. We recommend using a waterproof case.

Our kayaks are very stable and capsizes are rare, therefore, you’re unlikely to get soaked. But it’s important to remember that we are kayaking and it’s normal to get caught by a few splashes. Our kayak gear will keep you somewhat protected but getting a little damp is normal.

We use plastic sea kayaks. We have both single and tandem kayaks available. We highly recommend using tandem kayaks for our trips as they are faster, more stable and a lot more social than the singles! Tandem kayaks are not only for beginners, in fact, experienced kayakers will know the benefit of tandem kayaks. However, if you are an experienced paddler, then of course the single kayaks are available.

This trip is suited to those with some experience. The longer distance requires good strength and technique which takes some practice. If you are a beginner we recommend Calm Water Kayaking.

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.