Westfjords

The Westfjords is an isolated but spectacular area of Iceland but only sees 10% of Iceland’s visitors. Amid the enchanting Westfjords of Iceland stands Ísafjörður, a fishing town on the longest fjord in Iceland. Summer months here are brisk, but it’s this cool climate combined with breathtaking and quaint scenery that makes the village feel like an undiscovered treasure. The massive depression among the flat-topped mountains called Naustahvilft – known colloquially as the troll seat – combines Iceland’s natural beauty with the town’s rich folklore. Next to the cruise port is Dokkan Brugghús, the only brewery in the entire Westfjords, where you can sample the local beers, crafted with naturally filtered spring water from the nearby mountains. Westfjord History Museum, based on Ísafjörður’s maritime heritage has displays about the growth of the fishing industry.

Dynjandi Waterfall and Suoureyri village

We took a scenic route from the port of Ísafjörður experiencing the beauty of the Westfjords. We passed through several long tunnels, one of which was a single track only with several ‘Meeting Places’ where vehicles pulled in to let the other pass. We arrived at the stunning 328 feet tall cascade of Dynjandi Waterfall, one of the area’s main attractions, often called the Jewel of the Westfjords. We walked up to the bottom of the top cascade and enjoyed the view of the waterfall and fjord below. Next, we drove to the remote and quaint village of Suðureyri, known for its sustainable food producers and scenic location. Here, we walked the popular seafood trail and got a glimpse into local village life at the edge of the Arctic Circle. We tasted air dried cod, local cod fishcakes and smoked salmon. The fishermen can fish for 4 days a week and earn $30,000 for a 10 day stint. They catch cod, haddock and wolf fish. We were told that their seafood goes from ocean to plate in only 36 hours. Icelandic fish is sold to the UK, North America and northern Europe. We also passed Flateyri which has the oldest store in Iceland. The Old Bookstore in Flateyri, is a unique establishment that has been run by the same family for over a century, established 1914. What makes the store even more unique is that all the furnishing and the dècor are practically unchanged since the store was first open in the very same house, that was build 1898. Second hand books are sold by weight – 1000 Krona for 1kg of books. You can also buy Icelandic books and saga in English and many other languages, local products and luxury goods from around the world, from companies that are all more than 100 years old.