Isafjordur

Vigur Island is a green oasis in the blue waters of the Isafjardardjup fjord. This small island offers a variety of magnificent bird life including Puffins, Eider Ducks and Arctic Terns.

A warm welcome awaits you from the farmer and his family who solely inhabit the island. The family live off the land and cautiously protect the wildlife that has made the island their home. A member of the family will be happy to share stories of their remote life as they show you around their peaceful island. The leisurely walk will provide you with the opportunity to see an abundance of birds and seals in their natural habitat whilst enjoying the beautiful, unspoilt scenery. You will have the chance to see relics of old farming methods, which have been carefully preserved, including Iceland’s only remaining windmill.

After the island tour, there will be the opportunity to purchase souvenirs at the island’s small gift shop before enjoying delicious refreshments of coffee or tea and Icelandic home-made cakes which will be served by the farmer's family in their mid-19th-century house - the perfect way to complete your visit.

As you travel through the mountains you’ll discover panoramic views of the harsh local landscape consisting of narrow passes across sharp mountain ridges and deep, sheltered fjords where farms and villages huddle on narrow strips of land.

Visit Skrúður Gardens, the first Icelandic botanical garden, founded in 1909. It was the idea of the former minister and principal of Núpur—the cultivation pioneer of Iceland. He grew plants and vegetables that nobody ever dreamed could germinate so far north. Enjoy a short walk around these small but pretty gardens.

From the gardens, you’ll drive to Flateyri village, which was formed around the shark-fishing industry in the mid-19th century. Visit the charming, small and intimate church of Flateyri, quite typical of the smaller towns in Iceland, where you’ll be treated to an atmospheric Icelandic music programme. After your church visit, take a stroll with your guide down the small main street of Flateyri, to visit the old bookstore and the merchant’s home where time seems to stand still, you will also find an exhibition reflecting the history of Flateyri. In the next building, you can watch the women of the town make pieces of art in their handcraft workshop. Refreshments of tea or coffee and homemade Icelandic cakes will be served here with the locals.

Ísafjörður, the largest settlement in the Western Fjords of Iceland, is the centre of trade and culture in the area. The town itself is situated on a long, flat, hooked-shaped gravel spit reaching out into the fjord. Ísafjörður town centre has interesting old streets and houses that are unique to the area. The town plays a big part in the history of Iceland and many famous and peculiar people have lived here.

Enjoy a walk around the small town, stopping at several places of interest, whilst your local guide provides little anecdotes and facts about the local area. Breathe in the town’s history as you stroll through the narrow streets with their modest wooden 19th century houses, perhaps you’ll meet the barber playing his accordion, the baker training for the marathon or see the goldsmith paddling around in his kayak.

The tour ends with a visit to The West Fjords Maritime Museum, which is situated in one of Ísafjörður’s oldest houses. The museum tells the history of fisheries and the fishing industry, with a special focus on the industry’s role in the building of Ísafjörður.

Departing by boat from Ísafjörður to the remote nature reserve area of Hesteyri, you’ll enjoy spectacular scenery as you cross Jökulfirðir (the glacier fjord), with its beautiful, impressive, rugged snow-flecked mountains and quiet, secluded coves.

In the late 1940’s, the people of Hesteyri Village, without telephone, electricity or roads, made the united decision to move away. Consequently, the abandoned village has stood deserted since 1952. Since the village was protected in 1975, the native flora, fauna and wildlife have positively flourished. The area is now popular with Arctic Foxes, numerous nesting birds and seals. If you are lucky you may see the seals basking lazily on the nearby rocks and shorelines.

Admire the beautiful scenery and enjoy a refreshing walk in this unspoilt area as your local guide brings the relics and rich history of this once thriving outpost to life. The ruins of the old whaling station is a reminder of the good old times.

Traditional refreshments of tea or coffee and Icelandic pastries will be served at the former doctor's residence before returning to Isafjordur. A visit to Hesteyri with its outstanding but unique and untouched nature is akin to taking a tour to the last century.

As you travel around Ísafjörður hear from your guide how life has treated the locals through the centuries. Enjoy a view of the magnificent mountains of the largest fjord in the West Fjords, the Ísafjarðardjúp (a fjord containing 16 fjords), before arriving at the old Icelandic settlement of Ósvör.

Ósvör is an open-air museum containing a double 19th century fishing base, salt hut, fish drying area and drying hut. An old fisherman will be waiting to welcome you, wearing a skin suit that is similar to the one Icelandic sailors used to wear, and will tell you about life in fishing stations and show you the various equipment and tools that were used.

A short distance from Ósvör is the village of Bolungarvík, where a stop will be made to enjoy a typical Icelandic music programme in the old local Hólskirkja church. From here your journey takes you to the Buná River and Waterfall in Tunguskógur, where there will be the opportunity to sample some of the clear and refreshing mountain water that flows down the stream.

Back in Ísafjörður, a visit will be made to the Maritime Museum, the oldest cluster of houses in Iceland, before watching a local performance given by the only teenage professional theatre company in Iceland. During your visit typical Icelandic refreshments of Schnapps and dried fish will be served.