Field note / Westfjords, Iceland
At the Edge of the Weather
A seven-day route through Iceland’s Westfjords, where roads unravel into sea cliffs, hot pools, and improbable silence.
The road north leaves Reykjavík’s orbit slowly. Suburbs give way to horse fields, then lava, then a coastline that seems to be making up its mind as it goes. By the time the ferry noses toward Brjánslækur, the landscape has become elemental: dark water, green slopes, and weather moving visibly across the fjord.
Begin without hurrying
Spend the first night near Flókalundur. There is a small geothermal pool at the water’s edge where the temperature is never quite predictable and the view is always worth the cold dash back to your clothes. This is a useful introduction to the Westfjords: comfort exists, but nature sets the terms.
The next morning, follow the coast toward Látrabjarg. The cliffs rise abruptly from the Atlantic and hold one of Europe’s great seabird colonies. Walk only as far as the wind and your attention allow. Puffins nest close to the edge, but the ground is fragile and often undercut.
The long road north
Route 60 curls through empty fjords toward Dynjandi, a broad staircase of water dropping from the plateau. Arrive late, after the day visitors have gone. The lower falls make good places to sit while the evening light changes the color of the rock.
Base yourself in Ísafjörður for two nights. The town is compact and quietly creative, with excellent fish, old timber houses, and boats leaving for the roadless Hornstrandir reserve. A day hike there is enough to understand the scale of the place; an overnight requires preparation and a willingness to meet the weather on its own terms.
Leave one day unplanned. In the Westfjords, weather is not an interruption to the journey. It is part of the journey.
What to carry
- Waterproof layers, even under a blue forecast
- Shoes comfortable on wet, uneven ground
- A swimsuit and quick-dry towel for roadside pools
- Food for the long stretches between villages
- Curiosity without urgency
The route ends in the Strandir region, where driftwood gathers on black beaches and old stories still cling to the coast. Stay in a family-run guesthouse, walk after dinner, and let the scale of the map finally settle in.