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Landscape near Djupavik in the Westfjords
One of the first posts I wrote for Self Arranged Journeys was about a wonderful long Trip around Iceland (see A Magical Journey Around the Ring Road). It really was a magical journey – so unlike anywhere we had visited before. Every day there were new amazing experiences, and I still vividly remember the excitement and wonder of that holiday.
That trip was over ten years ago, and when we took it I had no idea that I would later start this website. I only had a very basic camera at the time (and little knowledge of how to use it), and the post now looks very dated. But the places we visited have changed little, and the information and enthusiasm it contains are still useful and valid.
(The biggest change is that many more roads are now fully paved, making travelling easier, quicker – but perhaps less exciting! And prices are even higher……)
Evening light at Drangsnes in the Westfjords
After that wonderful trip we promised ourselves we would return to Iceland, and this year we finally got round to it. Despite being older (and stiffer) than on our previous trip, we wanted to visit some of the more off the beaten track places this time. Here is our itinerary (feel free to copy it- it worked really well!):
- Days 1-3 – Reykjavik
- Day 4 – Bus to Akureyri via the F35 Highland route
- Day 5 – Day trip to Grimsey Island
- Day 6 – Pick up hire car and drive to Drangsnes in the Westfjords
- Day 7 – Drangsnes
- Day 8 – Drive to Isafjodur
- Days 9-10 – Isafjodur
- Day 11 – Drive to Flokalundur
- Day 12 – Visit the bird cliffs at Latrabjarg
- Day 13 – Take the car ferry across to Stykkisholmur
- Day 14 – Drive to Keflavik
- Day 15 – Fly home
Glorious evening in Stykkisholmur
Our previous trip was focused on exploring the amazing volcanic and geological features that make Iceland so unique. This time we concentrated on the sheer beauty of the landscapes, particularly of the remote Westfjords, and the abundant wildlife.
Westfjords Landscape
Many people rightly visit the Westfjords to hike and camp and get close to nature. But if camping is not for you (and it isn’t for us), don’t be put off visiting the Westfjords. You won’t find luxury hotels, but there are comfortable simple hotels and guesthouses which make ideal bases. And while some of the roads are unpaved and a little challenging, we had no trouble coping with a small ordinary two-wheel-drive car (though we were lucky with the weather!)
I am now busy writing about many of the places we visited on our latest trip, so please keep a lookout for new posts coming very soon.
Our love of the wonderful scenery, nature and people of Iceland is as strong as ever, and we hope it will not be ten years before we visit again.
(By then we really might be too old and stiff…….!)
Amazingly tame puffin at Latrabjarg in the Westfjords
A Few Practicalities
If you are looking for accommodation in the Westfjords, try searching this page at booking.com.
For a general guidebook for Iceland we recommend the Rough Guide to Iceland (available from Amazon)
To find the best car hire deal, we used Holiday Autos. They have a great choice of vehicles and the best prices we could find. Dropping the car off at a different location to the pickup point was no problem, though of course there is an extra charge to do this.
The post Two Weeks in Iceland – An Overdue Return appeared first on Self Arranged Journeys.
