The West Fjords - The Rough Guide to Iceland - page 197

the village. Showers, hot and cold running water, and a
washin g machi ne and drier are available. Closed mid-Aug
to May. 1000kr
Vegamót Tjarnarbraut 2 T 456 2232. The one and only
eating place in Bíldudalur is one of the first things you see
on entering town. It's none too special, but does have filling
pizzas (from 1500kr), burgers (1200kr) and spaghetti

carbonara (1790kr) on the menu. Mon-Fri 11am-8pm,
Sat & Sun 11am-10pm.
Youth hostel Hafnarbraut 2 T 456 2100, W hostel.is.
This pebble-dashed building down by the harbour is
perfect for watching the fishing boats coming and going,
and comes com plete w ith guest s' kitch en; rooms share
facilities. Dorms 3500kr ; doubles 9200kr

Tálknajörður
Southwest from Bíldudalur, it's 15km along on Route 63 to the junction with Route
617, which heads 4km north to the equally tiny TÁLKNAFJÖRÐUR , a stop for the
year-round Bíldudalur-Patreksfjörður bus. The only real reason to detour here is to ease
your muscles at the superb open-air swimming pool by the church at Sveinseyri
(Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 4-9pm, Sat & Sun 1-5pm), which comes complete with hot
pots and fantastic views over the surrounding mountains. There are also a couple of
natural alfresco hot spots fed by water from a spring just behind the church on the
western outskirts of the village; follow the gravel road out of town for a couple of
kilometres and then turn right at the “Pollurinn” sign.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TÁLKNAFJÖRÐUR

By bus Year-round Bíldudalur-Patreksfjörður buses (daily
except Sat) stop at the filling station on the main road in

Tálknafjörður. Timetables are at W nat.is/travelguideeng
/bus_schedule_patro_bildud_talknafj.htm.

4

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING

Campsite Sveinseyri T 456 2639. Located in the centre
of the village next to the swimming pool, the town's
campsite is perfectly locat ed for birdwatching on the
fjordside. Closed Sept-May. 1000kr
Gistiheimilið Bjarmaland Bugatún 8 T 891 8038,
E [e-mail]. The better of the town's two
guesthouses, though this is not going to be the highlight of
your stay in Iceland: clean, neat and compact but nothing

special. Breakfast is an extra 1,200kr. 10,400kr
Tígull Strandgata 32 T 456 2662. Complete with
outdoor terrace for those sunny summer afternoons, this
neat little café is the only place to eat in town, serving the
usual fresh (around 3000kr) and a range of light meals such
as sandwiches (800kr) and pasta dishes (1500kr). Mon-Fri
11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 6-10pm.

Patreksjörður
Located on the shores of the southernmost of all the West Fjords, PATREKSFJÖRÐUR is
named after Saint Patrick , a bishop from the Scottish islands who acted as spiritual
adviser to one of the region's first settlers, Örlygur Hrappson. With a population of
770, the village now is large enough to exist independently of Ísafjörður, 172km away,
and is the only place in the West Fjords outside the regional capital to boast more
than the odd shop and restaurant. Over the years, this tiny village has won a
reputation for pioneering excellence: trawler fishing in Iceland began here; a particular
style of saltfish now popular in Mediterranean markets was developed here; and,
somewhat less notably, the town also dispatched the only Icelandic vessel ever to hunt
seal in the Arctic.
Built on two sandspits, Geirseyri and Vatnseyri, Patreksfjörður comprises a main road
in and out of the town, Strandgata , which runs along the shoreside to the harbour.
Several side streets branch off Strandgata's western end, including Eyrargata, while the
main shopping street, Aðalstræti, runs parallel to it. There's little to do in town other
than amble up and down the parallel streets peering in windows, or take a swim in the
open-air pool.