Northwest Iceland - The Rough Guide to Iceland - page 239

A few steps beyond the community centre, the whitewashed walls of the village
church , which was originally built of driftwood in 1867, cut a sharp image against the
heavy skies. It seems to be thanks to one former priest that this isolated community
still exists: in 1793, Grímsey came close to being abandoned when a plague swept
through the island, killing almost all the men. The six healthiest sailed to the mainland
to seek help, but were drowned when their boat capsized, leaving the priest the only
able-bodied man on Grímsey.

5

The rest of the island
Setting out from the airport it's possible to hike round the island following a rough
sheep track all the way. It's wise to use the clifftops as a guide, as the track soon gets lost
amid the many springy tussocks that mark this part of the island, as it heads up the
hillside to the east coast, by far the most dramatic aspect of the island; here sheer cliffs
plunge down into the foam and the roaring waves of the Arctic Ocean. Stretching out
to the north, the promontory you can see from here, Eyjarfótur , is a good place to
watch the birds since it affords views both out over the sea and back over the low fields
around the guesthouse and airport where so many species congregate. However, there is
no area of the island devoid of birds and simply walking around Grímsey, be it on the
cliffs or in the village, will bring you into contact with various varieties. Heading south
from the headland following the shoreline, the path climbs a little as it goes over
Handfestuhóll , from where you can see the rock fissures Almannagjá and Handfestargjá
in the cliff face. Beyond the small islet, Flatasker , the coast swings south heading for
the lighthouse at Grímsey's southeastern point, Flesjar .
Across Grenivík bay from Flesjar, on the southwestern point, Borgarhöfði, a series of
basalt columns form a mini-version of Northern Ireland's famous Giant's Causeway.
From here the road continues along the west coast into the village and back to the
harbour. The headland opposite the church, which you'll pass heading back to the
village, is one of the most easily accessible places to spot pu ns . Quite remarkably,
during the course of just one night (usually around August 10), every puffin heads of
out to sea for the winter.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE GRÍMSEY

By plane You can fly to Grímsey from Akureyri three times
a week (daily mid-June to mid-Aug; 25min); one-way fares
start at 9500kr.
By ferry The Sæfari ferry ( T 458 8970, W land
flutningar.is/saefari/english; 3hr; 8000kr return) runs

three times a week between Árskógssandur (see p.237),
just south of Dalvík, and Grímsey; buses from Akureyri
to Árskógssandur connect with services and take about
an hour.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING

Accommodation on Grímsey is limited, so be sure to
book ahead if you plan to stay overnight. Though there is no
formal site here, camping is permitted anywhere on the
island away from the village.
Ì Básar T 467 3103, E [e-mail]. This simple
guesthouse overlooks the island's tiny runway and the sea.
Rooms all share facilities and it's a great place to watch the

Twin Otter from Akureyri make its approach to the island.
Breakfa st is an extra 1200kr, lunc h is 250 0kr and dinner
3500kr. 9000kr ; with sleeping bag 3000kr
Krían T 467 3112. This very basic café is perched above
the harbour and serves run-of-the-mill burgers and chips
(around 1500kr). Other than the guesthouse, it's the only
place to eat on the island. Daily noon-8.30pm.