Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HORNSTRANDIR
Craggy mountains, precarious sea cliffs and plunging waterfalls ring the wonderful, barely
inhabited Hornstrandir Peninsula, at the northern end of the Westfjords. This is one of
Europe's last true wilderness areas, covering some of the most extreme and inhospitable
parts of the country. It's a fantastic destination for hiking, with challenging terrain and ex-
cellent opportunities for spotting Arctic foxes, seals, whales and teeming bird life.
A handful of hardy farmers lived in Hornstrandir until the 1950s, but since 1975 the 580
sq km of tundra, fjord, glacier and alpine upland have been protected as
Hornstrandir
area has some of the strictest preservation rules in Iceland, thanks to its incredibly rich, but
fragile, vegetation. Descendants of some of the old farmers have recently returned and re-
built their old houses; much of the land is privately owned (so always ask permission be-
fore fishing or camping if a place looks inhabited).
