Trekking in Hornstrandir in Iceland

Hiking in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in Iceland´s Westfjords

The Hornstrandir nature reserve is a place of magnificent untouched beauty and wild life. The sheer basalt mountains stretch from the sea to the sky chaotically divided by deep fjords, secluded alcoves and valleys. At the coastline the relentless power of the ocean has molded towering sea cliffs richly populated by birds and many of the alcoves and scurries of the coast are home to an abundance of seals. Inland the crawling glaciers of the last ice age have hewn ancient mountain passes and lakes into the rugged peninsula and there the arctic fox wanders in its natural environment. At the settlement of Iceland and until the middle of the 20th century the area was populated by the toughest of Icelandic fishermen and craftsmen. Many of them making their livelihood from crafting unsurpassed vessels for the North Atlantic Ocean. Hornstrandir is now empty of permanent settlers but their abandoned homes and workshops are scattered around the area, nestled deep in the fjords and valleys.

You can be sure that trekking through the Hornstrandir will leave you amazed and packed with memories that will last a lifetime.

Guaranteed departures 2010:
6th of July
20th of July
10th of August

The trip starts at 7:30 AM from Reykjavik Domestic Airport. Make sure you book your spot on the tour with good notice.

Rough itinerary:

Day 1: Tuesday: Flight from Reykjavik at 8:00 AM to ��safj�¶r�°ur and then a boat trip at 9:30 AM to Hornv�­k.
Day 2: Wednesday: Hornv�­k to Kjaransv�­k
Day 3: Thursday: Kjarnasv�­k to Flj�³tav�­k
Day 4: Friday: Flj�³tav�­k to L�¡trar �­ A�°alv�­k.
Day 5: Saturday: A�°alv�­k to Hesteyri
Day 6: Sunday: Sleep in and boat trip back to ��safj�¶r�°ur at 10:30 and a flight to Reykjav�­k at 18:00

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Itinerary / Highlights

Day 1
Ísafjörður-Hornvík (6 hours of walking)

At Ísafjörður harbour we catch a ride with the scheduled boat tours to Hornvík (vík means alcove in English). The sailing takes 3 hours along this unique coastline. Nothing compares to the beauty of Hornvík, surrounding are two of Iceland's largest bird cliffs. Like the entire Hornstrandir area, Hornvík is very remote and is only accessible by boat or by foot. We hike to Hornbjarg cliff where thousands of birds can be seen, and then back to Hornvík where we spend the night.

Day 2
Hornvík-Kjaransvík (4-5 hours of walking)

From Hornvík we traverse a steep slope to get around the Mt. Kollur over to Rekavík. Then up to the mountain pass Atlaskarð (327m) where we follow a route marked with cairns all the way to the edge of mountain ridge Skálakambur. Down the steep slope of Skálakambur we walk to Hlöðuvík and along the beach to Kjaransvík where we will spend the night.

Day 3
Kjaransvík-Fljótavík (8-10hours of walking)

To the north we hike up to the mountain Kjalárnúpur, then over two mountain passes Almenningaskarð and Þorleifsskarð, where we witness the magnificent view over Fljótavík and hike down to the beautiful lake, Fljótsvatn. We walk along the wetlands beside the lake to Atlastaðir farm in Fljótavík. There we spend the night the green grass by the river mouth of lake Fljótsvatn.

Day 4
Fljótavík-Látrar í Aðalvík (6 hours of walking)

The day starts with passing the river mouth, Atlastaðaós, below the farm Atlastaðir since it needs to be passed at low tide. Then an unclear path is followed into Tungudalur valley and up a steep slope to the plateau Tunguheiði. The plateau is well marked with ancient cairns since people still lived on the farms in the area. This trail was often used by the farmers to travel between Látrar and Fljótavík, where they went fishing in the morning and brought back their catch at the end of the day. The top of the plateau is narrow and we quickly start to descend, walking along several ponds as the track winds it way to Látrar in Aðalvík. The biggest pond is called Dragonlake named for a ferocious dragon that supposedly lived on a small island in the lake. As we descend plateau we see Rekavík and further along Skorar US military station on the Straumnesfjall mountain. There the US built a radar station in the Second World War, but it was only used for few years and today you can see the interesting remains of the station. An optional 5-6 hour hike up to the station is available and is certainly worth the effort.

Day 5
Látrar í Aðalvík-Hesteyri (4 hours of walking)

From Látrar we hike to Stakkadalsá river. There we refresh our feet as we wade the river and continue up the easy slopes of valley Stakkadalur up to mountain Stakkadalsfjall. This area has a big population of the arctic fox and if we are lucky we will catch a glimpse of one in its natural habitat. There we follow the cairns over to the mountain pass of Hesteyrarskarð. From there it's an easy hike down to Hesteyri where we should have some time to explore the area of Hesteyri. Hesteyri used to be a small village of 80 people with a school, shop, post office, doctor and a clinic. The Norwegians ran a whale station at nearby Stekkeyri from 1894 to 1915 when a 10 year whale hunting ban was put in force in 1915 around Iceland. In 1927 a company from Reykjavík bought the whaling station and changed it into a herring fishmeal factory. When the herring disappeared in 1940 the factory was closed down with devastating consequences for the town. With no jobs, people started to leave, and in 1952 the last 30 persons that still lived in Hesteyri came together in a town meeting and decided to move away because of the harsh living conditions. Today the old doctor's house is a small café, which serves pancakes and coffee, both of which taste real good after a few days hike.

Day 6
Hesteyri-Ísafjörður-Reykjavík

On our last day we sleep in and relax while waiting for the boat to come and pick us up around 10:30 in the morning, from Hesteyri we sail to Ísafjörður where you can relax, go out, eat and enjoy for a while before taking the flight back to Reykjavík at 18:00.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

If there are fewer then 4 in your group, contact us to see if there are others that you can join!

Minimum Age: 14 years if accompanied by guardian.

Bring with you: Outdoor clothing (warm, wind and waterproof), headwear, gloves and solid waterproof hiking boots with ankle support.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

The product is to be paid for in Icelandic Krona (ISK) and has been converted to Euros for your convenience. The price you will pay is from IS149,990

+354-562 7000 emerg mob 898-0410