Vestmannaeyjar
The Westman Islands are my favorite “Back Door” destination in Iceland: a highly scenic, relatively undiscovered island experience. On clear days, the islands’ sharp cliffs hover like a seductive mirage just offshore from the touristy South Coast. Those who make the trip discover that this pint-sized archipelago packs in an appealing variety of experiences: a gorgeously set small town with engaging museums and good restaurants, an up-close look at a quite recent volcanic eruption, a dramatic approach by air or sea, craggy bird cliffs (including puffin colonies in the summer), and a living, breathing mascot puffin you can usually meet in person. The islands are a bit of a project to reach, but worth the trouble for travelers spending more than a few days in Iceland.
Among Icelanders, the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar, VEST-mah-nah-AY-ar) have various claims to fame: They’re known for their recent volcanic activity (and excellent Volcano Museum), busy fishing industry, large populations of seabirds that love the steep cliffs, and musical traditions celebrated in a huge annual music festival. Puffins are an unofficial mascot for all of Iceland, but (in summer) they are particularly abundant here on the Westman Islands.
The “Westman” Islands, which actually lie south of the mainland, are named for some Irish slaves who fled to the islands after killing their master, according to the sagas. In Old Norse, the Irish were called Vestmenn (Westmen), so a better translation might be the “Irishmen’s Islands.”
Only one island—called Heimaey (HAME-ah-AY)—is inhabited, and that’s the one you’ll be visiting. You can get there by boat, by plane, or by a combination of the two. But I’ll be honest: The reason the Westman Islands aren’t swamped with tourists is that reaching them is weather-dependent, particularly off-season. Planes are grounded when it’s too foggy or windy, and boats stay moored when the weather or harbor conditions are bad. Patience and flexibility are essential. Keep close tabs on the weather and have a Plan B in mind.
Given the potential disruption in getting here (or getting home), planning a Westman Islands trip is tricky. Whatever you do, leave a couple days’ buffer between your trip to the islands and your flight departing Iceland, in case you get stuck here unexpectedly. Other than that, the main choice is whether to spend the night or come for the day.
Overnight or Day Trip?: An overnight in the islands gives you the flexibility to go later in the day, and can be easier on your budget (it’s cheaper to eat and sleep on the island than in Reykjavík). Staying two nights gives you a full, undisturbed day to relax, but might be overkill if you’re spending less than a week in the country. Note that it works well to overnight on the Westman Islands in conjunction with a visit to the South Coast; the Landeyjahöfn ferry dock is a short drive from that area’s top attractions (about 10 minutes south of the Seljalandsfoss waterfall).
You can day-trip here from Reykjavík—or from the South Coast—in a rushed but still worthwhile visit. If home-basing on the South Coast, ideally budget two days; use the day with nicer weather for your Westman Islands trip. By boat, your only practical one-day option is to leave from Landeyjahöfn harbor on the South Coast (see overview map on here). You’ll have to drive or ride a bus to the ferry first thing in the morning, and reverse the trip in the evening. By plane from Reykjavík or the South Coast, take a morning flight out and a late afternoon flight back. Note that flying from Reykjavík works best Monday through Friday (flight schedules make day-tripping difficult to impossible on Sat-Sun).
Flying is pricey, but it’s quick and handy for those looking for an efficient side-trip from Reykjavík. The ferry makes sense for those spending time on the South Coast. Both options are equally scenic, and are more or less equally weather-dependent.
From Reykjavík: Eagle Air flies 19-seat turboprop planes from Reykjavík City Airport, near downtown—not the international Keflavík Airport (2-3 flights/day Sun-Fri, 1/day on Sat June-Aug only, priced in euros—about €105-150 each way, cheaper online fares sell out quickly, tel. 562-4200, www.eagleair.is). A day trip on Eagle Air is the most efficient way to see the islands. But if the morning departure is cancelled due to bad weather, you’ve lost your only shot at going (they’ll normally refund the entire round-trip fare).
The Eagle Air terminal is on the east side of the runways, behind the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavík Natura and the control tower. (Don’t confuse it with the Air Iceland Connect terminal that serves most domestic flights.) To reach Eagle Air by public transport, take bus #5 to the Nauthólsvegur stop. For early morning flights, take a taxi (best to arrange taxi the night before). As there’s no security check, you can show up a half-hour before departure (if sleeping in downtown Reykjavík, have the taxi pick you up about an hour before your flight).
From the South Coast: Nine-seat planes operated by a small charter operator, Atlantsflug, make the five-minute flight to the islands from the tiny airport at Bakki, near the Landeyjahöfn harbor (two-hour drive from Reykjavík, one-hour drive from Vík, parking available, no public transport to airport). The return flight gives you just six hours on the island—making it a tight day trip (1-2 flights/day, 8,500 ISK one-way, tel. 478-2406, www.flightseeing.is, click on “Vestmannaeyjar”).
Luggage Limits: Both Eagle Air and Atlantsflug permit just 15 kilos (33 pounds) of luggage; you may need to leave some of your gear in Reykjavík or hidden in your car.
The weather determines which of two ports the Herjólfur ferry uses: The 40-minute crossing from the newer Landeyjahöfn is more comfortable, convenient, and closer to the islands, but only runs in summer (and is about a two-hour drive from Reykjavík). Some sailings (including all off-season trips) depart from the older Þorlákshöfn—which is closer to Reykjavík (45-minute drive), but about three seasickness-inducing hours from the islands.
Weather Disruptions: The Landeyjahöfn harbor, built in 2010, has a significant problem: Ocean currents sweep sand into its mouth, which then must be dredged clear—and that’s possible only in summer. Rough seas add to the risk of grounding in the shallow harbor entrance. The result: The ferry tries to sail to/from Landeyjahöfn from about May to September, and the rest of the time it uses Þorlákshöfn. In unfavorable weather or harbor conditions, summer sailings may move back to Þorlákshöfn—sometimes on short notice.
To check harbor conditions and book tickets, visit www.herjolfur.is (to talk to a real person, call 481-2800). In Vestmannaeyjar, on Heimaey Island, ask about conditions at the boat ticket office at the harbor (open whenever boats sail).
Walk on or drive on?: On a short visit, it’s easy to see the main sights in town by foot. To see the rest of the island, you can either bring your car on the ferry, or join the recommended Eyja Tours minibus tour (see “Helpful Hints,” later). One advantage of driving on is that you’re not stuck if the return ferry must use a different port due to weather issues. Car slots tend to sell out, so reserve a space a few days in advance (often before the weather forecast is very clear).
Sailing from Landeyjahöfn: When Landeyjahöfn is working well, the short, inexpensive crossing to the islands is a pleasure (1,320 ISK/person, 2,120 ISK/car). Typically there are four sailings a day in each direction—two in the morning and two in the evening. Reserve a ferry ticket in advance, even if you’re just going by foot (morning departures from Landeyjahöfn and evening departures from Vestmannaeyjar can sell out). At most times, reserving a day or two in advance is usually enough. During festival times (see later, under “Helpful Hints”), reservations are essential and should be made as far in advance as possible.
To reach Landeyjahöfn by public transportation, take bus #52 from Reykjavík’s Mjódd terminal (4,400 ISK, timed to work with ferry connections, departs Reykjavík about 9:00, departs Landeyjahhöfn about 19:00, 2.5 hours, no bus when ferry is cancelled, tel. 540-2700, www.straeto.is). If driving, check the wind forecast at Landeyjahöfn before parking there. In high winds, blowing sand and gravel could damage your car’s finish or even break windows.
Sailing from Þorlákshöfn: It’s a three-hour trip from Þorlákshöfn to the islands. This makes a day trip to the islands impractical—it really only works if you stay overnight (3,420 ISK/person, 3,420 ISK/car). To reach Þorlákshöfn by public transportation, take bus #51 to Hveragerði, and then change to bus #71 for Þorlákshöfn (around 1.5 hours, 2,200 ISK).
Of the Westman Islands, only one is inhabited: Heimaey (HAME-ah-AY, “Home Island”). The roughly dozen smaller islands surrounding Heimaey are uninhabited. By Icelandic standards, the islands have a wet, warm, and windy climate. Icelanders refer to this area as simply “the islands,” and people from here as “islanders.”
The only town on Heimaey—and the only town in the islands—shares the name of the archipelago: Vestmannaeyjar. It’s fairly humble, but its setting is dramatic: huddled up along its harbor, facing a busy industrial port and steep, scenic cliffs. From here, Vestmannaeyjar climbs gradually uphill, filling a broad plateau between the cliffs to the west and the volcanoes to the east. The main commercial street, called Bárustígur, runs up from the harbor and holds the TI and many of my recommended eats and sleeps. Puffin-head signposts scattered around town direct you to the various museums and other landmarks.
Tourist Information: The Eymundsson bookstore, at the harbor end of the main drag at Bárustígur 2, serves as the local TI (Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun from 13:00, www.visitvestmannaeyjar.is).
By Plane: From the airport, you can take a taxi into town (1,700 ISK—ask the airport staff to call one for you or try Eyjataxi at mobile 698-2038); ask your hotel to pick you up; make friends with a local from the flight and ask for a ride; or on a nice day, and without luggage, walk 1.5 miles from the airport downhill into town (go left from airport, around west side of Helgafell mountain, 35 minutes). To return to the airport, take a taxi instead of walking uphill.
By Boat: If arriving on foot by ferry, follow the blue stripe, then the fish painted onto the pavement. This leads you to the ticket kiosks for various boat and bus tours. The main drag (with the TI, and the start of my self-guided walk) is just uphill from the harbor, roughly behind the Krónan supermarket, about two blocks to the left (look for the Subway and Eymundsson bookshop/TI).
Sightseeing Advice for Plane Day-Trippers: If flying in from Reykjavík on a weekday, you’ll arrive in the wee hours (before 8:00) and have several hours to kill before the island’s museums open (10:00 or later). This is a good time to explore the town and orient yourself with my self-guided walk. Hop on the 11:00 bus trip around the island with Eyja Tours, have a late lunch, then visit the Volcano Museum before heading back to the airport for your flight home (departures generally at 16:30 Mon-Fri, 18:15 Sat-Sun).
Puffin Viewing: The best time to see puffins is from roughly late May to mid-August. They actually arrive around the end of April, but spend only a brief time cleaning their burrows before they go out to sea to mate. In recent years, the number of puffins nesting here has declined, perhaps due to the warming ocean around the islands.
Festivals: On the first weekend in August, the islands host the massive Þjóðhátíð (National Festival) in Herjólfsdalur, a picturesque valley near town (fireworks, bonfires, and singing; must buy ticket for festival and book transport to islands well in advance; www.dalurinn.is). The weekend is known for drunkenness and other rowdy behavior, and accommodations book up.
The Goslok festival commemorates the end of the 1973 eruption of Eldfell (weekend following July 3). Islanders also celebrate the annual nationwide Seamans’ Day enthusiastically (usually first weekend in June). These festivals are smaller, but reservations are still essential.
Bus Tours: At Eyja Tours, Ebbi runs a delightful two-hour minibus tour of the island every day in summer. This is a great use of your time, offering a good overview of the entire island, lively commentary from a gregarious islander, and just the right balance of information and stops to snap photos and stretch your legs. They have a little ticket office next to the harbor, across from Tanginn restaurant (tour-7,000 ISK/person, includes entry to Sæheimar aquarium; tours run May-mid-Sept at 11:00, 14:00, and sometimes 16:00; smart to prebook July-Aug, may be available off-season—ask, mobile 852-6939, www.eyjatours.is).
Boat Tours: Weather permitting, several companies run boat tours that circle the island and give you a glimpse of the smaller islets and stacks surrounding it. Viking Tours uses a larger ship (7,400 ISK, departures generally mid-May-mid-Sept at 11:00 and 16:00, 1.5 hours, tel. 488-4884, www.vikingtours.is). Ribsafari runs more expensive, bumpy tours on small RIBs—rigid inflatable boats (17,900 ISK, 2 hours, mobile 661-1810, www.ribsafari.is). Neither trip visits Surtsey (the island that erupted from the sea in the mid-1960s), as it’s too distant from Vestmannaeyjar and landing there is not allowed.
This 1.5-hour walk is designed to give you a handy ▲▲▲ overview of the island’s only town—Vestmannaeyjar—with views from atop the lava that swallowed up several houses, and a stroll past its scant historic landmarks and along its busy harborfront. The walk begins in front of Eymundsson bookstore on the main street.
• Stand with your back to the water, looking up the street called...
Bárustígur: This is the little main street of a little town on a little island. The bookstore doubles as a TI, with a helpful staffer inside who can answer your questions between ringing up book sales and pulling espresso shots. Several recommended restaurants are just up the street. The gray, blocky building at the far end of the street is the town history and culture museum (called Sagnheimar and described later, under “Sights on Heimaey Island”).
• Walk one very short block up the street, turn left, and head for the staircase up the side of a bluff. Climb to the top of the stairs, then bear left with the trail and follow it out to the grassy viewpoint where the trail takes a sharp bend to the right.
Vestmannaeyjar Viewpoint Spin-Tour: Get oriented with this 360-degree visual tour. First, look out over the harbor, where boats big and small are sheltered by two steep cliffs with rounded, green tops. Vestmannaeyjar’s excellent natural harbor became even more sheltered by cooled lava after a huge eruption in 1973 (see sidebar in this chapter). A sixth of Iceland’s total fish exports come from here, even though the island has only a little more than 1 percent of Iceland’s population. The whole northern side of the harbor is given over to fish processing, and the community tends to vote for Iceland’s conservative party, which works to protect fishing interests. The harbor is too tight for big cruise ships...which is a good thing for independent travelers.
Just to the left of the harbor is a towering cliff where local kids still learn the age-old skills needed to collect seabird eggs or land on the jagged outlying islands. The islands are rich with bird life—puffins, of course, but also fulmars, guillemots, and kittiwakes. Starting around age eight, children learn how to free-climb their way up steep cliff faces and swing on strategically placed ropes. (Better to learn here, where at worst they might fall on the soft sod on the ground, instead of the sharp rocks and cold surf at the base of a sea cliff.) Tucked around the far side of the cliff (not visible from here) is Herjólfsdalur, a natural amphitheater where this teensy island hosts a gigantic music festival each summer.
Now pan left, over Vestmannaeyjar’s rooftops. This is not a cutesy tourist town, but a no-nonsense working community. For centuries, no more than a few hundred people lived here. But the island boomed between 1900 and 1920 with the rise of motorized fishing, and much of the downtown zone dates from that era. Today, the 4,300 islanders still live off fishing, plus a little tourism. Living out on the islands comes with some compromises: Many errands require a trip to the mainland, and most expectant mothers travel to Reykjavík to give birth there rather than in the tiny hospital here. If the houses look a little ragtag, keep in mind that maintaining real estate on a little island is a challenge. Despite the islands’ volcanic activity, there’s no hot water source, so this is one of the parts of Iceland where homes and water are heated with electricity and oil.
Look farther left, and find the two looming volcanic peaks on the horizon. The one on the right, with the classic volcanic dome shape, is the dormant Helgafell, which last erupted 6,000 years ago. The lower-lying one to the left, Eldfell, is the one that blew its top in 1973—and for six months, the slow and steady flow of lava gradually consumed this corner of the island.
Continue looking left, across a rocky landscape. The entire “hill” upon which you stand—all the land between here and that volcano—is less than 50 years old. You’re standing on a now-solidified molten glacier of liquid rock that’s 50 feet deep. (Remember that staircase you climbed up?) All around you, notice the wood-carved “street signs,” bearing the names of streets that now lie deep underfoot. Keep an eye out for plaques memorializing former landmarks (Kiwanis club, electrical plant, and so on). The low-lying, rust-colored, boxy building that sits between the V formed by the two volcanoes is the excellent Volcano Museum, called Eldheimar; a visit here is an essential Westman Islands experience (described later).
It’s fun to wander around the lava rocks, which are blanketed in fuzzy moss and (in early summer) enlivened by colorful wildflowers. Hiking paths and gravel roads crisscross this area. If you have time and energy, you can hike all the way up to the volcano summit (see “Climbing up Eldfell Volcano” later).
• Now continue along the gravel path, with the lava on your right and the harbor on your left. When the path reaches an asphalt road, cross it to the bench and look down over historic Skansinn Cove. Hike down the steep slope to the remaining walls of an old fortress with a lone cannon.
Fortress (Virkið): In 1586, the Danish king built this to enforce Danish power against the British, who wanted to trade with the islands. The fortress saw action only once, during perhaps the only dramatic event in local history until the 1973 eruption: In 1627, pirates (often misidentified as “Turkish”) raided the island and carried off most of its inhabitants to slavery in Algeria. The island’s priest, Ólafur Egilsson, was one of the few who managed to return. He wrote a book about his experiences, which you can buy in English translation.
Just downhill from the fortress, embedded in the cliff on the right, look for the white, semicircular water tank—or what’s left of it, as more than half of the structure was consumed by lava. Built in 1932, this was a seawater tank that helped local fishermen keep their catch fresh. It also fed a big swimming pool—which is now under the lava (see photos of happy swimmers on the nearby information boards). For centuries, the Westman Islands suffered from a lack of fresh water, with just two wells and the rainwater that residents collected from their roofs. In 1968, a pipeline was completed that brought water from the mainland, which is now stored in the huge white tanks between here and the harbor.
• Walk down toward the waterline, past the big mast mounted in the ground, to the old house.
Landlyst: This is the oldest residence on the island and the former home of Iceland’s first maternity hospital. Information boards explain how neonatal tetanus killed three-quarters of all babies born on the Westman Islands in the mid-19th century...a problem solved only when an islander went to Copenhagen to train as a midwife. Today the building houses a modest medical museum.
Just past the old house, you can’t miss the small wooden church, donated by Norway in 2000 to mark a millennium of Christianity in Iceland (free to enter). While lacking a tall steeple, it’s typical of humble Norwegian village churches (and designed as a replica of a c. 1170 church in Trondheim).
• Walk out to the end of the stubby...
Jetty (Hringskersgarður): This helps protect the harbor from the churning sea. Looking right, you’ll see the narrow passage ships use to access Vestmannaeyjar’s port—and you can clearly see how the harbor became even more protected by the 1973 lava flow, which came as far as this jetty. Islanders were terrified that the lava would seal off the harbor entirely, which would have turned Vestmannaeyjar into a ghost town with no industry. With the help of the US military, locals pumped seawater on the lava to try to cool sections of it and divert the flow away from the town and harbor. Opinions are divided about whether this had any real effect, but the islanders like to think it did. American writer John McPhee wrote a good account of this effort (The Control of Nature, 1989).
Now gaze up at the 930-foot-tall cliff that rockets up across the harbor—called Heimaklettur. Seabirds love to nest in the craggy horizontal walls, and you may spot some surefooted sheep grazing at the top. Hardy islanders race each other to the top of this cliff, using specially placed ladders; the record is 13 minutes. For us mortals, it’s more like 45 minutes up, 25 minutes down...but only if you’re in great shape—it’s fearsomely steep and only for adventurous, dedicated climbers.
In the middle of the night on January 21-22, 1973, a volcanic eruption started along a fissure just above the town of Vestmannaeyjar. Most of the islanders were immediately evacuated, but the eruption went on for months—destroying a third of the town. This event is still fresh in the islanders’ minds, and tourists usually spend part of their visit understanding it and seeing its consequences—including the many bits of buried homes still sticking out of the lava all around the eastern side of town.
Lava gradually encroached on local homes, even as it expanded the island’s footprint by about 20 percent. Meanwhile, the volcano ejected massive volumes of tephra (volcanic particles) into the air, blanketing much of the island’s northern half under a thick layer of ash and rock. A small crew stayed on the island to observe the eruption and wrap up the evacuation, and when possible, they retrieved valuables from houses before they were buried by ash or set alight by hot lava bombs. Ultimately the eruption destroyed 400 homes, displacing 1,500 residents. One person died (from toxic gases that built up where he was sleeping).
By June, after six terrifying months, the eruption was finally over. Some islanders moved back home, but about a third never returned—they’d forged new lives on the mainland, or they didn’t want to live in fear of another eruption.
Although the volcano caused great disruption, it also had some positive effects. Geothermal heat from the earth allowed the islanders to heat their water for a few years, with pipes running underneath the new lava (these days, they’re back to electricity and oil). Tephra from the eruption was useful for road building and paving. Most importantly, the eruption didn’t close off the island’s harbor, but did helpfully narrow the harbor mouth enough to make it a much more sheltered anchorage. For better or for worse, the 1973 eruption shaped the Westman Islands that you’re visiting today.
• Let’s head back into town. Retrace your steps back up to and through the fortress, then take the stairs down to the path on the water side of the big, white water tanks. Walk around the tanks and then keep going to...
Vestmannaeyjar’s Harbor: Stroll along the busy waterfront, peering into warehouses and onto ship decks. You’ll bear left, then right, to circle around the inner harbor, where smaller boats moor. This area, called Bæjarbryggjan (“Town Wharf”), was built in 1907, around the time motorized fishing arrived in the Westman Islands. It was later expanded, and eventually modern docks were built on the far side of the harbor.
Soon you’ll reach a little skate park under a mural, with WCs nearby. Straight ahead are the sales kiosks for the various bus and boat tours (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier). The ferry dock back to the mainland is just a couple minutes’ walk past the ticket offices.
• Our walk has come nearly full-circle. From here, you can browse tour options or head back up into town for lunch. Before leaving town, be sure to visit your choice of Vestmannaeyjar’s three museums, described in the next section.
Vestmannaeyjar’s three museums collaborate on a 3,200-ISK combination ticket, which basically gives you the third museum for free if you visit the Volcano Museum (Eldheimar) plus one of the others. Save walking by seeing the town museum (Sagnheimar) and the Volcano Museum consecutively; extend this trip farther by walking from the Volcano Museum up the path to the summit of Eldfell volcano. Note that specific opening hours tend to change slightly from year to year; ask at the TI for the latest.
This museum tells the story of the 1973 Eldfell eruption, which destroyed half the town and has been an inseparable part of the islands’ image ever since. The vivid exhibits are well-described by the included audioguide. The centerpiece of the museum is an actual house, half-immersed in lava rock.
Cost and Hours: 2,300 ISK; daily 10:30-18:00; mid-Oct-April Wed-Sun 13:00-17:00, closed Mon-Tue, or by arrangement; Gerðisbraut 10, tel. 488-2700, www.eldheimar.is.
Getting There: The museum is about a 20-minute, moderately uphill walk from the harbor; follow the red lampposts, and look for the boxy, rust-colored building on the hillside. It’s about 10 minutes uphill from Sagnheimar, the town museum; to walk between the two, take the street called Birkihlíð.
Visiting the Museum: The museum is built over the excavated remains of a house that was buried (but didn’t burn) in the eruption. Guðni Ólafsson and Gerður Sigurðardóttir and their three young sons lived in the one-story, ranch-style house, which had just been finished two years before. Their home—now windowless, with its roof propped up by steel supports, and its contents left in disarray as they were found—is the highlight of the museum. You can’t go in the ruin, but joysticks and monitors allow you to control cameras and investigate remotely. The oft-heard label “Pompeii of the North” is a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s definitely a one-of-a-kind sight.
From there, the audioguide takes you around the seven stages of the exhibit in about 20 minutes. You’ll learn about the town before, during, and after the eruption, with striking photographs and gripping (if grainy) television footage. In one exhibit, you can turn a giant wheel to watch the eruption slowly progress on a virtual map of the island. In another, you’ll learn about the exhausting excavation of the town—as mountains of tephra had to be shoveled and trucked away. If you have time, there’s also a 50-minute documentary film. And upstairs, you’ll find good views over the house stuck in lava, a café, and a less engaging exhibit on the Surtsey eruption of 1963-1967 (also explained by the audioguide).
The island’s lively little aquarium and natural history museum (called Sæheimar) has three rooms of exhibits. The first has stuffed birds and fish. The second room has a dozen tanks with changing local fish on display, and a touch tank with crabs, starfish, and shellfish. The third room has a rock collection and a replica of a bird cliff. But the star attraction is the opportunity to meet the town mascot, a real-life puffin named Tóti.
Cost and Hours: 1,200 ISK; daily 10:00-17:00; Oct-April Sat only 13:00-16:00, closed Sun-Fri; Heiðarvegur 12, tel. 481-1997, mobile tel. 863-8228, www.saeheimar.is.
Visiting the Museum: The museum’s accidental celebrity is Tóti, a tame puffin who has lived here since August 2011. (Puffins usually live for 20-30 years.) He roams the aquarium freely, usually followed by a staff member who ensures his safety and cleans up after him. Visitors are welcome to take photos of him (no flash), but only the museum staff are allowed to hold him—due partly to the sensitive oils in his feathers. Tóti sometimes takes a midday rest, so there’s no guarantee you’ll see him, but it’s likely.
Tóti is just one of many puffins who have passed through this museum. Puffins nest in burrows on the steep grassy slopes just above cliff edges. Every August, when the baby puffins raised on the island that summer are ready to take flight for the South Atlantic, some of them are distracted by the lights of the town and land in the streets. Traditionally, the island children collect the pufflings and bring them to the museum, which keeps them overnight and then releases them at an appropriate spot by the sea. Cute photographs all over the museum show local kids with the baby birds they brought in. Tóti himself was once one of these birds, but the museum staff judged him too small and weak to survive if released—so he was allowed to stay.
This endearing museum has an eclectic array of exhibits about various facets of local history and culture. While a bit less engaging than the Volcano Museum or Tóti the puffin, it’s well-done, insightful, and worth visiting if you have time.
Cost and Hours: 1,000 ISK; daily 10:00-17:00, Oct-April Sat only 13:00-16:00, closed Sun-Fri, or by appointment—don’t hesitate to e-mail; Ráðhúströð, at the upper end of the Bárustígur main drag, on the second floor in the same building as the town library; tel. 488-2045, www.sagnheimar.is.
Visiting the Museum: Head upstairs, buy your ticket, and take a counterclockwise loop through the circular floor plan. First you’ll learn about the 1973 eruption, including video interviews with local residents (English subtitles). The next section has photos of the roughly 200 islanders who converted to the Mormon Church in the mid-1800s and emigrated to Utah, and an illustrated retelling of the 1627 “Turkish Raid” on the islands (in which pirates kidnapped over 200 islanders and took them away to slavery in Algeria). Next you’ll learn about the Danish governor who started a local militia in the 1850s—in this country without an army—to defend the islands against further attacks.
The back of the museum features an exhibit about the history of the annual Þjóðhátíð National Festival held in August, including some of the outrageous costumes the revelers wear. Then you’ll loop around to a long exhibit about the fishing industry that is at the heart of Westman Island life, with a reconstructed 1924 town pier, a 1970s fishermen’s dorm (with pinup girls and vintage rock ’n’ roll), a poignant “in memoriam” wall honoring fishermen who have been lost at sea, and a seasickness-inducing video showing a fishing trawler navigating insanely rough seas, practically going airborne as the crew struggle to haul in their catch.
It’s relatively straightforward to walk up to the summit of Eldfell (ELD-fehtl), the volcano that emerged in the 1973 eruption. The simplest way is to follow the short path that starts a bit above the Volcano Museum (20-30 minutes up), by a small parking lot. You can also walk directly through the lava from downtown, starting at the stairway up into the lava from the end of Miðstræti (at the corner of Kirjustræti; this area is also described on my self-guided walk). The ground at the summit gets a bit cooler every year, and it has become difficult to boil an egg or bake bread or potatoes right on the lava. However, locals report that you can still make a chocolate or a cheese fondue. Via a different path, it’s also easy to reach the center of the crater, which is marked by a large cross.
With a car, you can take an easy spin around the island of Heimaey. The entire loop takes about a half-hour with no stops, but allow an hour or two at a leisurely pace, with plenty of photo stops for views of Westman islets and happy, roaming sheep grazing on scrubby groundcover. Once you leave town, you won’t see much civilization. Heimaey once had several farms, but they have not been worked since the eruption, except for a bit of hobby farming.
• From town, loop west to...
Herjólfsdalur: This valley, surrounded by a cirque of mountains, is the site of the Þjóðhátíð (National Festival) held each August. There’s not much to do at other times, but it’s a dramatic setting. Look for the stage (which benefits from the acoustics of the mountain bowl) and the pulpit-like spot where bonfires are lit. The area also has a golf course and a campsite. The cliffs over the little, jagged inlet on the western side of the meadow is a good place to look for puffins in the summer. If you have time, a lovely walking path leads south from Herjólfsdalur along the island’s western shore.
• Drive south toward the island’s southern point, Stórhöfði. Along the way are some prime...
Offshore Island Views: The best views of the other (uninhabited) Westman Islands, worth ▲, are from the road that runs south between Herjólfsdalur and Stórhöfði. Nobody lives on any of these islands full-time, but island men join together in fraternity-like clubs that own them. Each club builds and maintains a hut on its island—and some huts are quite elaborate. Locals go to the outer islands mostly to harvest seabird eggs.
The most distant of the smaller islands—which you can just barely see on the horizon, on very clear days—is Surtsey, which rose from the sea in a long eruption, lasting from 1963 to 1967, that attracted attention from around the world. Surtsey has been left alone and landing is forbidden, although scientists visit it regularly to follow along with the plants that colonize it and the wave erosion that makes it a little smaller each year.
• About 10 minutes after leaving Herjólfsdalur, you’ll reach...
Stórhöfði: This hilly knob of land was a separate island before the isthmus was created by the Helgafell eruption several thousand years ago. The lighthouse has a weather station that regularly records the strongest winds in Iceland...and that’s really saying something. Along the road up to the lighthouse is a bird-watching blind where you can get a good view of the cliffs where puffins nest in the summer (not visible from the road, just a two-minute walk over a ridge—the path out to it is marked, and starts by signs at a hairpin bend; be sure to close the windows when you’re finished).
• From here it’s another 10 minutes back to town.
All of these options are within a 10-minute walk of the harbor. Hotel prices on the island are low by Icelandic standards.
$$ Hótel Vestmannaeyjar is the big, well-established hotel in town, a few short blocks away from the harbor, with 43 predictable rooms, an onsite restaurant, an elevator, and an indoor sauna and hot tubs in the basement that are free for guests (Vestmannabraut 28, tel. 481-2900, www.hotelvestmannaeyjar.is, booking@hotelvestmannaeyjar.is).
$$ Hótel Eyjar (“Islands”) is loosely run, but has a great location steps from the harbor, at the beginning of the shopping street. More of a guesthouse than a true hotel, it fills the two floors above the Eymundsson bookstore with 20 rooms with private baths (lots of stairs, Bárustígur 2, tel. 481-3636, www.hoteleyjar.is, info@hoteleyjar.is).
$-$$ Guesthouse Hamar, also close to the harbor, has 14 rooms with private bath at reasonable prices. It’s also home to the “Puffin Nest”—40 capsule-like dormitory pods in a cavernous room with shared bath, which offers a little extra privacy over a hostel dorm (Herjólfsgata 4, 481-3400, www.guesthousehamar.is, info@guesthousehamar.is).
¢ The official Sunnuhóll Youth Hostel, with 25 beds, is actually the back wing of the Hótel Vestmannaeyjar. The six rooms share two sets of bathroom facilities and a kitchen (laundry facilities, Vestmannabraut 28, tel. 481-2900, www.hostel.is, vestmannaeyjar@hostel.is).
¢ Aska Hostel, with 33 beds in rooms of two to eight beds each, is situated on the little shopping street, in the same building as the recommended Gott restaurant (Bárustígur 11, mobile tel. 662 7266, www.askahostel.is, info@askahostel.is).
The Westman Islands are a good place to eat. Most mid-priced restaurants generally charge the same prices at lunch and dinner, and you can easily get a good, square meal for 2,500-3,000 ISK at any time of day. At nicer restaurants, it’s smart to reserve for dinner. The island’s restaurants don’t serve puffin (breeding populations are low) or other seabirds.
$$$ Slippurinn (“The Shipyard”) is the town’s top restaurant and a mecca for foodies—offering Reykjavík quality at Reykjavík prices. Run by a respected chef who prides himself on mingling authentic traditions with modern cookery, it has a tempting menu of perfectly executed classic dishes. Its long, well-worn tables and other funky mismatched furniture fill a big, open, industrial-mod space a block above the harbor. It’s most affordable at lunch, with a fish of the day for under 3,000 ISK, but prices rise substantially at dinner—when you might want to splurge on a blowout fixed-price dinner. Reservations are recommended (May-mid-Sept daily 12:00-14:30 & 17:00-22:00, Strandvegur 76, tel. 481-1515, www.slippurinn.com).
$$ Gott (“Good”), on the little shopping street, is small, tasteful, and casual (but with table service). They do fish, chicken, burgers, and sandwiches at competitive prices (Sun-Thu 11:30-21:00, Fri-Sat until 22:00, Bárustígur 11, tel. 481-3060).
$$ Tanginn (“The Spit”), at the harbor, has a great view of the cliffs and the fishing boats. Choose between the fish of the day, ribs, a whale steak, or—for the budget-conscious—burgers, soup, or salad (kitchen open Sun-Wed 11:30-14:00 & 18:00-21:00, Thu-Sat until 22:00, Básaskersbryggja 8, tel. 414-4420).
$$ Fiskibarinn (“Fish Bar”) is a casual fish place, which doubles as a fresh fish shop. Go to the counter and choose your fish, which will be cooked up with vegetables and potatoes or rice and served in the pan (daily 11:00-22:00, Oct-April until 21:00, Skólavegur 1, a couple blocks up from the harbor at the corner of Vestmannabraut, tel. 414-3999).
Local Craft Beer: The Brothers Brewery, which makes their own microbrews right here on Heimaey, also runs a taphouse on the main street (Tue-Wed 16:00-21:00, Thu-Sat until 23:00, closed Sun-Mon, in the strip mall at Vesturvegur 5, tel. 571-5510).
Cheap Eats: There’s a Subway on Bárustígur downtown with cheap fresh sandwiches. The Bónus supermarket is at Miðstræti 20, near the harbor (open daily until about 18:00). The Krónan supermarket right along the harbor has slightly longer hours.
Breakfast: Most planes from Reykjavík land before restaurants open. For a breakfast on arrival, Stofan Bakhús (“Living Room Bakery”)—right along the main street—serves coffee and good pastries (daily until 18:00, Bárustígur 7, tel. 481-2424).