PLACES TO SEE BIRDS AND WILDLIFE
1. Lake Mývatn
The country’s top venue for viewing wildlife, Lake Mývatn slots easily into a trip to visit Iceland’s laid-back northern capital, Akureyri, and a whale-watching expedition from Húsavík. Ducks and other wildfowl are the main draws, but the elusive Arctic fox and gyrfalcon are also regularly encountered.
2. Látrabjarg
Way out in the Westfjords, a trip to Látrabjarg takes a little bit of planning but you will not forget your first sight of these cliffs, covered by enormous, noisy colonies of nesting seabirds. Stop along the way for a walk or sunbathe on Breíðavík beach.
3. Hornbjarg
At 533 m (1,749 ft), Hornbjarg is the highest clifftop on the isolated, completely uninhabited Hornstrandir peninsula, on the Westfjords’ extreme northwest. Like Látrabjarg, it is teeming with fulmars, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. There are regular guided day tours, as well as other scheduled boat trips, from Ísafjörður.
Hornbjarg, on isolated Hornstrandir
4. Dyrhólaey
Closed 7pm–9am
The headland of Dyrhólaey is an easy detour off the highway between Skógar and Vík (there are restrictions on cars but it is open for hiking). Apart from puffins and other seabirds, come here to view the black, volcanic-sand beaches and the huge sea arch, which is large enough for a ship to sail through.
Skua, Dyrhólaey
5. Jökulsárlón
One of the most spellbinding sights of southeastern Iceland, this deep, iceberg-filled lagoon between the sea and Breiðamerkurjökull glacier is a great place to spot seals and orca, if you are lucky. The sandy plains on either side are full of nesting terns and skuas – and arctic foxes looking for a meal (see Jökulsárlón).
6. Skjálfandi
A summer sailing trip out from Húsavík to Skjálfandi, the broad bay offshore, is certain to put you within viewing range of marine mammals. You are most likely to see seals and dolphins but with any luck you will also encounter spectacular humpback whales leaping out of the water.
Humpback whale at Skjálfandi
7. Breiðafjörður
The waters off the west coast are dotted with hundreds of islets and skerries inhabited by thousands of puffins, shags, cormorants and other seabirds. White-tailed sea eagles, one of Iceland’s rarest, most majestic species, are also seen here.
8. Garðskagi
Close to Keflavík International Airport, this little tongue of land overlooks a gravelly beach where you can easily spot redshanks, sanderlings, turnstones, eider duck and other shorebirds – look out to sea for gannets. The striped red lighthouse was once used to monitor bird migration.
Garðskagi lighthouse
9. Ingólfshöfði
Hiking tours: mid-May–Aug: Mon–Sat at 10:15am & 1:30pm; tractor from Ingólfshöfði car park • www.puffintour.is • Adm
In AD 874, Ingólfur Arnarson – Iceland’s first settler – landed his ship on this cape, located halfway between Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón. Puffins, great skua and other birds nest here in the summer.
10. Jökulsá á Dal
With river systems and integrated wetlands merging from the highland moors around Snæfell down to the East Fjords coast, this is a summer breeding ground for geese, swans and all manner of wildfowl. Keep an eye open for reindeer herds too.
