When to go
Summer
Many routes are best in summer. Check conditions and drive times.
Region
Westfjords Travel Guide: Dynjandi, Látrabjarg & Remote Iceland
Remote fjords, cliff roads, and quiet beaches, a long way from the crowds.
Commitment
3–6 days
Fewer services and longer drives, but far fewer people.
The Westfjords are the oldest part of Iceland, formed 14 to 16 million years ago by volcanic activity and then carved by Ice Age glaciers into the fjord landscape you see today. Connected to the mainland by an isthmus just 7 km wide, this sprawling peninsula covers over 22,000 square kilometres yet is home to fewer than 7,000 people. The remoteness is the point: Europe's largest bird cliff at Látrabjarg, the Dynjandi waterfall, the uninhabited Hornstrandir reserve, and a quiet that is increasingly rare in Iceland.
Sources and last reviewed
Last reviewed: 2026-07-20
This guide is a travel-planning summary, not emergency guidance. Conditions in Iceland can change quickly; check official alerts, roads, and weather before driving, hiking, or booking around volatile conditions.
Pages are reviewed for practical usefulness, source quality, and volatile claims before publication.
Official sources to check
Travel style
Slow + remote
Quiet roads, long views, and little hot pools tucked into fjords.
Typical drive days
3–6 hours
Distances add up, so plan fewer stops and stay longer at each.
Don’t miss
The main viewpoints and quiet stretches of coast.
Dynjandi
A 100-meter-tall tiered waterfall that fans out in a bridal-veil shape, widely considered the most beautiful waterfall in the Westfjords. Located about 460 km from Reykjavik, the falls are reached via a well-maintained trail (15-minute uphill walk from the parking area) that passes six smaller cascades along the way. There is a viewing platform at the base of the main falls. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for the round trip. A basic campsite with toilets is available at the trailhead parking area.
Látrabjarg
Europe's westernmost point and one of the world's largest seabird cliffs, stretching 14 km long and rising up to 441 meters above the Atlantic. Millions of puffins, razorbills, and guillemots nest here from late April through mid-August, and the puffins are remarkably unafraid of humans, allowing close-range photography. The cliff edges are unfenced and the grass can be slippery, so watch your footing. Located about 500 km from Reykjavik at the far southwestern tip of the Westfjords, it is a trip in its own right.
Rauðisandur
A 10-km-long beach with rare red and golden sand, created from crushed scallop shells rather than volcanic rock. Located on the southern coast of the Westfjords about 480 km from Reykjavik, the beach is reached via a steep gravel road that descends 500 meters to sea level (not recommended for small cars). At low tide, the beach widens considerably and the wet sand reflects the sky. Allow 1 to 2 hours to walk the beach, and visit the small turf-and-stone Saurbær church nearby.
Hot pools
The Westfjords have some of Iceland's best natural hot pools, in remote fjord settings. Reykjafjardarlaug is a free, easily accessible pool near Bildudalur with mountain and fjord views. Hellulaug is a tiny shoreline pool at Flokalundur where you soak with waves lapping nearby. Pollurinn (the pool at Talknafjordur) is a multi-pool municipal facility with mountain panoramas. Drangsnes on the Strandir coast has three free oceanfront hot pots. Each pool takes 30 to 60 minutes, and crowds are rare.
Hornstrandir
An uninhabited wilderness reserve at the northern tip of the Westfjords, accessible only by boat from Isafjordur or Bolungarvik between June and August. There are no roads, shops, or services inside the reserve: Arctic foxes are common, wildflowers cover the valleys in summer, and high cliffs drop into the Arctic Ocean. Visitors take a scheduled ferry and hike between campsites, or join guided multi-day treks. This is a destination for self-sufficient hikers who come prepared for rapidly changing weather.
Ísafjörður
The capital of the Westfjords, with about 2,600 inhabitants set on a spit of land in a deep fjord. Despite its remoteness the town has good restaurants and the Westfjords Heritage Museum, and it is the region's main service hub. Daily 40-minute flights connect it to Reykjavik, ferries to Hornstrandir leave from its harbour, and 4x4 rentals are available for exploring the surrounding fjords.
Planning help
Westfjords FAQs
Quick answers with safety notes where it matters.