Embark on a rare and exclusive adventure with us. We will bring you to one of the wildest region of Iceland, more easily accessible by sea than by the land! There are no paths to get to the North West Fjords, those remote places are only accessible by sea kayaks, following the highest cliffs of North Atlantic…
Many bird species spend the summer here, in the unspoiled and secluded bit of land. In the sea, there is a great chance to spot whales and porpoises. This trip is intended for people with some kayaking experience who are in overall good physical condition to be able to enjoy the trip at the fullest. Nights will be spent in good and comfortable tents.
Enjoy the perfect mix of outdoors activities: land and water, in the scenic fjords of Jökulfirdir in Hornstrandir Nature reserve and Isafjardardjup bay. These locations are well known in the world of kayaking as some of the fines spots in the world. Also, these locations naturally offer numerous bird species and sea creatures such as whales and porpoises. We recommend this kayaking in Iceland tour to people used to practice this sport and enjoying an overall good physical condition. For this kayaking in Iceland tour, 3 nights will be hosted in huts (nature reserve) and 2 nights will be spent camping under a tent.
This trek starts in the North West of the country in Ísafjörður. It is essential to arrive the day before departure (D1). An information meeting takes place with the guide and all participants at 5 p.m. to get all useful information.
To get to Ísafjörður, it is possible to take a domestic flight from Reykjavik, which flies over Iceland in less than an hour, or we can also organize a self drive trip of a few days, from Keflavik airport to the West and the Snaefellsnes peninsula, with personal travel book and booking of all accommodation, rental car… before or after the trek.
Note that the itinerary of this kayak trip is given as an indication, as the stages may vary depending on the weather.
We leave Isafjordur harbour in the morning to Hesteyri on a speedboat. From there, we’ll sort out the equipment and start our journey paddling. Our first destination is Hesteyrarfjordur and the ruins of an old whaling station. The place is at a short distance from Hesteyri. We will paddle in the fjord to acclimate to our boats before settling up for the night in the house of the old local doctor.
Total distance approx. 14 kms.
Today our goal is to reach Kviar Farmhouse located in Kviadalur dale. This itinerary will lead us along a scenic coastline, crossing the fjords of Hesteyrarfjördalur and Veidileysufjördur. In these fjords, there is a good chance to see whales and white tailed eagles. Finally, we will land on a beach near Kviar Farmhouse, where we will spend the night and maybe enjoy the sauna adjacent to the farmhouse.
Total distance approx. 15 kms.
We will leave our gear in the farmhouse to enjoy paddling in the fjord of Lonafjördur, said by some to be most beautiful fjord in Iceland. This fjord is really pristine and no traces of human activity can be seen. However, we will most likely watch several seals, because a colony of them dwells on the nearby bay of Sopandi. After a long day of paddling, we will go back to the farmhouse to enjoy a nice sauna moment and a delicious dinner.
Total distance approx. 20 kms
Today we pack our gear again and say goodbye to Kviar Farmhouse. We will cross the bay and get close to Höfdi to have a nice look at the fjord of Leirufjördur. Leirufjördur means “the silt fjord”, and this name will become self explanatory when you will see the mud and silt coming from the glacial rivers escaping from Drangajökull Glacier. After this magnificent sight, we will head to the bay of Grunnavik and pass under a natural rocky arch on the way. Having reached Grunnavik we will do some sight seeing, especially the small church and establish camp on the beach.
Total distance approx. 20 kms.
Today, it is time to leave the fjord system of Jökulfirdir to reach the large bay of Isafjardardjup. On the way we will encounter breath-taking waterfalls, that are usually inaccessible by foot. We will keep going along the coast of Snaefjallaströnd were we will stop for the night. Depending on the weather conditions, we will camp in the cove of Ytraskard or next to the magic waterfall of Möngufoss.
Total distance approx. 24 kms.
For this last day of kayaking in Iceland, we will have our first stop on the quaint island of Aedey. This small island is only inhabited by one family and exclusively during summertime. As you expect, this stop will offer calm, serenity, quietness… and puffins. After this visit, we will paddle on 9km to reach the island of Vigur. This island is as well secluded and the realm of puffins, eider ducks and a few farmers. We will visit the island for 2 hours, enjoy the nice coffee house.
After this break, we will start the last part of our journey. Depending on the weather conditions we will paddle to Hvitanes or to Sudavik. A car will pick us up and will drive us back to Isafjördur. Even if we will arrive in town early enough to catch a flight to Reykjavik, we usually recommend to spend one more day there and enjoy this wonderful location.
Total distance approx. 22 kms.
List of belongings