Looking at a map of Iceland , we see how in the extreme northwest of the island is a peninsula in the shape of a hand whose fingers seem to reach for something . Perhaps that object of desire is Greenland , always present in Icelandic legends and that in this part of the country is really close.
Be that as it may, by the phalanges of those fingers life runs in its wildest aspect. They are remote and inhospitable lands, where the asphalt barely has a place and animals live without fear.
Winters are dark and cold, while summers bring sunlight but not warmth. Rains, snows and powerful gusts of wind usually alternate with little respite. A scenario that has caused that only a bunch of brave and tough icelanders continue to live here forever.
For travelers who venture into these domains, the conditions are not easy either, but Mother Nature rewards them, as long as they are respectful of her creations, with landscapes and experiences that they will never forget. They will feel small and insignificant before her, but are we not?
Fjord views from Dinyandi
RAUDASANDUR, THE RED BEACH OF ICELAND
Arriving at the Westfjords (so the Icelanders call it, although they are in the far north-west of the country) from Reykjavik either Akureyri –the most important cities in the south and north of the country, respectively– the most common is to enter through the southern part of them, driving along Highway 60.
From the population of Budardalur, we head north and we won't see anything resembling a small town for many miles.
After crossing the beautiful bridge built over the waters of Gilsfjordur, An endless succession of spectacular arms of land awaits us, covered in green and with waterfalls here and there, which plunge into the cold waters of the ocean.
A small restaurant in Flókalundur reminds us that man still has some presence in this part of the fjords, but before digesting good soup and fish & chips that we eat there, we are once again in the purest natural virginity.
A while later, we left Highway 60 to drink a red dirt track that no one bothers to pave. The rains here are very frequent and everything ends up spoiling.
That reddish powder is the prelude to the wonder that awaits us about 12 km –and a dizzying slope– later.
Aerial view of the Icelandic beach of Raudasandur.
The beach of Raudasandur (or Raudisandur) it is 10 km long and its width depends on the tides. We are lucky and we find it under a radiant sun, which brings out from it the colors for which it is famous and to which it owes its name (which means “Red Sand”).
The sea is not particularly rough here, but the natural setting that accompanies the beach is incomparable. Climbing up a small mound we managed to admire it in its fullness.
That patchy colored sand seems to extend as far as the eye can see. Nearby there are 4 or 5 wooden huts, those of the Melanes campsite, that serve as a stopover for those who want to spend the night next to this wonder.
Behind campingIn the distance, mountains of volcanic-looking walls rise up everywhere. They seem to bleed down their green slopes, but when we adjust our gaze we realize that it is the water of the natural waterfalls that comes out, powerfully, through their cracks.
The squawks of birds are heard. It seems that they are surprised to see human beings around here. Impossible to blame them.
Raudisandur Beach, in the West Fjords of Iceland.
LÁTRABJARG, THE PUFFIN DWELL AT THE END OF THE WORLD
A little further west of Raudasandur are dramatic-looking cliffs. Approaching them on tricky tracks full of holes that make us fear for the wheels and suspension of our van, we realize that up close they are even more impressive.
We are in Latrabjarg, a place where the end of the world could well have been in Viking times.
The westernmost point of Iceland is just 300 km from Greenland and gives terribly beautiful views.
There is a trail, about 6 km long, that walk along the cliffs from Bjargtangar – where the car park is located – to Heidnakinn, which, with its 450 meters above the sea, is the highest point of Látrabjarg.
Puffins Latrabjarg
There are no fences that prevent peering into the abyss, at the bottom of which the ocean seems to be in permanent fury . However, the strong wind that usually blows here discourages taking too many risks.
When visiting the cliffs in summer, we see how hundreds of birds, oblivious to Eolo's anger, they move along those steep walls. Are cormorants, auks, arctic terns, fulmars and a funny bird that attracts the cameras of almost all visitors: the puffins.
L you puffins they are pelagic birds – that is, they live in the waters of the oceans - , but during the breeding months (from late May to mid-August) they seek refuge on cliffs in different parts of Iceland.
Many of them are just a few steps away from us, on the top of the cliffs, and do not run away when we get close. And it is that far away are those times in which the hungry men who lived around here would lower themselves with ropes to steal, in an almost suicidal act, the eggs of the birds.
Puffin Latrabjarg
WRECKS AND PLANES OF THE COLD WAR
Hidden among the many curves of the fjords, abandoned boats and planes from another era appear.
Near Raudasandur we find e l Gardar BA 64, built in Norway in 1912 and has the honor of being the oldest ship , made of iron, who sailed through the waters of Iceland. She ran aground on a small beach in 1981 and is still there, rusty and mysterious in equal parts.
They are also from another American era - from the years of the Cold War, in which Iceland was a key base for the Americans - the Russian planes and vehicles that good Kristin Thor keeps in the hangars near his remote accommodation for travelers in Hnjötur . He is such an interesting guy relics of the Cold War, so it is worth sleeping there or staying for tea on one of the many cold afternoons in this part of the world.
American plane Hnjotur
THE THERMAL POOLS
Wading through the northwest fjords we find several thermal pools, something that Icelanders love.
A little frequented is that of Pollurinn, which we found less than 2 km from the small town of Tálknafjördur. It has a changing room and being high up, it offers wonderful views of the fjord.
Also, on warm sunny days, you can walk down a small path that starts from the dirt road that leads to the pool and descends, through the grass, to a series of beautiful virgin beaches. After bathing in those icy waters, there is nothing like returning to the warmth of the thermal pool.
Pollurinn beach thermal pool
THE GYNJANDI WATERFALL, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN NORTH ICELAND
Following the route to the north, we find the impressive waterfall of Dynjandi.
The largest and most beautiful waterfall in the northwest fjords is presented in a beautiful crack with a jump of 100 meters in height and a width of 30 meters. . And it does not do it alone, because the water continues to fall in six more jumps until it ends in the deep Arnarfjordur.
We can enjoy all of them walking up a simple path that offers dozens of corners in which you feel the need to stop to take a photo. However, we try to abstract ourselves from that and simply enjoy the moment and that gift of nature.
Being one of the most touristic points of the northwest fjords, here we find some picnic tables, ideal for taking a break on sunny days . Eating with those views is something that is not repeated every day.
dinyandi waterfall
WHALES, SEALS, ARCTIC FOXES AND GLACIERS IN HORNSTRANIR
After passing through the city of Isafjordur –which with its almost 4,000 inhabitants is the capital of the region of the west fjords, and combines its fishing tradition with an important and surprising cultural scene –, now only the vastest loneliness remains before us.
There is no road or decent road leading into the Hornstradir Nature Reserve. In fact, the only way to get there is by taking a boat in Nordurfjordur.
This territory is uninhabited since the 1950s.
As cut off as it was then, it appeals to visitors seeking absolute seclusion and connection with nature, as you can walk days without seeing a single person.
Here, the cliffs surrounding Hornvík Bay they reach 500 meters in height and are taken by seabirds. In the distance, if we are lucky, we can also see whales and some seals.
More elusive is the arctic fox, a beautiful animal that is known as the king of these lands. When we meet him, he does not run away, because nobody has to do it in his own home. A home so beautiful that it makes us cry.
Latrabjarg Cliffs