Westfjords

The Westfjords are the oldest part of Iceland, geologically and in character. This ancient peninsula in the country's northwest corner has been shaped by millions of years of erosion, leaving behind a deeply indented coastline of long, narrow fjords, dramatic cliffs, and wide-open tundra that stretches to the horizon.

Most visitors to Iceland never come here. The Ring Road doesn't reach it, the distances are real, and the roads are often gravel. That is precisely the point. What remains is an Iceland that feels largely undiscovered, where the fishing boats still define the rhythm of the harbours, where Dynjandi's seven tiers of waterfall cascade into an empty valley, and where Látrabjarg's bird cliffs mark the westernmost edge of Europe.

For travellers who want Iceland without the crowds, and who are willing to follow the road to find it, the Westfjords repay the effort considerably.