Gudrun's photos with the keyword: Vestfirðir

The lighthouse at Bjargtangar in its present form dates from 1948. It sits on a high cliff. so the light's focal plane is 60m above the sea even though the building is only 6m high. This lighthouse on Iceland's westernmost point is also the westernmost building in Europe. We visited on a very windy day and only saw one solitary puffin on the famous bird cliffs of Látrabjarg, all others had either hidden in their burrows or were out at sea. Going near the cliff edge definitely wasn't an option in the storm;-)

The late Egill Olafsson, farmer at Hnjótur in remote Patreksfjörður, accumulated quite a collection of old boats, airplanes and lots of other stuff- a typical pastime on isolated farms in the West Fjords (others had loads of old cars, built Eiffel towers from scrap metal etc...). This collection has been turned into a museum with cafè, a welcome lunch stop for tourists on their way to the bird cliffs of Látrabjarg. (I couldn't find any information about the sculpture which from the other side shows the stylized prow of a boat with the cross on top)

A glimpse of Geirþjófsfjörður, a side arm of Arnarfjörður, seen from road 60 over Gláma. Geirþjófsfjörður had farms since settlement times, but since the 1960s there are just a few summer houses which can only be reached by boat.

View from the pass over Hrafnseyrarheiði back to Arnarfjörður. This is one of the highest road passes (552m) in Iceland which is usually impassable in winter. The new road (still unsurfaced) is an improvement on the dangerous old road which can be seen in the middle of the photo. A new tunnel (Dýrafjarðargöng) was opened in 2010, saving 27km and avoiding the difficult pass. EXIF: 1/400 • f/8.0 • 24.0 mm • ISO 250, Canon EOS 6D, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM (stitched from 2 photos)

Garðar BA 64 is a steel whaling vessel built a century ago in Norway. It has been left to rust in Skápadalur valley, Patreksfjörður stuckiniceland.com/west_of_iceland/a-rusty-fate-for-a-century-old-steel-giant

Bildudalur village lies in the Suðurfirðir branch of Arnarfjörður. It has less than 200 inhabitants but boasts of an airport. Once a prosperous fishing port it has now managed to create jobs in an algae processing factory. Geologically the western fjords consist of tertiary flood basalts eroded by ice age glaciers, leaving deep fjords and very steep mountain sides (see inset photo). Like most Vestfirðir villages Bildudalur is situated on a sand spit in the fjord, the only place safe from avalanches.

Reykjarfjörður is a side arm of Suðurfirðir, the southern part of Arnarfjörður. There are thermal springs and a small pool at Reykjarfjörður, Reyk in place names denoting hot springs. The farms are deserted and only summer homes are left, a typical story in the depopulated western fjords. Summer inhabitants include sheep and arctic terns. The latter are extremely aggressive defending theis nests.

Typical U-shaped valley on the north coast of Ísafjarðardjúp. The firn fields are the last remnants of Drangajökull glacier which has retreated to the plateau.

View towards Snæfjallaströnd on the northwestern coast of Ísafjarðardjúp which isn't (permanently) inhabited anymore because of the harsh climate. The snow fields are remnants of Drangajökull glacier which has now retreated to the plateau.

Dynjandi is the largest waterfall in the westfjords. The upper cascade (Fjallfoss) is 30m wide at the top, 60m at the the lower end. After Fjallfoss Dynjandisá river forms a series of 5 more cascades until it reaches the valley floor.

Lupinus nootkatensis have been planted in Iceland to help combat erosion but in many places they have started to spread uncontrollably.

Ósvör Maritime Museum is situated east of Bolungarvik. It conveys a good impression of the very hard lives of fishermen, especially in the sort of weather we had;-) www.osvor.is/enska_index.htm

Flateyri is a fishing village in Önundarfjörður, Vestfirðir. The village (like many in the West Fjords) was hit hard by the decline of the fishing industry and the ensuing depopulation. In 1995 an avalanche destroyed 29 houses and killed 20 people.

Aprroaching Brjánslækur under a threatening cloud. The stormy weather with winds blowing to the south was rather untypical for the season.

Approaching Brjánslækur and Vestfirðir on ferry Baldur from Stykkisholmur. This was the calm part of the passage, in the open fjord the waves came over the bridge forcing everybody inside.

Crossing Breiðafjörður on ferry Baldur from Stykkisholmur to Brjánslækur- looking back to Flatey and Snæfellsnes.