Route in Hornstrandir: Section 2

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Commonly Backpacked · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

You can take a boat from Ísafjörður to Hornstrandir. There are two boat operators:
westtours.is/ or boreaadventures.com/

I recommend doing routs in Hornstrandir with a guide.

Take a GPS device and a compass with you. Buy an official map of the peninsula at the tourist office in Ísafjörður. Mobile data was not available.

Water is available everywhere in the nature reserve. There are no grocery stores. Buy all your food before you take the boat to Hornstrandir.

Share your hiking plan with the local ranger for tips before you start.

You'll pass through snowfields, even in high summer. Without waterproof hiking shoes, you'll get wet feet.

I did my hike in the summer; there was always daylight! No need for a torch, but a sleep mask is an advantage.

Share your travel plan with safetravel.is/travel-plan

Wild Camping is prohibited. You can pitch your tent at the official places.

For the second section of our route, look out for cairns (pile of stones). Use your GPS to for orientation. Instead of walking down and up to the mountain Hvannadalshorn, we took "shortcuts" if the path was not too steep.

After the mountain, we hiked almost down to sea level. The official trail is again more visible. Next to the sea is another official camping ground and an emergency shelter. At Búðir it is possible to rent accommodation.

It is possible to spot the arctic fox and also puffins among the nature reserve.