Ísafjörður & the Westfjords
Ísafjörður is the capital of Iceland's Westfjords — the most remote and least-visited region in the country. Only about ten percent of visitors to Iceland ever reach the Westfjords, making your cruise call here a rare opportunity to experience landscapes that most travellers never see. The town itself sits at the tip of a narrow sand spit, sheltered between steep mountains at the end of Skutulsfjörður fjord, and has a population of roughly 2,600.
The star attraction from this port is the Dynjandi waterfall — known as the Jewel of the Westfjords. At 100 metres tall, Dynjandi cascades over seven tiers, widening from a narrow stream at the top to a 60-metre-wide curtain at its base. The drive from Ísafjörður passes through mountain tunnels, along dramatic fjord-side roads and through tiny fishing villages. Other excursions include a boat trip to Vigur Island for puffin colonies (seasonal, May through August), whale watching in Ísafjarðardjúp bay, a hike into the surrounding highlands, or a walking tour of the historic old town with its 18th-century timber houses — some of the oldest in Iceland.
