Destinations - Djúpivogur

The area on Búlandsnes, just outside Djúpivogur, is ideal for hiking, experiencing beauty and adventure, playing, learning, and enjoying a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the spirit of the slow movement, Cittaslow. It features exceptionally beautiful and diverse landscapes, with the colours of black sand, vegetated islets, and mirror-like ponds, rich birdlife, and abundant history. There is also a very scenic view of the mountains and the sea.    You can start the hike by walking east from Djúpivogur, stopping at Bóndavarða (Farmers’ Cairn). From there, you have a fantastic view in all directions, with a viewing disc showing the main place names. Inland, there are many prominent peaks and mountains, with Búlandstindur being one of the most beautiful and famous—a tall and steep pyramid on thesouthern side of Berufjörður. Towards the sea, you see islands and skerries like pearls on a string, with Papey being the largest and most well-known. The surroundings of Djúpivogur are marked by distinctive ridges or high, thin rock formations, standing parallel and giving an enchanting look to the area. These are dikes, ancient solidified lava that filled cracks during volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Because the rock in these dikes is hard, the Ice Age glacier couldn't level these ridges to the ground.   From Bóndavarða, you can continue northeast along Langatangi cape or head directly east down to the shore and then south to Grunnasund and across it to the sand. Grunnasund may need to be waded or you can take a detour along its end. You can also walk straight out to the sand southward on the road that leads to the airstrip, a route also suitable for driving. The environment on Búlandsnes has changed significantly from earlier times when the islets on the sand were real islands with boat-accessible channels between them.     South of Grunnasund, the route continues into Úlfsey. In the past, when there was a channel between it and the mainland, boats rowed through it. Gradually, the channel shallowed, and sources say it was full of sand over 100 years ago, sometime after 1880. On Úlfsey, there is said to be an ancient burial mound, probably named after a person named Úlfur. "No man shall set foot on land there without singing a verse by the mound, making a prayer, or placing a stone on the mound," according to the folk tales of Jón Árnason. The mound believed to be Úlfshaugur is a half-grown pile of stones in the northeast of Úlfsey.   From Úlfsey, you can walk southeast to Hvaley where you can see, in the southernmost cliffs, a cave, considered a natural formation but filled with sand. It was partially excavated a few years ago but has since filled with sand again. It is believed that people who used the island for egg collecting or as a sheepfold, stayed in the cave.   Continue the hike with a stop at Kálki, where there are ruins of houses, and then out to Sandey. It is possible to scramble down to the shore in Sandey if the tide is low and explore a cave there. To close the loop, you can walk along the airfield to the ponds Fýluvogur and Breiðavogur, but first, you might take a detour west across the sand to Hrísey and Kiðhólmi. According to sources, there were settlements in Hrísey in earlier times, and ruins are visible there. According to records, there was a trading harbor in Fýluvogur, then a navigable cove in the 1500s. German merchants from Bremen traded at Fýluvogur, while Hamburg merchants traded at Djúpivogur. With the establishment of the Danish trade monopoly in 1602, German trade ceased.    At Fýluvogur, there are now birdwatching houses to make it easier for people to observe the diverse and bustling birdlife there. Wetlands, ponds, and shores are ideal for birdwatching, especially in spring when migratory birds arrive and during the breeding season, but there is also a passage of migratory birds through the area in autumn. There are many waders and very diverse duck breeding, such as the gadwall and shoveler. The great crested grebe has also nested by the ponds. Besides the many breeding birds, many waders and ducks pass through the area in spring and autumn, including interesting vagrant birds. In addition to the wetland birds, which are prominent on Búlandsnes, you can see seabirds along the coast, moorland birds on the hills and heaths, and if you go up into Hálsaskógur, a forested area near Djúpivogur, you might encounter the goldcrest, the smallest bird in Europe, and other woodland birds. Hálsar is also an ideal area for hiking and nature observation, featuring diverse and unusual landscapes with distinctive dikes.   

Búlandstindur is a 1069-meter-high basalt mountain in Djúpivogur district and is believed to be about 8 million years old. Búlandstindur is generally considered to be one of the most beautiful mountains in Iceland. At a height of about 700 m east of Búlandstindur runs a mountain ridge, Goðaborg, and it is said that people went up there with their deities immediately after the conversion to Christianity in order to throw them out of the mountain cliff. Other sources say that Goðaborg is a cliff high up in Búlandstindur, said to be wide and flat. It is steep and hard to get up there. Some say that there is water nearby, that was used to wash the bowels of animals that were sacrificed to the gods. Many people make their way to the summit every year. It is best to follow a road that runs along Búlandsá to the south and all the way to a dam that is in the heart of the valley. From there you walk straight up the grassy green slopes and landslides inside Stóruskriðugil in the direction of a pass inside Búlandstindur. After that, the route runs itself until the top peak is reached. You can view an aerial photo of a marked path up to the summit on Teigarhorn's website. The peak is a narrow and steep cliff and there is a great view. It is very important to be careful not to walk too far to the east if something is visually or if it is slippery, because the eastern slope of the mountain is steep and rocky. There is a good mobile connection on the summit.

In Stapavík, south of Djúpivogur an close to Höfn, there is a majestic cliff rising about 20 meters out of the sea. It is landlocked and is a little way from the mainland cliff. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the cliff the beach south of Álftafjörður are considered unique natural gems and therefore essential stops when visiting the area.

Eggin í Gleðivík (the eggs in Merry Bay) is an outdoor artwork by artist Sigurður Guðmundsson (b. 1942). The artwork has 34 replicas of eggs of nesting birds that nest in the vicinity of Djúpivogur and reflects the strong connection that Djúpivogur has with nature. The work is especially for the site. The eggs stand on concrete pillars that previously supported a landing pipe between the pier and the smelter. Eggin í Gleðivík are a popular tourist attraction and has become one of Djúpivogur´s landmarks.

Teigarhorn, close to Djúpivogur, is known for remarkable geological formations and interesting history of industry and culture. Teigarhorn is a nature reserve, and part of it is a natural monument. There is year-round ranger at Teigarhorn, and development work in the area is being done in harmony with nature. Teigarhorn is one of the most significant mining sites of zeolites in the world. Among the types of zeolite stones found at Teigarhorn are schoolite, stilbite, epistilbite, mordenite, laumontite and heulandite. There are also other minerals, such as seladonite, opal, chalcedony, rock crystal, calcite and Iceland spar. Zeolites from Teigarhorn have been used in various geological studies for more than 200 years. These include descriptions of crystal forms, chemical composition, internal structure of crystals and optics, some of which are among the first descriptions of the rocks in question. Samples from Teigarhorn were sold to museums around the world in the second half of the 18th century, but since 1976 the main mining places have been protected as natural monuments. Weywadthús, at Teigarhorn, was built by Níels P.E. Weywadt in the years 1880-1882. He was a store manager in the Örum and Wulff store in Djúpivogur. Weywadthús has been part of the National Museum of Iceland since 1992. Níels' daughter, Nicoline Weywadt, was the first Icelandic woman to study photography and operated a photography studio in Teigarhorn. Nicoline is also believed to have owned the first sewing machine in East Iceland.

Hálsaskógur is in Búlandsnes, a short distance west of Djúpivogur. The forest area is very nice and there are signs providing information about the forest, such as the tree species, as well as tables and benches. There are footpaths going through the planted forest which makes it particularly suitable for those who prefer light walks.

Tankurinn is an old fish oil tank reformed into an exhibition space for art and music. It is always open, and whether there is an installation there when you visit, you should at least go inside and enjoy the marvelous reverb. 

Æðarsteinn lighthouse - a pretty structure, a little way inland from the Gleðivík Eggs. Walking distance from the Tankur. It´s a nice place worth visiting during the walk.

Hans Jonathan (1784-1827) was born into slavery on St. Croix in the Danish Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. His mother, Emilia Regina, was a house slave from West Africa; his father was white, probably a Dane. At age seven, Hans Jonathan was sent to Copenhagen to join the household of his owners, the Schimmelmann family. He played a heroic role in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, imagining he would become a free man. Widow Schimmelmann, however, took him to court and had his enslavement confirmed. Hans Jonathan then decided to take his freedom and escape to Iceland soon after the legal verdict. He settled at Djúpivogur where he worked as a trader at the Löngubúð store, later becoming a peasant. Icelanders embraced the newcomer, and nothing indicates that he would be shunned because of the color of his skin or his origin in slavery. He married a respected local girl, Katrín Antoníusdóttir. Their two children now have one thousand descendants. As far as we know, Hans Jonathan was the first black person to settle in Iceland. His biography, The Man Who Stole Himself: The Slave Odyssey of Hans Jonathan (authored by Gísli Pálsson), appeared in 2016 (also published in Icelandic, Danish, and French). A memorial sculpture, "Freedom," has been raised at Djúpivogur in his honor, echoing international protests against the use of skin color in refuting human rights. The memorial is the work of renowned Icelandic artist Sigurður Guðmundsson. The Government of Iceland, the inhabitants of Djúpivogur, Fiskeldi Austurlands, and numerous individuals generously financed its construction. Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir revealed the memorial at a ceremony in Djúpivogur on July 10th, 2021

Bóndavarðan - The farmers ´cairn stands high on the ridge just seawards of the village. The view from Bóndavarðan cairn is great! it may have been first erected by farmers keeping watch towards the sea after a severe raid by North African pirates in 1627. There is a view indicator up the cairn.

Sveinsstekksfoss, Fossárfoss eða Nykurhylsfoss Sveinsstekksfoss waterfall, also known as Fossárfoss waterfall, is a 50-foot waterfall on the Fossá River, the last fall before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. It is located on Route 1, Northwest of Djúpivogur. You can climb above the waterfall to see more of the Fossá River cascades. Nykurhylsfoss waterfall is the lowermost waterfall in the Fossá River. The river plunges 15 m into a narrow gully, churning, and racing in pools and rapids until it reaches the 9 m deep Nykurhylur pool. The river Fossá has numerous waterfalls in its course. There used to be a magical water horse living in the lowest pool, just under the bottommost waterfall. All attempts to drive the water horse away remained unsuccessful, but it finally disappeared when baptismal water was poured into the river after the baptism of a child up the valley.

By the sea, on the north side of Berufjordur there is an interesting natural phenomenon. A short distance east of the farm Fagrihvammur, a peculiar cliff hammer rises and it is unlike any other rock in the area, both in colour and texture. The rock hammer is called Blábjörg (Blue Cliffs), and it's got a blue tinge. This rock is made of ignimbrite, approximately 9 million years old. The rock hammer is a testament to a spectacular event in Iceland's geological history; iignimbrite is formed by a spike in heavy explosive eruptions. When the eruption becomes heavier than the atmosphere, it collapses, so there will be a spike in volcanic eruptions, as the fiery spike whips at an alarming rate down the slopes of volcanoes. Is the speed such that there is no man's chance to get away from such a thing.

According to legend the mound marks the spot where the pastor of Háls and the deacon of Hamar fought to the death. Both were buried at the site, and that is the origin of the name Djáknadys (Deacon’s Burial Mound). Tradition requires every traveller, on first passing by Djáknadys, must throw a pebble or stone onto the mound: one for him/herself, and one for every horse or dog accompanying them. If they fail to do so they will lose their way. Another version of the tradition is that travellers must place three stones on the mound. An old verse on the subject says: To quickly dismount and fling a stone over the aged deacon brings good fortune along the road. Please treat this protected heritage site with respect and care. Do not remove stones from the mound and do not dispose of refuse under stones. 

The farm Þvottá is the southernmost farm in Álftafjörður. Around the year 1000 the renowned Saga personality Hallur Þorsteinsson, or Síðu-Hallur, lived there. He received the priest and missionary Þangbrandur, who spent the winter with him. Síðu-Hallur and his whole household were baptized in the river by the farm and since then it was named River Þvottá (The Wash River). The farm gets its freshwater supplies from the so-called Þangbrandur Well, where the missionary probably held services at St. Michael’s Mass with the people of Þvottá attending the day before they were baptized. A ruin by the well was declared inviolate. Þvottá was a church site until 1754 and a parsonage for a long time. The old cemetery is still visible. Mt Mælifell (487m) is closer to the sea and north of it are Sellönd (Summer Pastures). The whole area is rather colourful because of the rhyolite intrusions and quite a few basaltic dykes decorate the landscape. These formations were created by the ancient and extinct central volcano, which has now mostly disappeared under the Álftafjörður Bay. Traces of several minerals were discovered in the area, gold, platinum etc. By Þvottaá, there is a monument to the adoption of Christianity and the area is vell suited for outdoor activities.