Látrabjarg Bird Cliffs and Bjargtangar Lighthouse
Látrabjarg Bird Cliffs and Bjargtangar Lighthouse are located in the far west of Iceland. The road to the area is rough and narrow with a mountain pass and wild coastline drive to navigate. The bird cliffs are home to puffins in the summer months as well as kittiwake and other sea birds.
Driving West
Westerly points of any country are wild and exposed but this is even more so in Iceland. Látrabjarg is the most westerly point and is also one of the most westerly points in the whole of Europe. Beyond here there is nothing until you reach Kulusuk on the Greenland coast. Heading south there is nothing until Antarctica.
Even on a mild summer day, the winds howl, getting out of the car is difficult and spending time safely on the cliffs is an endurance exercise. This is all after you have navigated the narrow winding gravel mountain roads from Hjnótur.
The road from Hjnótur is gravel, passing through some small villages and a winding pass through the mountains before dropping down to the wide bay at Breiðavík and the pretty village of Hvallátur. From here the final bend towards Látrabjarg can be seen in the distance.
Látrabjarg Bird Cliffs
The bird cliffs are the summer home to millions of birds. The noise and movement is constant with squabbles and discussions being an ongoing and constant event. Puffins, kittiwakes and fulmars squeeze into every crevice and inch of space during the breeding season as well as arctic terns, razorbills, guillemots and many more. This is bird heaven.
Want to know more about puffins in Iceland?
Mini-guide to Puffins in Iceland
This ebook includes information about the puffin colonies, where to find them and how to visit responsibly. With 20 pages of information, maps and beautiful photographs, it will help you see the puffins on your next summer adventure in Iceland.
The cliffs stretch for over 10 kilometres and in places reach a staggering and vertigo-inducing 440 metres. The colours within the cliffs are stunning with bands of red and gold as well as dark greens and white from lichen and guano. The path meanders along the cliff top, ropped for safety but in high winds these small ropes are not enough to save you from going over the edge. As you progress further you are required to keep away from the edge so you don’t fall through the top of a puffin burrow. These fragile structures are hidden from above and the first you would know is when your boot went down and through.
Bjargtangar Lighthouse
First established in 1913 as a small hexagonal beacon this is the most westerly lighthouse and building in Europe. It is also the only permanent structure at Látrabjarg. It’s a two-story concrete tower with the front half of the upper-level housing the light built in 1948. Short, at just 5.9 metres high its position on the cliff edge raises it to an impressive 60 metres. The light which has 3 white flashes every 15 seconds can be seen up to 16 miles away. It is isolated and difficult to reach but the surroundings are truly worth the adventure.
Useful information
- It can be extremely windy here, park safely and open car doors with caution
- The 612 is gravel for a large part of the drive and can be narrow and winding with passing places but as we found is tackled by everything from bikes to campervans and large coaches.
- Whilst it is tempting to increase speed when you can, remember that families live in the villages and children and pets may be wandering.
- Fuel is limited in this area so make sure that you leave Patreksfjörður with a full tank.
Getting to Látrabjarg Bird Cliffs and Bjargtangar Lighthouse
The bird cliffs and lighthouse can be reached by following the 612 road to its very end. The 612 joins with the main 62 which is the link between Patreksfjörður and Flókalundur near the Brjánslækur ferry (to Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula) just before the wreck of the Garðar BA 64.
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