On other side of the street there is Kaffi Lra - El Grill Bar, another good place to hang out. Small group tour with a local guide. House walls are all in different colours, many of which feature drawings and naf paintings. Skaftfell also organizes various seminars, in collaboration with the Icelandic Academy of the Arts. Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance. A top three location for spotting puffins in Iceland. Seydisfjordur, Iceland Cruise Port - Things to Do! - Gangwaze.com The history of Seyisfjrur dates back to the Vikings age. EXPLORE OUR WONDERFUL HIKING TRAILS. Others flapped past in short bursts of flight, their short wings beating furiously as they circled their nests. It is a low intensity hike, where you also get the opportunity to see Iceland's oldest operational power plant called Fjardarselsvirkjun. We continue north crossing another mountain pass to Borgarfjordur Eystri, best known as the home of elves and puffins. You can also enjoy a stunning view of the town and the port in a complete silence and tranquillity, perfect for meditation and relaxing. Cruises To Seydisfjordur | Europe Cruises | Norwegian Cruise Line During the nesting season, Borgarfjordur is home to about 10 000 pairs of puffins. In winter season Stafdalur Ski Area is open on Fjardarheidi heath, located 9km on the road to Egilsstair. The Blue Church used to stand at Dvergasteinn farm until 1882, and then it was moved to Vestdalseyri. Do you have a question or want something customised?Send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible. However, it is still possible to drive from or to Egilsstadir in case there is no hotel available. That's why there are quite many nice hotels in the town, at least when we take into account the size of the town. If you have a standard car you must leave it at the parking area by Austdalsriver, and from there it's 30 minutes quite easy and scenic walk. From this point, you must descend everything you've just ascended. We anchored about 1 mile offshore. You do not need 4WD in the summer season, our 2WD campervan was absolutely enough, but it is a different story while traveling in the winter. When we returned, we were delighted that we decided to incorporate Seydisfjordur in ourEast Fjords itinerary, which you should definitely check out too. Borgarfjordur Eystri is a small lovely village with not that many accommodation options. Prepare to be blown away by the impressive basalt columns and the bright blue glacial river on this tour to the Studlagil Canyon. . While the harbor is new, the puffin colony is not and it is easier than ever to access the grassy mounds where they like to build their nests. First of all, the Gufufoss is only a few meters from the parking lot, which is just off the main road. News from Iceland, What to do and see, local travel tips and expertise. For bird lovers, the stunningly beautiful coastal cliffs are home to a mind-boggling array of seabirds, including eider ducks and Iceland 's famous puffins. You'll get astonished by the amount of forgotten objects you'll see. Seydisfjordur is a harbor for boats from Denmark or Faroe Islands, the same as for cruise ships. Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price. An island and archipelago of approximately 5,000 people, and the largest puffin colony in Iceland. Borgarfjordur Eystri is a charming fishing village situated on a grassy valley along a short wide fjord of the same name. Learn how your comment data is processed. Spending 10 hrs of quality time in Seydisfjordur is extremely difficult , Maybe one of reasons tour prices are so high- they have a captive audience. But the truth is puffins spend most of the time during the day hunting out on the sea, and those birds who protect their eggs are usually hidden in the nest. An unsettling thought. So when planning your trip and creating your perfect Iceland itinerary, you must solve a dilemma. Dont miss out on the biggest music festival of the year: Iceland Airwaves 2018, A classic tour of the Golden Circle. I slowed down and gripped the wheel a little bit tighter. The main road led us directly to a small parking lot right next to the church. It is also one of the reasons why the village sits only on one side of the fjord. During the nesting season, between April and August, there should be at least one bus per day connecting Egilsstadir and Borgarfjordur Eystri if you do not have your own transport. The Blue Church was actually moved several times, from Dvergasteinn farm to the hill overlooking Vestdalseyri, and many times was damaged or destroyed by fire, before finding its final home in 1920. There is one thing you should know. Ltrabjarg bird-cliff in the Westfjords of Iceland is the largest seabird cliff in Iceland and one of Europe's biggest seabird cliffs. The town of Egilsstadir was on the way, and we spent about 15 minutes driving thru with our driver providing some commentary. Puffin Tours In Seydisfjordur Iceland | Reykjavik Tourism Office Both nature and the Arts go hand in hand in Seydisfjordur, inspiring and encouraging each other, It's impossible to miss the creative vibes in the air. The town is located in the fjord, so we are not exaggerating when we say that the surrounding scenery is absolutely breathtaking. We recommend you make a reservation well in advance because the puffin season coincides with the high season in Iceland. All throughout the year it schedules temporary exhibitions focusing on visual contemporary arts. Twenty minutes later, we stopped at an overlook for a photo-op of Egilsstadir, which was below us in the valley. You will find it behind the Blue Church mentioned in an above section, and with the outside walls painted with cartoons you cannot miss it! The sudden view of the port, the harbour, the multi coloured houses and the surrounding mountains, all covered in the blue of lupins during the summer, will leave you breathless. 113 Located in Vatnajkull National Park, Dettifoss is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland. Many puffin visits require you to get over your seasickness and buckle up for an hour or so on a boat, but quite a few good ones can be reached by car. In this travel guide, we share with you tips on how to get to Borgarfjordur Eystri, when is the best time to see puffins, where to stay, and what to expect from birdwatching in Hafnarholmi Marina. Long gone are days when locals made a living out of fishing. LaidBackTrip 2018-2023. All this on Rnargata, the tiny street leading to Blue Church paved with stones painted in rainbow colours. Just east of Seydisfjordur is the remote farm of Skalanes. From Iceland Exploring Borgarfjrur Eystri: Where Elves And Puffins Don't forget to bring a rain jacket to stay dry and a down jacket to keep your body warm, even in the summer. Whale watching is always a solid option and in the May of 2017 I was lucky enough to see whales jumping right in front of my room's window, only 1 km from the town centre! Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to see both phenomena at the same time because puffins' bill loses its trademark orange color outside the nesting season, but more about it later. Explore the area from above, discover new destinations and hikes. This option might be a perfect alternative for those who travel aroundIceland on a budget, especially if you don't mind combining it with hitchhiking. Less than 700 inhabitants live in Seydisfjordur (Seyisfjrur), but the town is no longer a hidden gem that no one knows about. The Puffin in Iceland | Best time and places to see the Puffin in Iceland Another easy and short hike is the one to reach Tvsongur, a sound sculpture built in 2012 by German artist Lukas Khne. This simple pale blue church lies in the centre of town, and it's open to visitors in the summer, when there's also a series of concerts featuring classical and traditional folk musicians. Items in your cart The fisherman puffins dive-bombed the sea. Iceland is a famous road trip destination. A three hour whale watching adventure departing from the old harbour in downtown Reykjavik. We could not be happier with our choice, as watching puffins in their natural habitat was one of our favorite activities in the Land of Ice and Fire. One of the things to know about Iceland is that it's a very expensive country - see our Iceland Travel Budget. So we already know the best season to see puffins, but what is the best time of the day to watch puffins at Borgarfjordur Eystri? Decades later, after having served as a base for the American and British armies, Seydisfjordur entered an economic depression following the gradual recession of the herring industry. There is a grocery store at the end of the street and we browsed the aisles and bought some chocolate. See some of the most incredible natural scenery in the world, with beautiful waterfalls, black sand beaches, glaciers and volcanoes. support@getlocal.is. Egilsstadir | Gistihusid - Lake Hotel Egilsstadir - Egilsstadir is not the most picturesque town in Iceland, but it is a tourist hub with an excellent location. Along the Rainbow street are a few shops selling clothes and locally made items along with a caf. We couldnt see much more than their backs as they glided through the water. This one is more a gathering and a meeting place for professionals interested in traditional jobs and skills. Enough to fill your camera's space and wonder where on Earth there could be more. Travel in the summer season and see puffins, or arrive a bit later, in the autumn or winter, and spot the Northern Lights. Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday. Even though Borgarfjordur Eystri in East Fjords is quite a remote spot and a detour off the well-traveled Ring Road, it is one of the best places to see puffins in Iceland.. And in our opinion, Borgarfjordur Eystri is definitely worth the trip. Drive slowly. The musical connection goes further though as inside there is a pipe organ. The huge windows, bright colours of walls and the simple wood decorations give visitors a true sense of simplicity and calm. A staircase, viewing platform and wooden walkways make it easy to get closer to birds whilst remaining safe.
