Few good reasons to visit

The Natural History Museum

Tour the Natural History Museum (Náttúrugripasafnið), the only natural history museum in Iceland worthy of the name: watch fish and other creatures from the sea swim, crawl or creep in their aquariums, a fine display of stuffed birds and one of the best collections of Icelandic minerals anywhere.

Drop by “Skansinn”, the place by the harbour where past and present meet, where the lava flow stopped in 1973. There you will find a Norse timber church, the only one of its kind in Iceland, a gift from the people of Norway, and Landlyst, the second oldest building on the islands, now housing a small but interesting medical museum.

The new lava field from the Eldfell eruption in 1973

Take a walk on our most recent lava field, many meters above the streetlevel and buildings that used to be, where you will find signposts to mark their former place and aid the imagination. A fine walk would include the “geothermal” area, where the returning islanders constructed a heating system for their houses using the heat from the cooling lava, then eastward to Prestavík and Viðlagavík and then end in Gaujulundur, a lava garden, an oasis in a desert.

Play golf, nine or eighteen holes on a course chosen by the magazine Golf Digest as one of Europe's 200 most enjoyable courses. Players have even been known to forget to hit the little white balls, being too engrossed in the view and their surroundings.

Sail around the islands, a roundtrip taking about 90 minutes. Accompanying you is a guide who might perhaps be in the mood to play trumpet or saxophone inside one of the caves. You will see the birdlife up close and personal and, if lucky, whales playing their various games.

Heimaklettur: The highest rock formation on Heimaey

Climb Heimaklettur, the highest rock formation on the islands. Its highest peak is no more than 283 meters, not demanding too much of your valuable time. Neither does it demand arduous climbing as ladders have been placed in the most difficult areas. And the view from the top is magnificent, whichever direction you prefer to look.

Drive to the top of Stórhöfði, the windiest place in Iceland and possibly the whole of Europe, where four calm days are the limit in an average year and wind speed can pass 30 m/sec. Needless to say the view is fabulous.

Swim in our fine swimming pool, where the salt water makes it even easier and more enjoyable to swim. Afterwards you can relax in the sauna or if you prefer more exercise, visit the gym.

Landakirkja is the oldest building in Vestmannaeyjar

Visit Landakrikja, the local Luthern church and the oldest building on Heimaey. A dignified house of God with a pulpit in the centre, right above the altar. On Sundays everyone is of course welcome to attend service.

Go round the harbor on your own two feet or by car and have a look around one of the cleanest harbor areas in Iceland. The harbor is usually teeming with activity, not least Friðarhöfn (Peace harbor) when the catch of the day is being landed.

Visit the scene of Tyrkjaránið, (the Turkish plunder): Lyngfellisdalur, Ræningjatangi (Robbers spit), Prestasteinn (Priest rock) Sængurkonusteinn (Childbirth rock), Fiskhellar (Fish caves) and Hundraðmannahellir (The cave of hundred). We can unreservedly recommend the local theatre company´s production of Tyrkjaránið 1627.

Have a meal at one of our many fine restaurants where you can usually find local delicacies such as smoked puffin, not to mention fish that is just about as fresh as possible.

You can find all travel information for Vestmannaeyjar / Westman Islands at http://www.visitwestmanislands.com/