Iceland: Kayaking in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve

• Explore the wild and remote Westfjords region at the edge of the Arctic Circle
• Intermediate kayaking, optional intermediate to difficult day hikes
• 8 nights wilderness camping in tents, 1 night guesthouse

Experience some of the most remote sea kayaking, camping and hiking in Europe on this adventure to the wild northwest corner of Iceland. Here on the very edge of the Arctic Circle, magical paddles through uninhabited fjords immerse you in an otherworldly landscape, where day and night merge into one. This extended meld of dusk and dawn turns the sky golden-rose, its glow mirrored in the glassy water broken only by your paddle stroke or a seal gliding past. Bird songs and water dripping are the sole sounds to disturb the still, cool air. The magic of a northern summer night stays with you, when you’re under the spell of the Midnight Sun.

Kayaking is the ideal way to explore the high-latitude wilderness of Iceland’s Westfjords and Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. This remote mountain peninsula is defined by deep fjords and snowy mountains, towering sea cliffs and Viking farms abandoned centuries ago, watched over now only by trolls, elves and hildufolk, the ‘hidden people’ that still capture many Icelanders’ imaginations. Myriad sea birds nest on the cliffs above the fjords and bays; some of Europe’s largest colonies of eiders and puffins are found here. Ptarmigan live inland, and giant whooper swans claim the lowlands. Hornstrandir is also home to Iceland’s most dense Arctic fox population.

Our days are spent exploring at a relaxing pace, paddling the network of fjords, choosing our campsites as we go. There’s time to climb mountain passes for sweeping views of the tundra and sea, to hike atop glaciers on the Drangajokull Ice Cap, or simply to explore the long-overgrown farm fields of ancient Viking warlords, now blooming with the more than 200 species of wildflowers found within the reserve.

Note: The fjords we paddle are mostly sheltered. However, this is a remote mountainous area just south of the Arctic Circle that is subject to abrupt weather shifts, and any weather is to be expected, including heavy fog or snow, even in summer.