Dyrafjordur (Dýrafjörður) - A Scenic Detour on the North Shore of the Fjord
Dyrafjordur (Dýrafjörður) - A Scenic Detour on the North Shore of the Fjord
On the north shore of Dyrafjordur, you can take a scenic detour on road 614, passing Myrar farm, Iceland´s biggest eider duck nesting area.
Common eiders are long-lived ground-nesting sea ducks who return to the same nest sites year after year to lay their clutch. The females line the nest with down plucked from their breast.
Once the eggs have hatched, the duck leads her ducklings to the sea and the farmers harvest the down from the nests.
Weight for weight, the super-light pure eiderdown is more valuable than gold so no wonder eiders have been protected by law in Iceland since 1847.
Farmers who are lucky enough to have eider colonies nesting on their land take great care in protecting the nests from predation by arctic foxes, gulls, and ravens.
Further along, by Gerdhamrar farm, look for the spectacular cliff formations called Gerdi. According to folktales, Gerdi is home to the bishop of the Hidden People as well as their greatest chieftain.
The detour on this gravel road continues over Sandsheidi heath, 396m above sea level, before descending to remote Sabol church, sited above a gorgeous golden sand beach. You’ll no doubt want to linger in this very peaceful spot but the detour will add considerably to your driving day.