Hesteyri abandoned Village in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
Hesteyri abandoned Village in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
Hesteyri is a dreamy little-abandoned settlement in the uninhabited Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.
In 1894 Norwegians built a whaling station here, which operated until 1915. It then became one of the first herring factories in the country, providing employment for Hesteyri's inhabitants, who numbered 80 in the village's heyday.
By the 1940s people had started moving away and within a decade, the place was all but abandoned.
Today, many of the houses have been restored and their owners, the descendants of those who moved away, return in summer to enjoy the peace and quiet. The ‘Doctor’s House’ is a cafe in summer.
If you’re in good shape and the weather permits, take the enjoyable 14km hike on a path linking Aðalvik and Hesteyri. You can also enjoy shorter walks around the settlement and look for birds along the shore. You may be lucky and spot an Arctic fox scavenging for scraps along the beach.
You can only reach Hesteyri by boat. Services run daily in summer and can be reserved through West Tours.