Husavik (Húsavík) Town
Husavik (Húsavík) Town
Husavik is an attractive town known for its excellent whale watching opportunities.
Visit the informative Whale Centre by the harbor before you set off on a whale watching boat excursion with North Sailing into Skjalfandi Bay (advance booking is recommended for the boat trips).
Minke and humpback whales are most commonly seen but other cetaceans regularly show up too. Whatever the sightings, you’ll be wowed by the stunning snowy mountain backdrop to the trips. The boats may also sail by Lundey Island, which has a colony of 100,000 puffins and other seabirds.
In the center of town, a delightful park with a river running through it provides habitat for many ducks and other birds.
A walking trail follows the river inland and beyond the town joins a path leading to Lake Botnsvatn. Great northern divers can be seen on the lake.
Another very scenic walk takes you to Hofdi, north of the town, where the cliffs are a good place for a spot of land-based whale watching. For something more energetic try the hike up the mountain behind Husavik, which starts from the forestry plantation behind the town, near the hospital. The view across the bay from the summit is memorable.
You can see a map of the hiking trails here:
http://www.visithusavik.com/activities/hiking/
Call in at one of the harbor cafes for the catch of the day or a quick bite. Take a look inside the very distinctive wooden church (open to visitors in summer). In 1907, when the church was built, the town had only 300 inhabitants and this was considered a very large and fine church for such a small place. A large window faces the sea, allowing families to pray for the safety of their fishermen, whilst watching for the boats to return to port.
The altarpiece is a painting of Lazarus and the artist used local people as his models and the scenery of the Jokulsa Canyon as the backdrop.
Husavik's Exploration Museum opened in 2014 and features everything from Viking voyages to polar endeavors and moon landings.