Thorshofn (Þórshöfn ) Village and Langanes Peninsula
Thorshofn (Þórshöfn ) Village and Langanes Peninsula
Remote Þorshofn, on Iceland’s northeast coast, sees little traffic and is occasionally cut off in winter by heavy snow, so best suited to a summer visit.
The fishing village (population 358) is the jumping off point for exploring Langanes, a peninsula shaped like an outstretched bird’s head and beak. En route, you’ll pass the old rectory at Saudanes, one of the oldest stone houses in Iceland, now a museum, cafe and information center. On Languages the coastline is as wild as it gets, with magnificent basalt columns along the western cliffs of Skoruvikurbjarg and Skalavikurbjarg.
Here you’ll find colonies of breeding gannets, puffins, guillemots, Brünnich's guillemots, black guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, and fulmars. Storikarl, an offshore rock stack, hosts one of the biggest gannet colonies in Iceland, which is easily viewed from a newly-built viewing platform.
Langanes is perfect for those who enjoy exploring off the beaten track, but to reach the tip of the peninsula, a 4WD vehicle is needed – please check the road conditions locally before setting out.
At Svalbard 27km west of Þorshofn you can find a center for the special Icelandic ‘leading’ sheep.
These sheep are reputedly more intelligent than the rest and the breed can only be found in Iceland.