Strandir coast
The east coast of the region, or ‘Strandir’ presents yet more amazing coastlines and a scattering of settlements, mainly associated with fishing and sheep farming. Visit the once-derelict herring factory at Djupavik, now an exhibition. Huge amounts of driftwood are washed ashore here from Scandinavia and Siberia and although visitor facilities are limited, the area has a lure of its own with a rich and vivid folklore. Drangsnes and Nordurfjordur compete for the best-sited geothermal bathing pools in Iceland – both are right on the shore!
On a clear day the views from the radar station at Bolungarvik are outstanding – worth a little detour. At Hornbjarg yet more impressive bird cliffs are the nesting ground for thousands of pairs of very noisy birds!