Today, we headed out of Reykjavik to explore the rest of the wildness in Iceland. We decided to include Heimaey Island in the Westman Islands and drove/ferried there today. The Westman Islands are an island chain off the southern coast of Iceland, with Heimaey being the only inhabited island in the chain, with a population of approx. 4,300. We were very excited to have a relaxed two full days there (three nights).
On the drive, we stopped at Reykjadalur and hiked up the mountain to a geothermal river! No, I didn’t say hot spring…I said RIVER! There is so much geothermal activity there that the entire river is naturally heated like a hot tub. The hike up took about 1 hour and 15 minutes and was very much worth it. It was wonderful to relax in the river like you would in a hot tub as water flowed over you. Over the years, they set up mini-rock cliffs every 20 feet or so in the river so you can sort of set up in a section and sit. There are also changing “barriers” that are like short walls shaped like plus signs so you can change in a little more privacy than if you were just in the open. A very natural, unique, fun, and relaxing experience.
From there, we drove to Landeyjohofn, which was where the ferry to Heimaey left from. The ferry ride was wonderful. While the weather wasn’t great (it was very foggy, cold, and incredibly windy) we got our first glimpse of puffins on the water, witnessed some amazing views of misty cliffs and islands coming out of the water, and saw the thousands of birds on a cliff near the harbor when you first come in. Also, the ferry boat was very nice with comfortable seats, and even had bunk beds in it (several sets, I guess in case you wanted to relax or nap during the 40 minute ride.) Once we got to the island, we did some quick grocery shopping, cooked dinner, and went to bed in order to be ready to explore when we woke up. We did stay at a guest house (fewer private options on the island) that was over 100 years old and survived the terrible volcanic eruption on the island in 1973 (more on that in the next post.) Oh…and did I mention that Heimaey has the largest puffin colony in the world…?!? 🙂
See you on the next mountain!
July 7, 2025 – Total Step Count 18,132 (Pretty decent elevation getting up to the geothermal river)
