Peace and quiet reinvented at Hornstrandir Iceland

W ith more and more people living in polluted, noisy and crowded city environments all across the world, little wonder that many of us crave to find and experience a spot on this planet where we can actually connect to nature again.

A place to actually see the grass grow, hear the wind kiss your face, taste water fresh from a spring and smell the aroma of plants we never knew existed. There are still lots of places like this but most have been discovered and therefore you may find crowds, noise and pollution there also when you finally decide to go.

In Iceland there are quite a lot of places like this but again on any given day, and especially in summertime, chances are your peace and quiet will soon evaporate when the next tour group happen to camp right beside you.

Except at Hornstrandir in the Westfjords of Iceland. This northernmost peninsula in Iceland is pretty far off the normal tourist tracks and can be quite difficult to get to. But should you take the chance you will never regret a moment.

While enterprising individuals offer boat trips to this place in summertime from Isafjordur town and these take only twenty minutes or so odds are most will not stay longer than a few hours. Some groups do stay here in tents for a few nights but often these are Icelanders themselves and not foreign tourists. But luckily this place is vast and even if you happen to run into a group you can easily escape to tranquility again.

Hiking here is wonderful with a capital W. Birds are found everywhere and curious foxes run around all summer. The landscape itself needs no recommendation and will take your breath away repeatedly. As the photos below will prove.

Team Total Iceland does offer small group hikes in the area. Make contact if interested.