Borgarfjordur Eystri is a charming fishing village situated on a grassy valley along a short wide fjord of the same name. It is one of Iceland’s supreme hiking areas with magnificent colorful mountains, beautiful rocks and rare stones.
The area’s flowering plants may be the most beautiful and diverse in Iceland. Other selling points include puffin watching, legends about hidden elves, and ethereal rhyolite peaks.
Borgarfjordur Eystri is the birthplace of Iceland’s most beloved painter, Johannes Kjarval. A monument dedicated to Kjarval stands by the main road just outside the village. In addition, you can visit a small exhibition in about Kjarval in the local community center. The local church displays a magnificent altarpiece Kjarval created in 1914.
Home of the elf queen
The village is small yet beautiful. The town gets its name from a rock outcroup called Alfaborg (the Elf Rock or Elf Castle). Some locals believe that the Elf Queen lives in it. They often advise visitors to pay the Queen their respect.
Braedslan music festival
Since 2004, a music festival called Braedslan takes place in the summer in Borgarfjordur Eystri. Every year it attracts as many as 2.000 guests. The festival hosts both local and international bands, for example Belle and Sebastian, Of Monsters and Men, and Damien Rice.
Hiking in Borgarfjordur Eystri
Borgarfjordur Eystri is a paradise for hikers, with dozens of well marked hiking routes in the area. The mountains vary in shape and size. They display all the colors of Icelandic nature, from black sand beaches and green valleys to a pinkish tone of the mountain ridges.
The locals have created a series of excellent marked hiking trails. You can pick up a copy of the hiking map, available from local tourist businesses in Borgarfjordur and the information centres in Egilsstadir and Seydisfjordur.
Puffin watching in Borgarfjordur Eystri
Borgarfjordur Eystri is an excellent spot for birdwatching, and has become one of the most popular places to see puffins. There is an excellent viewing platform where you can look for puffins. Over twenty bird species have been sighted here at once. Aside from puffins, you can expect to see a number of duck species and moorland birds, geese, divers, swans and skuas.
GPS: 65.52658 N, -13.818204 W
