Westfjords – Latrabjarg

Latrabjarg Cliffs are one of Europes biggest, tallest cliffs, home to thousands of birds.

Latrabjarg Cliffs

It’s the westernmost point of Iceland, and Europe as a whole, really a line of several sea cliffs, 14 kilometres long and up to 441 m high.

Latrabjarg Cliffs

It offers stunning photographic opportunities from close range: bird photography for dummies.

Puffins

& best of all, the puffins are especially tame and are the ones to be found at the the grassy, higher part of the cliffs. it is worth looking up the times of year puffins roost – apparently they all disappear in August.

The edges of the cliff are fragile and loose and the fall is a long way. Mostly iceland seems a bit low key on health and safety barriers, but they do tend to give fair warning. People with young children should keep them close.

Látrabjarg is the most visited tourist attraction in the Westfjords, especially in the evening when the birds come home to roost. The cliffs are easily accessible by car along an okay gravel road or track.

It’s enjoyable even if you’re not very knowledgeable about birds but if you have a quick guide to birds, plus some binoculars or a long lens and can do some spotting, it definitely adds value.

Seal Nursery, Latrabjarg

Plus keep an eye out for seals basking on the rocks below – they set up a nursery when we were there, but as always you have to look quite hard to find them.