The Arctic Ghost Town

Overview

The Settlement

Hornstrandir is known for its cliffs and Arctic foxes, but the reserve also holds something rarer: an intact record of a community that simply walked away. For nearly a century, a small settlement thrived at the edge of one of Iceland's most remote glacial fjords, complete with a doctor's residence, a school, a church, and a Norwegian-built whaling station. By 1952, the last families had left. Many buildings remain, and few of them now host travelers and hikers visiting Hornstrandir, while others are still summer homes that have been passed down through generations.

The Exploration

The day begins with a boat crossing through the glacial fjords north of Ísafjörður, the Westfjords capital. You step ashore into a landscape where wildflowers have overtaken former farmland, Arctic foxes treat the old foundations as territory, and seals sunbathe on the rocky shores. The walking route covers roughly five kilometers (3 mi) through the settlement and its surroundings. You'll venture to the ruins of the whaling station with its lone standing chimney, enjoy soup and pancakes at the restored doctor's house, and visit the stone foundations where a church stood before being relocated in the 1960s. By the end of the day, you will have walked through one of the most complete abandoned settlements in the North Atlantic, a place where seventy years without human interference have preserved everything the residents left behind.

The Local Difference

Reaching this part of the reserve requires a boat and a crew that reads the landing conditions, which shift with every tide and weather system. Your guides have spent years running expeditions into these fjords and know the settlement's history down to individual foundations. This tour is for travelers who find empty buildings more compelling than crowded museums, and it is for those who want to enjoy pristine nature without feeling rushed. It is not for anyone expecting boardwalks, wifi or interpretive signage.