Westfjords – a remote peninsula facing Greenland
The Westfjords, Vestfirðir, form a large, mountainous peninsula in northwestern Iceland, facing the east coast of Greenland across the Denmark Strait. It is joined to the rest of the island only by a narrow, seven-kilometre-wide isthmus, and its deeply indented coastline made travel difficult for centuries, so many communities could be reached most easily by sea.
This isolation shaped a strong local identity. Life revolved around fishing and small farms tucked between steep mountains and the fjords, and people learned to rely on one another through long winters. Today the Westfjords are the least populated region of Iceland, treasured for their wild beauty. Do you have a story from the Westfjords? Share it with the community!