Day 16

Day 16 route and stops

Today we spent the morning around Heimaey (Stop A) on the Vestmannajar Islands before taking the ferry back to the mainland and heading into the big city of Reykjavik, which is Iceland’s largest city (population 122,000). After two weeks in the hinterlands that does seem big. While on Heimaey Island we had to visit the cliffs with the Puffins again first thing in the morning. We then headed to climb Eldfell (Fire Mountain), which is the cinder cone responsible for the 1973 eruption that nearly destroyed the town. After lunch in an Icelandic fast food cafe, we visited the old Danish fortress which dates back to at least 1586 and which was taken over for a short time by Algerian pirates and slave hunters in 1627. There was also a replica of a Norwegian stave church built in 2000 to commemorate the king of Norway sending men and wood to build a church in Iceland in the year 1000.

Houses on the street in Vestmanajarbaer where we spent the night.

Several million Puffins nest on Heimaey including these cliffs next to the golf course.

Puffin hangout

In flight

On the rocks

Vestmanajarbaer town and harbor from the top of Eldfell.

Looking south from Eldfell. The island in the distance behind the small island next to the large cinder cone is Surtsey which grew out of the ocean in a 1963 eruption. These all lie on the rift at the mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Cannon at reconstructed Danish fortress from the late 1600s. The fortress protected the harbor entrance for 200 years.

Reproduction of Norwegian stave church

Cliffs at Heimaey harbor entrance

Leaving the islands