Grímsey is another popular island, known for being the northernmost settlement in Iceland with the Arctic Circle running straight through it. Despite that, Grímsey’s summers are generally mild and the island holds a rich vegetation. Up to sixty species of birds and one of the biggest puffin colonies in Iceland make Grímsey ideal for bird watching. For the history enthusiast there’s the Grímsey church, built in 1867 and renovated in 1932. On the eastern side of the island you can see the dramatic coastline where the islanders climb down the sheer rock cliffs with a rope, at great personal risk, to collect eggs for themselves and their families. To get to Grímsey you can take the ferry, which takes 3 hours, from the village of Dalvík (30 min drive from Akureyri, departure on Mon, Wed and Fridays). Taking this refreshing boat trip is ideal for families, particularly on a sunny day. If you prefer, you can also travel to Grímsey by air, a 25 min flight from Akureyri Airport, daily departures in summer and on Sun, Tue and Fri during winter.
Hrísey Hrísey, the pearl of Eyjafjörður, is known for its beautiful nature, diverse bird life and many pleasant walking trails. A good way to get to know the island is to take one of the so everpopular tractor sightseeing tours, strike up a conversation with one of the 170 inhabitants of the island or just walk around and enjoy the scenery on your own two feet. Hrísey is the second largest island off the coast of Iceland after Heimaey in the Westman Islands, and it has been continuously inhabited since the settlement of Iceland in the 9th century. It is particularly famous as a bird watching haven; since there are no natural predators of birds on the island it forms a natural bird sanctuary, making it ideal for its 40 native species of birds, including ptarmigan, arctic tern and eider duck.
WELCOME TO AKUREYRI
grímsey
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To get to Hrísey, there’s a regular ferry which takes 15 min on sea, from Ársskógssandur harbor (25 min drive from Akureyri).
FLIGHT TIMES TO AKUREYRI www.akguide.is