WESTMAN ISLANDS Population: 2,500-5,000 The Westman Islands are a group of 15 islands and about 30 skerries and rock pillars, located off the mainland’s south coast. The islands were formed by submarine and subglacial volcanic eruptions along a 30km long fissure which runs southwest to northeast. The largest and only inhabited island is Heimaey of 13.4km2. Most of the islands have steep sea cliffs and are well vegetated. Bird hunting and egg collecting are traditional to the islanders’ culture. A weather station and lighthouse stand at Stórhöfði headland on Heimaey, which is the southernmost inhabited point in Iceland. The Westman Islands play an important part in Icelandic settlement history. Founder Ingólfur Arnarson found his half brother, Hjörleifur, dead at Hjörleifshöfði headland on the south coast of Iceland. His Irish slaves, who escaped to the Westman Islands, had murdered him. Ingólfur followed them and killed them all. Since then, the islands have been associated with these slaves, as they were called vestmenn (“from the west;” Irish). The most tragic event in the island’s history occurred when Algerian pirates raided the island in 1627, killing and torturing the inhabitants and taking 242 Icelanders into captivity, eventually selling them into slavery. Landakirkja church is the third-oldest stone church in Iceland, completed in 1778. In 2000, a Norse timber church, a gift from the Norwegians to commemorate 1,000 years since Christianity was accepted in Iceland, was consecrated on Heimaey. It’s the only church of its kind in Iceland and is located in the Skanssvæði area where a stonewall, originally built after the Algerian kidnapping in 1627, has been rebuilt. Established in 1963, Iceland’s oldest aquarium and natural history museum is located on Heimaey. The museum is called Sæheimar and it’s extremely popular among travellers, especially since it takes into its care flightless fledgling puffins that are not able to migrate after the end of nesting season. Sagnheimar, the Westman Islands Folk Museum, was completely renovated and given a makeover in 2011. The museum boasts installations, antique displays, and entertaining narratives about life in the Westman Islands. The museum’s work has also been characterised by collaborations with various local associations which place particular focus on educating tourists and the general public. On 23 January 1973, an eruption began on Heimaey that dramatically affected the lives of the inhabitants. Almost all residents were evacuated to the mainland during the night. The eruption ended in June, after which many people began returning home. Since then, the Westman Islands have been a popular tourist destination. Interesting to visitors will be Eldheimar, a volcanic museum tracing the history of the disastrous eruption in 1973 and the creation of the island of Surtsey from 1963 till 1967. Surtsey island is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 228
FACILITIES TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE: • Tourist information centre, tel. 488-2555. visitvestmannaeyjar.is SERVICES: • Police, Faxastígur 42, tel. 444-2090. • Post office, Strandvegur 52, tel. 580-1200. • ATM Íslandsbanki, Kirkjuvegur 23, tel. 440-3000. • ATM Landsbankinn, Bárustígur 15, tel. 481-4185. HEALTHCARE: • Healthcare centre, Sólhlíð 10, tel. 432-2500. • Pharmacy Apótekarinn, Vesturvegur 5, tel. 481-3900. ACCOMMODATION: • Hótel Vestmannaeyjar, Vestmannabraut 28, tel. 481-2900. hotelvestmannaeyjar.is • Aska Hostel, Bárustígur 11, tel. 662-7266. askahostel.is • Guesthouse Hamar, Herjólfsgata 4, tel. 481-3400. guesthousehamar.is • Hótel Eyjar, Bárustígur 2, tel. 481-3636/895-8350. • B and B, Jóhanna Finnboga, Vestmannabraut 13a, tel. 698-2962. • Scouts Youth Hostel, Faxastígur 38, tel. 692-6952. • Bændagisting Dalabú, Dalvegur, tel. 694-2598. • Árný Guesthouse, tel. 690-9998. arny.is CAMPING: • In Herjólfsdalur and by Þórsheimili, tel. 864-4998. EATING OUT: • 900 Grill House, Vestmannabraut 23, tel. 482-1000. • Canton, Strandvegur 49, tel. 481-1930. • Einsi kaldi, Vestmannabraut 28, tel. 481-1415. • GOTT, Bárustígur 11, tel. 481-3060. • Slippurinn, Strandvegur 76, tel. 481-1515. • Tanginn, Básaskersbryggja 8, tel. 414-4420. • Fiskibarinn, Skólavegi 1, tel. 414-3999. • Joy, Brekkugata 15, tel. 481-3883. • Kráin/Hlöllabátar, Boðaslóð 12, tel. 481-3939. • Lundinn, Kirkjuvegur 21, tel. 481-3412. • Prófasturinn, Heiðarvegur 3, tel. 481-3700. • Tvisturinn, Faxastígur 36, tel. 481-3141. • Subway, Bárustígur 1, tel. 571-5277. • Café Varmó, Strandvegur 5, tel. 481-1674. • Eyjabakarí Cakes and Cookies, tel. 481-2058. GROCERIES: • Krónan, Strandvegur 48. • Bónus, Miðstræti 20. • Vínbúðin liquor store, Vesturvegur 10, tel. 481-1301. SHOPPING: • Gallery Steina, Vestmannabraut 36, tel. 481-3208. • Gallery Tyrkja-Gudda, Bárustígur 11, tel. 481-1569. MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITIONS: • Eldheimar, volcano museum, Austurgerði/Gerðisbraut, tel. 846-6497. eldheimar.is