When we read the CamperStories, we get a feeling that Westman Islands in Iceland are one of the most overlooked destinations among campervanners—and we honestly don’t know why. Located just off the south coast of Iceland, this volcanic archipelago feels like a world of its own, offering dramatic landscapes, incredible puffin colonies and unforgettable sea views.
While you won’t find waterfalls or hot springs on the islands themselves, the journey from mainland Iceland to the Westman Islands is part of the experience. To help you plan your trip, whether it’s a day trip or a full-day island adventure, we’ve rounded up the highlights of Iceland. Westman Islands travel offers dramatic landscapes, rich history and unforgettable sea views, all covered in this complete travel guide
Harbor points 
Points of interest 
Camping 
Swimming Pool
Travel to the Westman Islands
There are two ways to travel to the Westman Islands: by ferry or by flight.
If you travel by ferry, you can bring your camper van or rental car onboard the Herjólfur ferry, but you must book in advance. If you leave your vehicle on mainland Iceland, you can usually purchase a passenger ticket upon arrival at Landeyjahöfn.
The ferry crossing takes around 35 minutes and operates multiple times per day during summer. From Reykjavík, it’s a 151 km (93.8 miles) drive south along the Ring Road to Landeyjahöfn, taking just over two hours without stops. In poor weather conditions, the ferry may depart from Þorlákshöfn instead.
You can also reach the islands by flight from Reykjavík, which takes approximately 50 minutes.
The Westman Islands: History and Geography
Westman Islands are a collection of 15 islands, and Heimaey is the largest—and the only inhabited—one. Six of the islands have hunting cabins. Around 4,000 people live there and the main industry is fishing. People have lived there since the first settlements and the islands got their names from slaves that fled the mainland. The slaves, coming from Ireland and Scotland were often called West-men hence the name. All the islands have been built up by submarine eruptions and the sea and wind have created some stunning rock formations, caverns and caves. The Westman Islands archipelago is 38km/23.6 miles long and 29km/18 miles wide. The total area of the archipelago is 16.3km²/6.3 mi².
On November 14, 1963, one of the longest eruptions in Icelandic history started, an eruption that lasted for 4 years and gave birth to the 15th island Surtsey, the southernmost island in the archipelago. The island is closed to visitors, except for scientists studying its unique flora and fauna.
On January 23, 1973 a devastating eruption took place when Heimaey grew with 2.1 km²/0.81 mi², an eruption that lasted for 155 days. 60% of all the houses on the island got destroyed or damaged. A third of those disappeared under the flowing lava. Almost all of the 5273 inhabitants at the time were moved to the mainland and most of them moved back after the eruption ended.
One interesting story from the eruption is that villagers feared the lava flow would destroy the entire town. So they tried to redirect the lava flow by hosing down the lava with cold ocean water with powerful fire pumps and in the process, cooled the molten lava and redirected the flow. A madhouse operation by any standards but it worked perfectly. That action saved many of the houses. Kudos to the brave men. You can still see houses, half covered in lava and frozen in time, a reminder of the dramatic events of 1973.
On the main island you will find anything you might need from banks, hospitals, museums, swimming pools, gas stations and whatever else you need. The campsite also has everything you need.
The weather here is usually a bit warmer than on the mainland, and the islands typically receive very little snow. Most people have heard that if you don’t like the weather in Iceland, wait 15 minutes. On the Westman Islands, they say they don’t have weather. They only get weather samples many times a day.
One of the more famous personalities from the island is Guðlaugur Friðþórsson who got to be world famous when his fishing boat Hellisey VE 503 went down 3 nautical miles/3.45 miles east of Heimaey on March 12, 1984. Guðlaugur spent five hours swimming nonstop in 5°C/41ºF before reaching safety on the main island Heimaey. He then walked barefoot across a lava field for three hours in the storm, ice and cold before reaching help. Guðlaugur’s extraordinary feat baffled scientists and he went through research to find out how it was even possible to survive the swim and the walk. The Icelandic director Baltazar Kormákur made a movie about the whole event called Djúpið (The Deep), a movie about extraordinary events and an incomprehensible will to survive.
What to Do in the Westman Islands
Sprangan
This is a very local sport stemming from the picking of seabird eggs on cliff faces. While searching/collecting the eggs, they spring from one place to another. Now kids are doing it for fun but it’s not for the fainthearted. There are guides there to help out the novice and it’s highly recommended you seek help before you try it out the first time as it might be dangerous. There are no safety nets or safety harnesses.
Stórhöfði
This peninsula is the southernmost tip of the island. It is called the windiest place in Iceland and in fact, the strongest winds ever recorded on the Northern Hemisphere were recorded here, only to be rivaled by Antarctica. It’s 122m/400ft high and the view there is just amazing. You’ll see many of the surrounding islands and it’s a special feeling standing there staring straight south that there is nothing between you and Antarctica except the big, blue Atlantic ocean.
On the west side of the peninsula, you have big colonies of puffins. During the high season around 1.1 million pairs of puffins stay in Westman Islands. They start to arrive in mid-April but they arrive in full force in the beginning of May. All of Iceland’s seabirds can be found in the Westman Islands.
You can drive to the peninsula and walk around there. Bring lunch! 🙂
Sea Tours
There are many different sea tours to choose from and it’s highly recommended you go on one so you can see all the fantastic rocks and caverns. You might also see whales, seals and an abundant bird life too. Make sure to choose a tour that takes you to the famous Elephant rock too. It really looks like the head on a gigantic Elephant (pic to the right).
There is also diving on the island and of course sea angling. You will get all the information you need at the tourist information centers and down by the harbor.
Golfing
If golfing is your thing, you can play on one of the top 200 golf courses in Europe. The view will definitely take your focus away from the little golf ball! 🙂 If you haven’t brought clubs, you can rent them at the clubhouse for a modest fee, including golf carts. They also have a golf simulator when the weather is not in your favor but still want to practice your swing.
As you can see in the pic to the right, you will be golfing with the Elephant head in front of you! Not bad! 🙂
Visit the Local Brewery
Like in many countries, Iceland also has its share of microbreweries popping up all over the place and one of them is found on Westman Islands. In 2013 The Brothers Brewery saw its first bottle was poured and it has been nothing but a success from the beginning. They offer tours and tasting around the facilities too. Now they also have a bar on the premises so you can enjoy a cold one, straight from the tap. Of course you will leave your camper van at the campsite when you plan to visit the brothers!
Sagnheimar Folk Museum
Here you can get further information about the big 1973 eruption, get to know in detail what happened, all the events, and the aftermath. Or learn about the 300 Algerian pirates who raided Heimaey and took close to 300 Icelanders and sailed with them back to Algeria where they were sold as slaves. There is also an exhibit about the history of the harbor. This should be a nice stop before heading to your next adventure on the island.
Eldheimar Museum
This museum is only about the big eruption and it’s a very ambitious one too with interactive things to do, photos, videos and memorabilia from that disastrous time. You can study all the developments of the events that took place when the island was showered with molten lava.
There is also an exhibition about the Surtsey eruption we are sure you would enjoy. This is a high end museum for the whole family.
Heimaklettur
If you are up to it and are fit enough, you can hike to the top of Heimaklettur, the highest peak on the island. It reaches a height of 279m/915ft and offers a fantastic view over Westman Islands. The most difficult part of the hike has stairs to help the hiker so you will not need climbing gear or anything. Just proper shoes and clothes. Tread lightly, bring lunch and warm clothes and just enjoy the hike!
It is possible to continue the hike east to the two other peaks too but locals consider it to be difficult and it’s not recommended to hike there without a local guide.
Eldfell Crater
This is the crater causing all the havoc back in 1973. The mountain used to be 220m/721ft high but it went down slightly after the eruption. Now the lava has cooled down and it’s possible to hike to the top of the crater with ease.
Go to the tourist information and get information where the trail starts and such. There are a few amazing hikes in that area and the tourist center will have all the information for you.
While in the area, you could also hike up to Helgafell, a dormant volcano with a stunning view over peninsula Stórhöfði.
Þjóðhátíð (The National Festival)
This is the island’s biggest event and one of Iceland’s biggest events. It takes place in the first weekend of August when somewhere around 10 to 15 thousand people all gather in the camping site and party the whole weekend. This is also the weekend when the majority of the Icelanders are found in tents, campers and motor homes all over Iceland celebrating Commerce day (similar to Bank holiday) taking part in festivals all around the country but none of the festivals are as big as the one here on the island. None come close to this one.
If you want to take part in the festivities, you need to book your ferry ticket for you, your travel partner(s) and your camper van well in advance, the same goes for a camping spot. The whole island will be jumping the whole weekend until Monday when everybody tries to get home simultaneously. It gets very crowded with cops everywhere trying to control traffic and making sure nobody drives home intoxicated.
During the whole, long weekend things will be going on all over, from early morning to late, late night. There are concerts and all kinds of happenings. The festival peaks on Sunday evening when all participants join in Brekkusöngur (see the red pic to the right). The center piece of the festival is a huge stage with the surrounding hills working as a natural seating for all the thousands and thousands of people. When the concerts are getting close to the end, popular tunes are sung together and literally everyone takes part in the singing. Quite an experience we hear from everyone who has gone there.
Planning Your Westman Islands Adventure
Anyone traveling to Westman Islands will love it. There are so many things to do, see, experience and take part in. Hiking around the island alone is fantastic. The islanders live life at their own pace and it’s a true joy to go there. You will be well met by the locals and you have a few restaurants and pubs where you can take a load off, eat the local cuisine and just enjoy life.
Whether you’re visiting as a day trip from the south coast of Iceland or staying longer on Heimaey Island, the Westman Islands in Iceland offer unforgettable nature, history and beautiful views you won’t find anywhere else.
When your Westman Islands trip is over, you will ask yourself: “Why didn’t I think of this before?” leaving the place content and happy.
Happy Camping!
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