The Hornstrandir nature preserve is a popular destination for hikers who want to experience the serenity and beauty of untouched and remote Icelandic wilderness. The area was inhabited until the 20th century, when it was abandoned due to its isolation. No roads were ever built in the region which had been completely abandoned by the 1950s.
Read more: Hornstrandir: Where the Arctic Fox reigns supreme
One of the small villages of the Hornstrandir region was Hesteyri in the Hesteyri fjord, on the Jökulfjörður region. The village has nine houses built in the first half of the 20th century. All the houses are used as summer cottages, and one has a café during the summer months as well as a hostel.
Read more: The Westfjords: A limitless supply of space and quiet
Since there are no roads connecting the region to the rest of Iceland the only way to reach Hesteyri is by boat. Which made the destruction of the village pier in one of last winter’s storms all the more serious. On Monday a repair crew from three local tour operators, West Tours, Borea Adventures, and Sjóferðir Hafsteins og Kiddýar therefore took it on themselves to repair the pier.
Thanks to the repair job, which was completed in one day, this abandoned village is again connected to the rest of the world. But while local guides are busy preparing for the summer traffic, the pictures show the winter weather is in no hurry to leave. Hornstrandir is still deep in snow.
The Hornstrandir nature preserve is a popular destination for hikers who want to experience the serenity and beauty of untouched and remote Icelandic wilderness. The area was inhabited until the 20th century, when it was abandoned due to its isolation. No roads were ever built in the region which had been completely abandoned by the 1950s.
Read more: Hornstrandir: Where the Arctic Fox reigns supreme
One of the small villages of the Hornstrandir region was Hesteyri in the Hesteyri fjord, on the Jökulfjörður region. The village has nine houses built in the first half of the 20th century. All the houses are used as summer cottages, and one has a café during the summer months as well as a hostel.
Read more: The Westfjords: A limitless supply of space and quiet
Since there are no roads connecting the region to the rest of Iceland the only way to reach Hesteyri is by boat. Which made the destruction of the village pier in one of last winter’s storms all the more serious. On Monday a repair crew from three local tour operators, West Tours, Borea Adventures, and Sjóferðir Hafsteins og Kiddýar therefore took it on themselves to repair the pier.
Thanks to the repair job, which was completed in one day, this abandoned village is again connected to the rest of the world. But while local guides are busy preparing for the summer traffic, the pictures show the winter weather is in no hurry to leave. Hornstrandir is still deep in snow.
