When travelers plan a trip to Iceland, the itinerary usually looks exactly the same: rent a campervan, drive the Golden Circle, and fight for a parking spot at the famous black sand beaches of Vík (guilty as charged).
But just a 35-minute ferry ride off the southern coast sits a cluster of 15 volcanic islands that the mainstream travel circuit routinely ignores.
The Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) are a beautiful archipelago home to barely 4,500 people. Yet, what it lacks in human population, it makes up for with one of the most diverse concentrations of marine wildlife on the planet.
If you want to trade the crowded mainland waterfalls for open-water whale sanctuaries and the largest puffin colony on earth, here is why you need to add the Westman Islands to your Icelandic itinerary.
1. The Puffin Capital of the World
The islands are famous for hosting the largest Atlantic puffin colony in the world. Every summer, over two million of these birds descend on the grassy cliffs of Heimaey (the only inhabited island in the chain) to breed.
The puffins have all flown south for the winter this year, but if you start planning your 2027 getaway now you can see them in peak season!
- The Vibe: Wild, windy, and entirely ruled by nature. It feels like stepping straight into a nature documentary.
- The Highlight: Walking up to the cliffs at Stórhöfði in the late evening to watch thousands of puffins clumsily dive into the ocean and return with beaks full of silver sand eels.
Tip From The Editor (me): The grass on the edges of these cliffs is often slick from the constant ocean mist. I recommend shoes with a solid grip. Also, you can’t get too close to the burrows without collapsing them, so this is the time to attach a heavy zoom lens to your camera if you’re snapping away like I do.
2. The Open-Water Beluga Sanctuary
In a groundbreaking conservation effort, Klettsvík Bay in the Westman Islands was transformed into the world’s first open-water sanctuary for beluga whales. The SEA LIFE Trust relocated two formerly captive belugas—Little Grey and Little White—from a concrete tank in China to this sprawling, natural oceanic bay.
- The Vibe: A quiet, respectful approach to marine conservation. You are not watching a flashy show; you are witnessing animals relearning how to live in the wild.
- The Highlight: Taking a guided boat tour out into the bay to observe the belugas swimming in their expansive natural habitat.
Tip From The Editor (me): The weather out on the bay shifts in a heartbeat. Even if the sun is shining when you board the boat, pack a heavy windbreaker in your daypack. The wind whipping off the North Atlantic drops the temperature sharply the second you leave the protected harbor.
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3. Elephant Rock & Ocean Giants
The geology of the Westman Islands is just as dramatic as the wildlife. The continuous volcanic activity has carved the basalt cliffs into surreal shapes, most notably Elephant Rock—a natural formation that looks exactly like a giant elephant drinking from the ocean.
- The Vibe: Dramatic, rugged geology paired with thrilling open-ocean exploration.
- The Highlight: Booking a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) tour to bounce along the sea caves and spot passing orcas, fin whales, and dolphins that frequent these deep waters.
Tip From The Editor (me): The RIB tour is an adrenaline-fueled ride. You will get wet. Transfer your phone, wallet, and passport into a heavy-duty dry bag before you ever step foot on the dock. Don’t trust your jacket pockets.
4. The “Pompeii of the North”
You can’t talk about Heimaey without mentioning the 1973 eruption of the Eldfell volcano. It opened up right on the edge of town, forcing the entire island to evacuate in the middle of the night. Today, the volcano is quiet, but half of the original town is still buried under deep volcanic ash.
- The Vibe: A fascinating look at how resilient this community is. The modern fishing town sits right at the base of the imposing red volcanic cone.
- The Highlight: Hiking straight up the gravel slopes of Eldfell to look out over the archipelago.
Tip From The Editor (me): The hike up the volcano is steep but relatively short. The most surreal part? If you dig your hands just a few inches into the red gravel near the summit, the ground is still remarkably warm from the eruption 50 years ago. It is a fantastic spot to warm your hands before hiking back down.
Iceland is spectacular, but the mainland routes are becoming a victim of their own success. Taking the short ferry ride across the strait to the Westman Islands delivers the raw and unscripted wildlife experience that most travelers are still searching for.
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