WESTMAN ISLAND & POMPEII OF THE NORTH
Vestmannaeyjar, or The Westman Islands, are truly a wonder of Nature. The youngest island of the Vestmannaeyjar celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2003 and the oldest one is close to 40.000 years old! Our transfer bus (non-guided) takes you to the pier at Bakkafjara on the south coast (about a one hour drive) and from there the ferry (non-guided transfer) takes another 30 minutes to reach the islands. Once there we will be greeted by a local guide and join a bus tour around Heimaey island. We will visit the puffin nexting area in Storhofdi and walk up to the crater of a volcano that erupted only a few years ago as well as exploring the flora of the new lava field. After a lunch break we join a boat cruise where we will see many of the wonders of the Vestmannaeyjar nature. Colourful ocean caves, thousands of seabirds and, occasionally during the summer, groups of whales. On the return from the cruise we will enjoy instrumental music in the natural echo of the ocean cave Klettshellir.
In the wintertime (from September 1) the boat tour is not available on our Saturday departures. Instead we will see a one hour volcano show, during which soup will be served. The ferry takes you back to the mainland, where our bus is waiting to take you back to Reykjavík. The return transfer (ferry and bus) is non-guided.
This tour is operated from May 15th to September 15th
Tour code: DTB-27
WESTMAN ISLAND & POMPEII OF THE NORTH
Vestmannaeyjar, or The Westman Islands, are truly a wonder of Nature. The youngest island of the Vestmannaeyjar celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2003 and the oldest one is close to 40.000 years old! Our transfer bus (non-guided) takes you to the pier at Bakkafjara on the south coast (about a one hour drive) and from there the ferry (non-guided transfer) takes another 30 minutes to reach the islands. Once there we will be greeted by a local guide and join a bus tour around Heimaey island. We will visit the puffin nexting area in Storhofdi and walk up to the crater of a volcano that erupted only a few years ago as well as exploring the flora of the new lava field. After a lunch break we join a boat cruise where we will see many of the wonders of the Vestmannaeyjar nature. Colourful ocean caves, thousands of seabirds and, occasionally during the summer, groups of whales. On the return from the cruise we will enjoy instrumental music in the natural echo of the ocean cave Klettshellir.
In the wintertime (from September 1) the boat tour is not available on our Saturday departures. Instead we will see a one hour volcano show, during which soup will be served. The ferry takes you back to the mainland, where our bus is waiting to take you back to Reykjavík. The return transfer (ferry and bus) is non-guided.
This tour is operated from May 15th to September 15th
Tour code: DTB-27
General Information:
Vestmannaeyjar (English: The Westman Islands) is a small archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of about 4,000. The other islands are uninhabited, though two have single hunting cabins. The archipelago came to international attention in 1973 when Icelanders battled to prevent lava from the volcano Eldfell blocking Heimaey's harbour. The islands are named after the Irish who were captured into slavery by the Norse Gaels. The Old Norse word Vestmenn, literally "Westmen", was applied to the Irish, and retained in Icelandic even though Ireland is more easterly than Iceland. Not long after Ingólfur Arnarson arrived in Iceland, his blood brother Hjörleifur was murdered by the slaves he had brought with him. Ingolfur tracked them down to Vestmannaeyjar and killed them all in retribution. On June 20, 1627, in an event known as the Turkish abductions, the islands were captured by a fleet of 15 ships (12 galleys and 3 other types of vessels) of Barbary Pirates from Algiers, under the guidance of Murat Reis; who stayed there for 26 days until July 16, 1627. The forces of Murat Reis enslaved 400 people from the islands and took them to Algiers (after a voyage which lasted 27 days) where most of them spent the rest of their lives in bondage. One of the captives, Ólafur Egilsson, later managed to return back and wrote a book about his experience. Subsequently, a Turkish corsair named Ali Biçin Reis also came to the archipelago and Iceland itself, from where he took 800 slaves.
The area is very volcanically active, like the rest of Iceland. There were two major eruptions in the 20th century: the Eldfell eruption of January 1973 which created a 700-foot-high mountain where a meadow had been, and caused the island's 5000 inhabitants to be temporarily evacuated to the mainland, and an eruption in 1963 created the new island of Surtsey.
From 1998 to 2003 the islands were home to Keiko the killer whale, star of Free Willy.
WESTMAN ISLAND & POMPEII OF THE NORTH
Departure: May 15th to September 15h, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, at 08:00
Duration: 11,5 hours, 08:00-19:30
Distance: about 280 km - 174 miles roundtrip (excluding ferry)
Pick up: 30 minutes prior to departure from all hotels and most guest houses in Reykjavik.
Drop off: After day tours may sometimes not be right in front of your hotel or guesthouse due to narrow streets and actual coach size used during the tour.
Included: non-guided bus transfer to and from the ferry in Landeyjahöfn, non-guided ferry transfer from Landeyjahöfn to Vestmannaeyjar and from Vestmannaeyjar to Landeyjahöfn, Local English speaking guidance in Vestmannaeyjar, Boat Tour in Vestmannaeyjar, Bus tour in Vestmannaeyjar
Excluded: Meals, refreshments
Minimum: the tour will be operated with a minimum of 3 persons
Online bookings: Until 72 hours prior to departure
Tour code: DTB-27
WESTMAN ISLAND & POMPEII OF THE NORTH
Departure: May 15th to September 15h, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, at 08:00
Duration: 11,5 hours, 08:00-19:30
Distance: about 280 km - 174 miles roundtrip (excluding ferry)
Pick up: 30 minutes prior to departure from all hotels and most guest houses in Reykjavik.
Drop off: After day tours may sometimes not be right in front of your hotel or guesthouse due to narrow streets and actual coach size used during the tour.
Included: non-guided bus transfer to and from the ferry in Landeyjahöfn, non-guided ferry transfer from Landeyjahöfn to Vestmannaeyjar and from Vestmannaeyjar to Landeyjahöfn, Local English speaking guidance in Vestmannaeyjar, Boat Tour in Vestmannaeyjar, Bus tour in Vestmannaeyjar
Excluded: Meals, refreshments
Minimum: the tour will be operated with a minimum of 3 persons
Online bookings: Until 72 hours prior to departure
Price per person:
Adults: EUR 160
Children discount:
Children 06-11 years (1/2 price) / Children 0-05 years (free)
Tour code: DTB-27