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8 Best Puffin Watching Places in Iceland
Did you know that Iceland is one of the top places in the world to see puffins? Iceland is home to one of the world’s largest colonies of puffins! It offers countless opportunities to see these beautiful birds in their natural habitat. More than half of the world’s puffin population nest in the country during summer. Many tourists coming to the land of fire and ice seek out to see the adorable birds, thanks to their charming and colourful appearance. Some of their behaviors such as sharing parental roles and getting lifelong partners to resemble those of human beings. Puffin watching has turned out to be one of the top summer activities for visitors in Iceland.
The common species of puffins in Iceland is the Atlantic puffin, also known as a common puffin. This seabird in the auk family is one of the smaller auks. It is one of the most popular birds for sight-seeing and photographing in Iceland. They spend most of the year at the sea, coming ashore in spring only to breed and raise their young ones. The best months to see the sea parrots is at the end of April until early September. The ideal time of the day to watch puffins is in the morning (sunrise to 11 am) and in the evening (6 pm to sunset). Puffin watching tours are popular in Iceland, and you will have many options. There are land-based tours and boat tours. Responsible puffin watching is crucial, since disturbing a single bird can unsettle the whole colony. Read on to discover the top spots to watch puffins in Iceland.
Westman Islands
Westman Islands, known as Vestmanneyjar in Icelandic, is a cluster of 15 islands in the South of Iceland. It is home for the largest Atlantic puffin colony in the world! This place is an ideal place to spot the beautiful birds and also for bird’s photography. Here, you will also find other bird species with nests around the island including razorbill, guillemot, kittiwake, and many more. Heimaey Island is the largest of 15 islands, has the biggest number of puffins, and is the only one inhabited by humans. It is the easiest place to see puffins for visitors. On this island, puffins live so close to humans, and there is a tradition of children rescuing stranded baby puffins.
During the summer, getting to Westman Island is made easy by joining our Gems of South Iceland tour. Spending a day on the islands will provide you with a fantastic puffin-watching experience. Additionally, you can explore museums and other natural sites during your visit
Dyrhólaey
Located on the south coast of Iceland, Dryhólaey is a charming example of the country’s notable landmarks. During summer, the massive stone arch of Dyrhólaey hosts another puffin colony. The structure is reflected in the puffin burrows where the birds nest in summer. It’s a protected nature area, and access is restricted for some time during the nesting season to limit human disturbance. So it advisable to check the closure dates.
There are well-marked walking paths to get to the scenic viewpoints and to get closer to where the puffins nest. Approaching the arch from the beach or the top of the cliffs will allow you to see the vast puffin colonies that nest here. On top of the cliff, you may also be able to see Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which covers Katla volcano. Dyrhólaey is a three-hour drive from Reykjavik and twenty minutes’ drive from Vik.
Látrabjarg
Látrabjarg cliffs in the Westfjords are the largest birds-cliff in Europe and mark the westernmost point of Iceland. The incredibly scenic cliffs are nesting areas for millions of birds such as puffins. It is an excellent location for puffin sight-seeing in Iceland. Here, the puffins are exceptionally calm, and it is easy to snap them as they are used to a high number of visitors. Látrabjarg also hosts the world’s largest Razorbill colony! Other birds you will find here include guillemots, white-tailed eagles, arctic terns, auks, and many more. Apart from birds, the region is also home to whales, Arctic foxes, and seals. You can access the cliffs by car.
There are marked walking paths in the area. The many trails will lead you to the cliff edge, where you can admire the beautiful birds. The closest village is Patreksfjörður. Látrabjarg is a seven-hour drive from Reykjavik. GJ Travel’s Grand Tour of Iceland includes a visit to Látrabjarg.
Tjörnes Peninsula
Located in North Iceland, the Tjörnes peninsula is famed for its geological formations that are visible on the sea cliffs. The peninsula is also home to a large colony of puffins. Several bird-watching trails will grant a fantastic view of the puffin colony. Other birds you can spot here include black guillemot, purple sandpiper, dunlin, and ruddy turnstone. The best locations for bird-watching in the peninsula are Voladalstorfa and Hringsbjarg. Tjörnes Peninsula is about a 20-minute drive from Húsavík, the whale watching epicenter of Iceland. So, you also have a good chance of seeing whales and dolphins.
Ingólfshöfði
On the South Coast of Iceland, between Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, lies Ingólfshöfði Cape and Nature Reserve. This place is named after Ingólfur Arnarson, the first Iceland settler to come here. It is a small beautiful headland surrounded by rocky cliffs. The area is protected, and this makes it a flourishing ground for puffins and other birds such as guillemots and kittiwakes.
If you want to watch puffins without crowds, this is the place for you as it is less visited. The beautiful nature reserve is a bit over one hour drive from Vík. Since the place a is private property, you can only access through guided bird watching tours which are offered from May to August.
Grimsey Island
Grímsey Island, located in North Iceland, is a very unique and a perfect place for bird watching. This island is the only location in Iceland that crosses the Arctic Circle! It is surrounded by high cliffs that make an excellent home for nesting birds. About one million puffins gather here during summer. You might find puffins in the streets and gardens of the village.
The island is also home to a large colony of the noisy arctic terns. It is advisable to cover your head as you walk past them to avoid being pecked with their pointy beaks if they attack. Ferry sails to Grímsey Island from Dalvík take about three and a half hours that allow you to see the birds soaring by. You can also take a thirty minutes flight from Akureyri.
Borgarfjörður Eystri
Borgarfjörður Eystri is the end of the road village in East Iceland. The harbour is home to about 10,000 pairs of puffins that nest here in summer. Apart from the puffins, you will also find other bird species such as ducks, geese, skuas, moorland birds, and many more. This place is an excellent place to watch many species of birds at the same spot! The wooden stairs and platforms enable you to get up close with puffins without a risk of falling in burrows or down the cliff. This location is probably the easiest and safest place to watch puffins in Iceland. Here you can see a live webcam from the marina in Borgarfjörður Eystri. Take a look – you might find a Puffin or two.
Reykjavík
It is quite amazing to go for a puffin watching tour near the Iceland capital city! Just a few minutes boat tour from the Reykjavik old harbor and you are in the Akurey and Lundey islands that are nesting grounds for the adorable sea birds.
Lundey Island is also known as the “Puffin Island.” other birds found in the arctic terns, seagulls, black guillemots, and kittiwakes. Faxaflói bay is also a great spot to watch whales that are frequently seen during the summer months so you can combine a whale and puffin watching tour.
Here four blogs you might like:
- Puffins in Iceland
- Wildlife and Animals in Iceland
- Whale Species in Iceland
- Whale Watching Locations in Iceland