Iceland's Westfjords: Hot Spring Hunting

Part of our 12-day Iceland itinerary included Iceland's Westfjords — we were excited since not many tourists make it out this way. After beautiful sunny days along Iceland's north coast, we entered the most remote region of Iceland.

I had starred off a lot of hot springs along our route, which meant the prospect of a lot of warm baths in extraordinary settings.

Day 1 in the Westfjords

Driving to Holmavík

After leaving Hvítserkur we continued along the road towards Holmavík. The views were absolutely stunning — weaving in and out of fjords in perfect sunny weather.

Welcome to the Westfjords

Our campervan on top of a mountain in the Westfjords

Holmavík is a tiny, charming town — a gas station, a handful of buildings, and the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft (completely real). We stopped briefly and continued to our camp for the night.

Laugarhóll — A Blessed Hot Spring

I had found a spot on Hotel Laugerholl that was supposed to have a hot spring blessed by a Saint. We took road 643 and found it — a pool fed directly from a hot spring, in a beautiful setting.

We showered at the hotel and jumped in the pool just as the sun was setting over the fjords. Absolutely beautiful. There was a campsite just down from the hotel — we set up camp, made dinner with a bottle of wine, and hoped for Northern Lights. The clouds came out and blocked them but the evening was already perfect.

The blessed hot spring at Laugarhóll

A pool and sunset to ourselves in the Westfjords

Day 2 — Hot Spring Hunting

Today was about finding the hottest, most remote hot springs in the Westfjords.

First Hot Spring — Coordinates 65.9171830, -22.3417500

A short drive from Laugarhóll. The water was warm rather than hot so we snapped photos and moved on.

Hörgshlíðarbær Pool

Coordinates: 65°49'51.7"N 22°37'44.0"W. We tested it — lukewarm, not quite hot enough to soak. Continued onwards.

Heydalur

There is a pool here with an indoor option. The water was not warm enough for us either so we grabbed a coffee and wandered around. There is apparently an arctic fox that plays with the dogs at the property — we could not find him that day.

Hot spring at Heydalur in the Westfjords

Pool right on the water at Heydalur

The F-66 — Best Road of the Trip

We headed back to road 61 and turned onto F-66. This was the best road of the entire Iceland trip. A proper 4x4 only mountain road that crosses rivers, goes over a mountain pass and has views that make you stop the car every five minutes.

One of many waterfalls along F-66

The Best Hot Spring — Reykjafjarðarlaug

After joining road 60 we found the best and hottest spring of the entire trip.

Search for Reykjafjarðarlaug or use coordinates: 65°37'25.1"N 23°28'25.3"W

We cracked a bottle of wine and eased slowly into the water — genuinely hot, fjord views in every direction, nobody else around. We sat in it for an hour. One of the best moments of the entire Iceland trip.

Stunning fjord views on the way to the best hot spring

Our favourite hot spring of the whole Iceland trip

After an hour we explored the tiny fjord town of Bildudalur — adorable, almost completely empty. Then we pushed on to camp at Dynjandi.

Day 3 — Dynjandi and Departure

We tried to sleep through another windy and rainy night and woke to more of the same. We put on our rain gear and walked up to Dynjandi.

Dynjandi is the crown jewel of the Westfjords. A wide, fanning waterfall that drops in multiple stages down the mountainside — each cascade getting wider as it descends. Even in the pouring rain it was extraordinary.

Dynjandi waterfall in the Westfjords on a rainy day

We had planned to make it to the Látrabjarg cliffs — Europe's largest seabird cliff. Then we found out we were experiencing the remnants of Hurricane Nicole. The cliffs would have to wait for another trip.

We fuelled up in Patreksfjörður — fill up here, this is not optional — and spent the afternoon in a coffee shop until it was time to board the Ferry Baldur to Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Despite the weather, the Westfjords were extraordinary. The hot springs, the F-road, Dynjandi — all of it worth every challenging kilometre.

Hot Spring Coordinates Summary

• Laugarhóll blessed pool — Road 643, near Hotel Laugerholl
• First hot spring — 65.9171830, -22.3417500 (warm)
• Hörgshlíðarbær — 65°49'51.7"N 22°37'44.0"W (lukewarm)
• Best hot spring — Reykjafjarðarlaug, 65°37'25.1"N 23°28'25.3"W (hot — this is the one)

All Iceland Posts

• Epic Iceland Road Trip Itinerary — 12 Days
• Iceland Day 1 — The Golden Circle
• Iceland's South Coast — Waterfalls and Glaciers
• Discovering Iceland's Eastern Fjords
• North Iceland — Volcanoes and Waterfalls
• From Snæfellsnes to Reykjavik
• Is Iceland's Blue Lagoon Overrated?
• The Best Hikes in Iceland
• The Ultimate Iceland Road Trip Guide