Experience the best of Ísafjörður

Ísafjörður is the largest town in the Westfjords, a remote peninsula in north-west Iceland, and sits on a narrow spit of land in the fjord Skutulsfjörður, with steep mountains rising straight from the water. Old wooden houses with brightly painted roofs cluster around the harbour, and the Westfjords Heritage Museum, in one of the town's oldest buildings, tells the story of the fishing past.

Boat trips cross Ísafjarðardjúp to Vigur island, with its puffins and a windmill, and to Hornstrandir, a roadless nature reserve of cliffs and Arctic foxes. Dynjandi, a terraced waterfall that spreads like a veil down the mountainside, lies a long drive to the south. The Arctic Fox Centre in Súðavík, along the fjord, tells about the animal.

Fish drying on racks, salted cod, smoked char and shrimp from the fjord are local foods, and the town hosts a music festival at Easter. Summer brings near-endless daylight, while winter brings snow, northern lights and short days, and flights arrive between the mountains.