Iceland is known throughout the world as the land of fire and ice. Large parts are covered by glaciers while others steam of boiling water from the ground. There are few countries where nature has such a strong presence. Then there are the birds. Rich wetlands, rivers and coastal sites are filled with amazing birdlife! A dream destination for birdwatchers and nature photographers.
Northeast Iceland is truly the wild parts of Iceland. There are fewer tourists around and the birdlife is abundant. Iceland is particularily famous for the Harlequin Ducks. This is without a doubt one of the most iconic ducks in the world. This spectacular looking bird is found in fast flowing streams and rivers of northeast Iceland throughout the year. In winter they can also be found in flocks along the rugged shores of the northeast coast.
Getting to Iceland is easy and flights to Reykjavik are surprisingly cheap. If birding and nature photography is what you aim for you are adviced to go directly to the northeast corner of Iceland. This is where the great birding takes place. Husavik town is a great starting point or a base camp for your trip to northeast Icleand. Just five minutes from Husavik you can find one of the best places in Europe to see and photograph Great Northern Diver. A 15 minute drive from Husavik the River Laxa meets the sea. This is often the first place a lot of people see Harlequin Ducks. Further east Raufarhöfn is a good base camp on the Melrakkasletta peninsula, with loads of ponds and wetlands. Langanes and Ytra Lon, is at the far northeastern corner of Iceland, with bird rich beaches and thriving bird cliffs. Most key bird sites are found along the north shores of the birding trail (+ inland at Laxa and Myvatn). Lake Myvatn holds a record breaking 16 species of breeding ducks! The highlights for any birder visiting the region is the high numbers of Barrow´s Goldeneyes and Harlequin Ducks. Any visit to Iceland is an amazing landscape experience. Driving the mountain pass from the northeast coast from Vöpnafjordur to Myvatn is amazing. No wonder NASA prepped their astronauts with a visit to these parts of Iceland before going to the moon.
This website is run by the Northeast Iceland Birdtrail. This is a non-profit company owned by several tourism businesses and communities of the northeast, aiming to provide visitors with the best possible advice and information. We hope you will enjoy your visit to the northeast of Iceland!