The best place to see puffins in Iceland

The puffin is not the national bird of Iceland. I don’t even know if we have an official bird. Interestingly, Iceland’s crest featured a falcon. But if I had to choose, the national bird of Iceland would be the raven.  But it is not up to me, and puffins are very interesting and beautiful. Many travelers come here in the hope of seeing them. Iceland does have many puffin colonies, which you can see up close and personally. Places like Dyrhólaey on the south coast of Iceland spring to mind. Furthermore, there are many Puffin tours available here in Iceland. However, the village of Borgarfjörður Eystri is the best place to see puffins in Iceland, hands down.

Puffins and party

I visited Borgarfjörður Eystri briefly this summer, and it was amazing sunny weather there. The village was lively since it hosted the annual Bræðslan music festival. Immediately, as we drove there, the scenery was stunning. High mountains surround the village, and most impressive is the stunning mountain range of Dyrfjölll to the west. That is where we were coming from. We had spent the day hiking to the stunningly natural phenomenon Stórurð, which translates to ‘Large Rubble. That is quite an appropriate name; the rocks formed when part of the mountain range crashed into the valley below. The collapse left a gap in the mountain range, and from that gap, which looks a little like a door, the mountain derives its name, Dyrfjöll, which translates into ‘Door mountains.’ Yes, we Icelanders are quite literal with our place names.

Foggy hiking

The 9 km (5.6 miles) hiking was all done in fog, which we hoped would lift when we arrived at Stórurð. And lo and behold, as we stood above Stórurð, the fog lifted well enough for us to see a stunning view. The original plan was to venture down to Stórurð, but the day was getting late; it would be quite cold for the people who would not trek down to wait for us. Furthermore, we would have to cross a steep slope packed with hard and slippery snow to get there. I started on my way, but then overthinking and vertigo got the better of me. I kept thinking about whether I could stop cartwheeling down the slope if I slipped and fell. So, caution (overthinking) and a little vertigo overcame valor. We had a wonderful time with our snacks above Stórurð, just taking in the view. Then we headed back, and the fog returned. 

Heading to Borgarfjörður Eystri, the best place to see puffins in Iceland

The next logical thing to do was to check out Borgjarfjörður Eystri. If you are into Icelandic pop culture, it is the birthplace of singer Magni. Magni had his fifteen minutes of fame when he participated in the reality TV show Rockstar Supernova back in the day. 

f you are in Borgarfjörður Eystri during the Puffin season, which is from about the beginning of May to the end of August, you simply have to check out the puffin viewing platforms at Hafnarólmi, which is a short drive from the village. I guarantee you don’t have to be a big Puffin fan to enjoy. The municipality has done a fantastic job creating access to the Puffin colony without disturbing the birds. When I got there, I was just amazed at how close I was to the birds and how they completely ignored the people who the birds transfixed. And transfixed is the right word. Few people said anything; if they did, they spoke in a hushed voice, like they were in church. Perhaps connecting with nature this way is akin to having a religious experience for us modern people. It does not hurt that the puffins look a little like tiny priests!

It is a hard-knock puffin life

Another thing that struck me was how harsh a Puffin’s life can be. Some birds quarreled or downright fought over access to the holes they lived in. When you see those cute birds, the last thing you think about is that there is any kind of fight in them. But fight and bicker, they did.

The puffins are not all around you at Hafnarhólmi. They constantly fly over you, and I enjoyed watching them land, often, their beaks were filled with little fish. This pleased me as changing conditions in the ocean around have hit the puffins hard, especially in the south of the country. It was also quite enjoyable to watch whales coming up to breathe on the calm sea. So if you want to get close to a teeming puffin colony where you truly immerse yourself in their life, Hafnarhólmi at Borgarfjörður Eystri is a place to be.

Video: The wonderful puffin colony at Hafnarhólmi at Borgarfjörður Eystri