Djupivogur, August 29, 2024

We arrived in Djupivogur under overcast skies, with a cool temperature of 9°C and strong winds. Since the harbor is very small, there was no room for maneuvering our relatively small ship, and we had to tender once again.

First, we took an organized tour to the Valley of Waterfalls. A convoy of monster 4WD vehicles was provided for this purpose. We could have filmed a Mad Max movie.

The landscape is largely green, but very barren. Apparently, during the medieval warm period (also the time of the Vikings), the forests in Iceland were decimated for firewood and construction. The introduction of sheep, goats, horses, and cows completed the destruction of the forests. For nearly 100 years, reforestation efforts have been underway again. In places where there are no trees, the soil is continuously eroding. Nonetheless, the volcanic landscape is very beautiful.

With the 4WD vehicles, we drove up a valley on natural paths, which has a variety of waterfalls. At the end of this valley, there is a farm that also has a campsite. Until 1944, there were more farms that could only be reached on foot, which provided so little that families of 20 lived in a house of just over 30m2. However, after a famine, these farms were abandoned.

The town of Djupivogur is tiny, with about 400 residents. There is a souvenir shop, restaurants, art galleries (people in the north seem to be generally very art-oriented), and a small brewery. That’s about it.

After visiting Djupivogur, we had a light meal on our ship and enjoyed a nice cappuccino.