A rainy tour to beautiful Flatey
As is stated on our website, www.whalewatchinghusavik.is, special tours are available upon request. One such special tour that we suggest is a trip to an island here in the bay, Flatey. The name literally means flat island, and its highest point is indeed only 22 meters above sea level. Yesterday, me, deckhand Teresa and Captain Hreiðar took a cheerful group of people out there as part of a family reunion. The boat tour there takes between 1.5 hours to 2 hours, but that was stretched a bit as we decided to go closer to the mountain range on the western side of the bay, rather than drive straight across the bay.
The weather was fairly warm and mild, but it was quite rainy at the same time. That’s where the raincoats come in handy, and people certainly didn’t mind the rain, despite it being present all the way to Flatey, our stay there, and the way back.
We explored the beautiful island, taking in the sights. There is something about the lovely environment of the island, the beautiful-looking houses, and the short distance to the surrounding inland valley of Flateyjardalur and the stunning mountains encompassing it, that makes it seem like the perfect place for a long and comfortable stay. The island has actually been uninhabited since 1967, but the houses have mostly been kept in good condition and used as summerhouses, and the lighthouse, church and community center have also been taken care of through combined effort.
The island is known also for its varied birdlife, with around 30 of the 70-something bird species nesting in Iceland found there. There are many reasons to visit the wonderful island of Flatey, and if you happen to be interested, contact us and we’ll be happy to arrange a tour for you. It’s even possible to have a BBQ on the island or engage in a bit of whale watching or sea-angling on the way!
The houses on Flatey.
One of Flatey’s roads.
The Church.
The cemetery gate.
VP, guide
