Arnarfjörður

About This Anchorage

Arnarfjörður — Eagle Fjord — is Iceland's second-longest fjord at approximately 30km, cutting into the heart of the Westfjords from the SW. The fjord takes its name from the white-tailed eagles (arnar) that nest on the clifftops. The inner reaches near Hrafnseyri are extraordinarily beautiful: the massive Dynjandi (Fjallfoss) waterfall — the largest in the Westfjords — cascades in a series of tiered falls 100m down the mountainside into the fjord at the NW arm. The Hrafnseyri farmstead is the birthplace of Jón Sigurðsson (1811–1879), the leader of the Icelandic independence movement — a small but moving museum here explains his legacy. The fjord combines natural grandeur with profound historical importance in Icelandic national identity.

Hazards

• !Williwaws from plateau: the Westfjords plateau rises to 600–800m above the fjord; katabatic downdraughts can reach 50+ knots in the fjord at night on clear, cold conditions; even in flat synoptic conditions the fjord can experience violent local gusts
• !Dynjandi waterfall spray: anchoring too close to the Dynjandi waterfall base (in the NW arm) creates continuous spray and water noise; the waterfall generates its own local wind eddy; maintain 300m distance from the waterfall base
• !Uncharted shoals at fjord head: the NE head of Arnarfjörður has river delta shallowing that is incompletely charted; approach the inner anchorage at mid-tide or higher with constant depth sounding; the shoaling is gradual
• !Total isolation: 25nm from Patreksfjörður, 55nm from Ísafjörður; no services, limited VHF range; satphone recommended for safety communications from the inner fjord

Skipper's Tips

• →Dynjandi waterfall: the largest waterfall in the Westfjords is one of Iceland's greatest natural spectacles — a tiered cascade of enormous power and beauty; approach by dinghy from the anchorage and walk to the base of the falls; the spray in calm conditions extends 100m
• →Jón Sigurðsson museum: the small museum at Hrafnseyri honours the man who led Iceland's peaceful independence movement; the historic farmstead gives a tangible sense of 19th-century Westfjords life; open limited hours in summer
• →Eagle spotting: white-tailed eagles nest on the clifftops throughout Arnarfjörður; scan the cliff edges with binoculars from the anchorage — a sea eagle circling above the fjord with a 2.5m wingspan is a spectacular sight
• →Night anchorage beauty: anchored in the complete silence of the Arnarfjörður inner basin in the midnight sun with the Dynjandi visible and eagles occasionally calling from the cliffs is one of the finest cruising experiences Iceland offers

Nearby Anchorages