Husavik

Whale-watching capital of Europe on the north coast — 95% success rate, wooden boats, and yes, the Eurovision film town.

Husavik is a fishing port of 2,300 on Skjalfandi bay, and it's the whale-watching capital of Europe. Not by marketing hype — by actual success rate. From April to October, tours from the harbour see whales on around 95% of trips: minke, humpback, and if you're lucky, blue whales. The wooden schooners of North Sailing (Gentle Giants also runs from the same harbour) go out three or four times a day and last 3 hours. It's ISK 14124-ISK 16581 a person, cheaper in shoulder season, and worth every krona. Peak summer sailings fill fast, and the harbour smells of salt and diesel by 8am when the first boats leave.

The town itself is disproportionately charming for its size — a wooden church on the hill (Husavikurkirkja, 1907), a whale museum with actual skeletons, the GeoSea sea baths overlooking the bay, and — since the 2020 Will Ferrell film — a whole Eurovision-themed circuit including 'Jaja Ding Dong' bar. Doubles ISK 17809-ISK 27020. Skip if you're prone to seasickness (the bay gets choppy). Suits whale-watchers, families, and anyone who wants the north-coast experience concentrated in one town, without needing to drive anywhere else for dinner or a bed.

By 9pm in July the sun is still high over Skjalfandi bay and the harbour has emptied of tour buses, leaving locals drinking coffee outside Gamli Baukur and a handful of visitors comparing whale photos. The town has one real bar scene — the Eurovision-themed 'Jaja Ding Dong' inside Gamli Baukur — and it closes by 1am even in peak season. There's no nightclub, no late-night kitchen beyond the harbour cafes, and nothing resembling a proper bar street. Anyone chasing nightlife, shopping, or a big restaurant scene should base in Akureyri and day-trip north; Husavik rewards people who want quiet streets and an early boat in the morning.

Winter changes the town completely: whale tours mostly stop, though a handful run into November, the harbour goes dark by 4pm, and GeoSea's steaming pools become the main reason to visit, especially under the northern lights from September to April. Route 85 from Akureyri can ice over, so a 4x4 or studded tyres matter between November and March. Off-season doubles drop toward ISK 14000-ISK 17000, roughly half the summer rate, and you'll have the Whale Museum and the church almost to yourself. Skip winter if whales are the whole point of the trip; come instead for the baths, the quiet, and the sky.

Where to sleep

The harbour front on Gardarsbraut and Hafnarstett is the walkable heart — you can roll out of bed onto a whale-watching boat. Expect ISK 18423-ISK 28249. The largest hotel in town sits a few minutes' walk from the harbour and is the most comfortable, full-service option; smaller family-run guesthouses on the quieter streets just behind Gardarsbraut are cheaper and quirkier, often with shared kitchens and no breakfast included. In high summer (June-August) book at least a month ahead, since rooms sell out fast around whale-watching season; low season (November-March) drops rates by 30-40% but many guesthouses close entirely. Avoid places advertised as Husavik that are actually 15-20km out at Reykjahlid or Fossholl — those are lovely farmstays but you need a car for everything and miss the harbour atmosphere. Book harbour-side for the walk-out-the-door convenience; book further out only if you already have a rental car and want a cheaper base.

The essentials

Husavik church and harbour walk (3 km)

Start at Husavikurkirkja (the wooden church, 1907), walk down Storigardur to the harbour. Loop past the Whale Museum, along the pier past the wooden schooners, and up to GeoSea baths at the lighthouse. Continue along the coastal path north for views of Skjalfandi bay — occasionally you'll spot whales from the shore. Return via the residential streets, past Gardarsbraut's guesthouses, back toward the harbour. Allow about an hour at an easy pace, longer if you stop at GeoSea for a soak.

Getting there & around

Husavik is 90km north of Akureyri on Route 85 — about 75 minutes by car. Straeto bus 79 runs Akureyri-Husavik several times a week in summer, ISK 1842, 90 minutes. From Reykjavik, fly to Akureyri (45 min, ISK 22108) and drive from there. The tiny Husavik airport (HZK) has limited seasonal flights. Driving directly from Reykjavik takes about six hours via Route 1 and Route 85, covering roughly 470km — most visitors break the journey overnight in Akureyri or Myvatn rather than doing it in one push. Car rental desks exist in Husavik itself but choice and price are far better in Akureyri, 90km south. Parking in Husavik is free and easy along Gardarsbraut, right by the harbour, so a rental car is only useful for reaching Myvatn or Akureyri. Once in town everything's walkable in 15 minutes.