Latrabjarg: Europe's Largest Seabird Colony

Latrabjarg is the westernmost point of Europe and the continent's largest seabird colony — a 14-kilometre cliff face reaching 440 metres in height that supports hundreds of thousands of nesting Atlantic puffins, razorbills, guillemots, Brünnich's guillemots, and fulmars. The cliff face is accessible from the top — visitors walk along the cliff edge and can approach nesting puffins to within 2 to 3 metres. Photography without telephoto equipment is possible. The puffin density at Latrabjarg is the highest of any site in Iceland.

The Puffins

Atlantic puffins nest in burrows dug into the cliff-top turf. At Latrabjarg, the burrows begin literally at the cliff edge, so puffins standing at their burrow entrances are at eye level with visitors standing on the clifftop. The birds are remarkably tolerant of human presence — more so than at any other Icelandic puffin colony. A puffin 60cm away, standing with its beak full of sand eels, is available at Latrabjarg with a patience investment of perhaps 20 minutes. Bring a mid-range lens rather than telephoto — you need to be close to get the shots, not long.

Access

Latrabjarg requires committed Westfjords travel — it is at the extreme western tip of the Westfjords peninsula, approximately 6 to 7 hours from Reykjavik by car. The Brjánslækur ferry from Stykkisholmur on Snaefellsnes provides an alternative approach (2 hours ferry, then 1.5 hours road). The road to Latrabjarg is gravel for significant sections. A 4x4 is recommended. The investment — in time, planning, and road distance — is completely justified for anyone who cares about wildlife photography.

The Full Westfjords Context

Latrabjarg alone is compelling enough to justify the Westfjords journey, but the drive through the fjords adds considerable value. The approach road runs along a succession of deeply indented fjords — each one requiring a drive around the fjord head or, on older roads, a vertiginous traverse of the ridge between fjords. The light in the Westfjords, particularly in summer evenings, has a quality distinct from south Iceland — lower, warmer, and redder as the sun sets over the Atlantic to the west. The combination of puffin photography at Latrabjarg and the drive back through the evening fjords makes for one of Iceland's genuinely unmatchable days.

Rauðasandur Beach

Rauðasandur (Red Sand Beach) is 30km from Latrabjarg — a 10km beach of reddish-pink sand formed from crushed scallop shells, fringed by the green hills of the Westfjords interior. It is one of the most visually surprising beaches in Iceland, where the warm sand colour contrasts completely with the black sand beaches of the South Coast. The access road descends a steep gradient from the plateau — 4x4 recommended. Seals are regularly seen on the beach and in the shallow bay. The combination of Latrabjarg puffins and Rauðasandur beach in a single Westfjords day is the optimal pairing.

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