Hornvík Heights and Sights

What's Included

· Boat ride to and from Hornstrandir Nature Reserve 
· All food
· Accommodation at our comfortable basecamp
· Professional guide  

What's Not Included

· Travel to and from Ísafjorður prior to and after the trip
· Food on the first day until the trip departs 
· Personal medical insurance
· Personal equipment and clothing

Requirements

Remember that everything you bring you will have to carry on your back for the entire hike. Try to pack as light as possible while still bringing everything you need. Please note that we provide the tents, sleeping bag, mattress and pillow and you will not need to carry any of this with you. However, you will need to bring your own sleeping bag liner and pillow cover. Warm outdoor clothing including hiking pants and warm upper layers. Please avoid cotton as it keeps you cold when wet and takes a very long time to dry. Waterproof jacket and pants. Hiking boots. Please use waterproof high-top hiking boots, which provide ankle support. Hat and gloves. Small backpack. Personal medical kit i.e. band aids, throat lozenges, lip salves, seasickness tablets etc. Don't forget your personal medication, which you may need (e.g. Asthma inhaler, even if you don’t always need it). Sun glasses. Sunscreen and after sun cream. Binoculars are nice to have for watching wildlife. (Optional). Water bottle. Sleeping bag liner and pillow cover. Don't forget your camera!

Text on ticket

HORNVÍK HEIGHTS AND SIGHTS

FACT SHEET

THANK YOU FOR BOOKING WITH BOREA ADVENTURES ICELAND

A sparsely populated North Atlantic island, Iceland is famous for its waterfalls, hot springs, geysers and active volcanoes. An island of untamed natural forces, proud people, stunning nature and dramatic scenery, Iceland offers an abundance of outdoor activities for all. 

Iceland’s history began eleven hundred years ago when Norse settlers arrived to discover an island of mysterious highlands, fire spouting mountains, ice caps and endless fjords. Such landscapes invited a rich folklore, whilst the great Sagas record the stories of gods, kings and a Viking’s way of life. At the turn of last century, little had changed, the people worked the lands and seas much the same as their forefathers. 600 years of Danish rule, natural disasters, diseases and famine made the Icelanders' way of living very hard. With improvements to their fishing techniques and trade, the Icelanders have now come to enjoy some of the highest living standards in the world. 

The Westfjords of Iceland are one of the most remote parts of the country with endless outdoor pursuits available whether in the mountains, sheltered fjords or bays. The Westfjords are geologically the oldest part of Iceland, around 16 million years old but still very young compared to most parts of the world. Borea’s favorite areas are the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve with its rich history and unspoilt landscapes. There are no roads in the nature reserve and the only way venture there is by boat. Due to its remote location, it is very possible to stay there for days without meeting a single soul.

TRIP PROFILE
Join us for a hike in the heart of Hornstrandir, taking in all of its beauty, including Hornbjarg bird cliffs and Hornvík bay. When limited to only a couple days in Hornstrandir, the toughest part can be deciding where to go. Hornvík Bay is a clear favourite for many travellers and is our recommendation for the “I only have a couple days, where should I go?” traveller.
We totally recommend doing more than a day trip to the nature reserve as the nature takes on a different shape in the evenings. The Arctic Fox comes out from their dens searching for food, the midnight sun shines straight into Hornvík bay and it's very cosy to sit around the table in our basecamp enjoying a nice cup of tea talking to your fellow travellers. The wildlife in Hornvík is amazing with over 6 million birds nesting on the cliffs, Arctic Foxes that are so relaxed that you can enjoy their company very close up and many species of waders that call the bay their home.
The nature is so pristine and breathtaking, you will return from this trip a different person. We sleep in comfortable 2 person tents and have a big separate cooking/eating tent which is heated, where we spend time socialising and drying off our gear!

ITINERARY

Day 1

We meet at our office in Aðalstræti 17 (downtown main street) at 8am for a briefing, where we will answer any questions and make final preparations. We depart from the harbour in Ísafjorður on our passenger ferry Bjarmi at 9am. 
The ride to Hornvík Bay takes between 2 and 3 hours and en-route you can see the whole coastline and bays that are carved into Hornstrandir. All these bays were once occupied by our ancestors that harvested the land and fished the waters. The ferry will drop us off on a land under the old farm of Horn and we start circumnavigating the edge of the magnificent Hornbjarg bird cliffs. During the hike you will experience looking down the 400 meter cliffs (if you dare) to see kittiwakes taking a bath in the lake under the cliffs, thousands of birds soaring the edge, Arctic Foxes searching for food on the beach and enjoy the magnificent view over this isolated and pristine place. We then start our descent to our camp where we will have a well-deserved dinner.

Distance: 12 km

Day 2

We take an easy morning. After a hearty breakfast we will say goodbye to Hornvík bay and start hiking towards Veiðileysufjorður on the southside of the peninsula. The hike takes us up to 500 meters and is on a path most of the way. When walking down the pass is usually covered with snow and is a little steep. Our guides will be there to help every step of the way. 
Then we follow the path down to the fjord where the boat will pick us up around 5 – 6pm, we then make the journey back to Ísafjorður which takes around an hour.

Distance: 11 km
This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change depending on the weather, sea conditions and the ability of the group.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

Included:
· Boat ride to and from Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
· All food
· Accommodation at our comfortable basecamp
· Professional guide

Not included:
· Travel to and from Ísafjorður prior to and after the trip
· Food on the first day until the trip departs
· Personal medical insurance
· Personal equipment and clothing

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
Remember that everything you bring you will have to carry on your back for the entire hike. Try to pack as light as possible while still bringing everything you need.
Please note that we provide the tents, sleeping bag, mattress and pillow and you will not need to carry any of this with you. However, you will need to bring your own sleeping bag liner and pillow cover.

· Warm outdoor clothing including hiking pants and warm upper layers. Please avoid cotton as it keeps you cold when wet and takes a very long time to dry.
· Waterproof jacket and pants.
· Hiking boots. Please use waterproof high-top hiking boots, which provide ankle support.
· Hat and gloves.
· Small backpack.
· Personal medical kit i.e. band aids, throat lozenges, lip salves, seasickness tablets etc. Don't forget your personal medication, which you may need (e.g. Asthma inhaler, even if you don’t always need it).
· Sun glasses.
· Sunscreen and after sun cream.
· Binoculars are nice to have for watching wildlife. (Optional).
· Water bottle.
· Sleeping bag liner and pillow cover.
· Don't forget your camera!

TRAVELING TO ÍSAFJORÐUR
Ísafjorður is much closer than you'd think, and it's not even that expensive to get here!
Now there are many airlines with scheduled flights into Iceland. As far as we can see there are direct flights to Iceland from the following cities during the summer months and many of them the whole year: Alicante, Amsterdam, Baltimore, Barcelona, Basel, Bergen, Berlin, Boston, Copenhagen, Eindhoven, Frankfurt, Friedrichshafen, Glasgow, Gothenburg, Halifax, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Munchen, Denver, New York, Orlando, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, Zurich.
There are a few websites that may help you search for cheap airfares into the country. Check the Travelsupermarket and the Icelandic search engine Dohop. You arrive in Keflavik International Airport about 40 minutes away from the capital city of Reykjavik. From the domestic airport in Reykjavik there are 2-3 daily 40 minute flights to Isafjordur. You can take the Fly-Bus between the airports and most of the time you can continue same day. Check out Air Iceland for schedules and special offers.
You can also rent a car and drive to Isafjordur. The drive, over mountain passes and through fjords is an adventure itself. It´s about 440-500 km depending on which route you take. A new road via Arnkotludalur opened in 2009 which completes the asphalted pathway the whole way, and kills the old myth of bad roads in the Westfjords! The drive will normally take you 5-6 hours.
For accommodation in Reykjavik there are many options of hotels and guesthouses that we can book for groups. Please ask us for individual bookings. We strongly recommend that you spend a few extra days visiting the West Fjords and other parts of Iceland. We're happy to help you arranging few days in the area or give you good tips about exciting things to do while in Iceland.

ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSFER
Borea can help you sort out accommodation in Reykjavík and Ísafjorður before or after the trip. We only cooperate with guesthouses and hotels with good reputation. We can also book a transfer for you from/to Keflavik international airport if you are traveling in a group. Otherwise Flybus is the best option.

YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS
When you travel on a group trip you will be exposed to all the pleasures and maybe some of the frustrations of travelling in a group. Your fellow travellers will probably come from all corners of the world and likely be a range of age groups too. We ask you to be understanding of the various needs and preferences of your group - patience with your fellow travellers is sometimes required for the benefit of everyone’s travel experience. Remember too that you have responsibilities to the group. If you are requested to be somewhere at a certain time, ensure that you don’t keep the rest of the group waiting. We have found time and time again that the very best trips we operate are those where the dynamics within the group work well - this takes just a little effort on your part.

Please note that due to privacy reasons we are unable to provide you with contact details and any personal information about your fellow travellers booked on your trip prior to departure.

GROUP LEADER
From your arrival in Ísafjorður you are accompanied by knowledgeable outdoor adventure specialists. Borea only hires qualified and experienced staff with a passion for adventure and a good knowledge of the area we travel in.

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
We believe strongly in low impact or even positive impact tourism. Broadly speaking this means that we try to minimise the negative aspects of tourism on local cultures and environments that we visit, and highlight the positive aspects.

OUR PHILOSOPHY
Borea Adventures is a small company, owned and operated by people who love being outdoors and enjoy the nature and culture of the North Atlantic. We like to share our experience by giving people access to these areas through safe and fun filled adventure holidays.
Borea Adventures adheres to the principles of low impact, sustainable tourism. Our trips are “silent”, as we try not to use any motorized vehicles. We like to encourage physical activity to suit any level of ability from easy sailing and hiking through to exhilarating action sports. 
We rely on local knowledge and respect local culture. We take great pride in using only guides with a thorough knowledge of the local nature and history. For our mouth watering cuisine we use primarily ingredients from the areas we travel in.
Our priority is to guarantee our guests enjoyable wilderness experiences in perfect harmony with the environment that supports us.

BOREA ADVENTURES NEWSLETTER
Our newsletter is your way of staying abreast of travel trends and emerging travel product. Sign up now to not miss out on great travel deals and exciting news about travel and expeditions in the North Atlantic region. Please visit www.BoreaAdventures.com for further information and follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/Borea.Adventures.

Welcome to Iceland!

Borea Adventures  ::  Aðalstræti 17  ::  400 Ísafjorður  ::  ICELAND

www.boreaadventures.com 

Book with Confidence

• Free Date Changes

  Borea Adventures allows you to make 2 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 60 days before the start of the tour.

• Transfer as credit to Future Tours

  Borea Adventures allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform borea adventures, 60 days before departure.

• Low Deposit

  Borea Adventures requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 75 days before departure.

• Cancellation Policy

  We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of borea adventures charges.

  Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

  At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

  At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.