Vigur or Not: Puffin Options in West Iceland vs. the Westfjords
“Where can we see puffins from the trucks?” is one of the most common questions guests ask at Hvítá Trucks. The honest answer: not from the riverbank itself. Puffins nest on coastal cliffs and offshore islands, and Hvítárbakki sits inland in Borgarfjörður. Seeing them means a drive and, in most cases, a boat. Here is how to do it realistically from West Iceland, without chasing the far Westfjords colonies you may have read about.
First, the honest part: nothing at the door
There is no puffin colony at Hvítárbakki. The famous images of birds two metres away at cliff-top burrows come from places like Látrabjarg in the Westfjords or Dyrhólaey in the south, both of which are a serious commitment from Borgarfjörður. Látrabjarg alone is roughly a five- to six-hour drive each way from this part of the country, realistically a full overnight trip rather than a day out. Skip it unless the Westfjords are already on your route.
The realistic West Iceland option: Breiðafjörður by boat
The sensible move from Hvítá Trucks is the Snæfellsnes peninsula, about 90 minutes to two hours’ drive northwest. From the harbour town of Stykkishólmur, boat operators run short trips out among the islands of Breiðafjörður bay, where you can see puffins alongside other seabirds such as kittiwakes and shags during the nesting season. There is also a puffin-focused boat trip out to the small island of Melrakkaey, departing from Grundarfjörður further along the peninsula. These are open-sea, boat-based sightings rather than the up-close cliff experience, so bring a small pair of binoculars.
Season and timing
Puffins are only in Iceland for part of the year. They typically arrive around mid to late April and leave by about mid-August, so any trip outside that window will find empty cliffs. The strongest viewing runs from roughly mid-June to late July, when the birds are actively nesting. Book a morning departure where you can: seas tend to be calmer earlier in the day, which makes for a steadier boat and better viewing.
- Getting there: Hvítá Trucks to Stykkishólmur is about 100 km, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours’ drive on Route 54 across Snæfellsnes.
- Duration: Breiðafjörður boat trips are short, commonly around 1 to 1.5 hours on the water; budget a half-day round trip with the drive.
- Season: roughly mid/late April to mid-August; peak mid-June to late July.
- What to bring: a windproof layer even in July, binoculars, motion-sickness tablets if you are sensitive, and a zoom lens rather than a phone for photos.
- Timing: aim for a morning departure for calmer water; check the operator’s current schedule before you drive out.
Where to Stay
Base yourself at Hvítá Trucks on the bank of the Hvítá river in Borgarfjörður. Its position makes it a practical launch point for a Snæfellsnes puffin run: you are already on the West Iceland side, so you skip the long Reykjavík commute and can be at a Breiðafjörður boat by mid-morning, then back at the trucks by afternoon. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.
Photo: Jakub Hałun via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.