Stokksnes beach

View from Stokksnes

The Stokksness Peninsula

The Stokksnes peninsula is a bit of a hidden gem in Iceland. With Instagram-worthy landscapes and relatively few tourists it is well worth a visit, as it is the location for one of the most beautiful and dramatic mountain peaks in Iceland along with beautiful black sand beaches tufted with small patches of vegetation.

Located just a short drive from the town of Höfn, Stokksnes is quite unlike anywhere else I’ve been in Iceland with its wide black sand beaches and its cliffs which are relentlessly pounded by powerful crashing waves.  And this whole area is overlooked by the stunning and majestic Vestrahorn mountains.  Some 454 metres high (1490 ft), the dark jagged peaks are like something from a fantasy novel.  Nicknamed ‘Batman Mountain’, Vestrahorn is incredibly photogenic.  On fine days it is perfectly reflected in the lagoon at the food of the mountain, offering a stunning vista for photographers.  Even on a misty day with rolling sea fog and low clouds as it was when we visited, Vestrahorn has an eerie, brooding beauty. I definitely want to go back to get that reflection shot on a clear calm day when the water creates a mirror effect.  Somehow our photos didn’t do it justice when it was wreathed in low cloud as in real life it had a slightly creepy unearthly quality which doesn’t really come over.  It was fascinating to see.  It’s no wonder that it is one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland.

Vestrahorn in the cloud

 The whole landscape of this area changes minute by minute, according to the weather conditions, the sea mist, the low clouds or (in winter) the Northern Lights, but it is always stunningly beautiful.  Apparently, the mountain is made up of mainly granite rocks which contain ingrown quartz crystals and feldspar (the mineral that makes up almost 60% of earth’s crust).  Vestrahorn shows off Iceland’s curiously stark and majestic beauty at its finest and it is easy to see why this mountain is so beloved of photographers and tourists alike.  It has been used as a backdrop for movies such as the fantasy movie ‘Stardust’ and the Bollywood romance ‘Dilwale’ which has increased its popularity with tourists wanting to see this amazing natural backdrop for themselves.

Vestrahorn

The beach at the Stokksnes is private land but you can get access to it in exchange for a small fee which helps the owner to maintain the road to the beach. There is also a small cafe where you can stop for some refreshments as well as paying the access fee.  From here you can walk to the lighthouse surrounded by rocks that overlook the beach, where it is often possible to see seals basking or swimming in the shallows.

The Stokksnes peninsula has a history stretching back to the 9th century and it was one of the very first settlements in Iceland.  It was also an important base and vital location of the British army during World War Two.

Stokksnes lighthouse and H3 radar station that monitors Icelandic airspace

An unexpected whale encounter

Because I had read that seals are often in the waters around the lighthouse at Stokksnes, and because the whole area is so beautiful – even in low cloud and sea mist – we decided to pay the small fee and take a walk down to the lighthouse to see if we could see seals.  As we approached the lighthouse area we could see three or four people watching the water intently so I thought our luck may be in.  Indeed it was, but not in the way we had expected!  As we picked our way across the rocks to the edge of the cliffs we looked out at the sea and could see movements in the water.  But it wasn’t seals, it was a humpback whale! 

We moved closer to where it was and realised that the whale was feeding.  There must have been large numbers of fish in the water in that particular place, or perhaps it was spawning season because there were dozens of seabirds swooping and screeching as they wheeled around and dived for the fish which were near the surface.  After moving closer to where we could see the whale, we realised that there were three of them there, possibly an adult and two juveniles by the size of them, and they were having an absolute feast! Check out the video below.

Humpback whales feed on shrimp-like crustaceans (krill) and small fish, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates, which act like a sieve.   They can eat up to 2500 kilograms of fish a day, which is just phenomenal.  Apparently humpbacks only feed for four months of every year, but when they do they can forage for food for 90% of their waking hours during the day.  We therefore had plenty of time to watch them as they turned and circled around the area, smacking the water with their tail fins - apparently this stuns the fish, making them easier to corral together when the whale then rises up out of the water, mouth wide open, scooping up kilos of fish at a time.

Time after time, we watched the whales emerging, mouth first, out of the water.  The sheer size and majesty of these creatures is staggering and we were mesmerised for well over an hour as they continued to put on a show for us.  It did make us laugh that we have paid a small fortune on whale-watching tours on a couple of occasions since we’ve been here and never seen anything like this, whereas today we got to enjoy it for free, close up and with barely anyone else there!  This was one of the most incredible experiences ever, I cannot believe how lucky we were to be in the right place at just the right time!  Whales are awesome creatures!

A few moments of magic as we got to watch a humpback whale feeding!

The Viking Village

Stokksnes offers not only stunning natural beauty and wildlife, but also cultural and heritage insights.  Also in this area is a replica of an authentic Viking village, which was built in 2009. 

This replica village was originally constructed for Icelandic film director Baltasar Kormakúr for a movie set – which ended up never being filmed, although in 2018 it was finally used as a film set for the Icelandic movie ‘Viking’ which was based on the Icelandic Sagas.

Sadly, the village seems to be deteriorating and is looking a little battered and unloved now.  Although as the wind and weather take their toll on the buildings, they possibly make them look a little more authentic than if they were kept in a ‘new’ and pristine condition, I hope the village will be maintained and looked after to some degree as it is a very interesting insight into a fascinating part of Icelandic history and it would be a shame to lose it.  We enjoyed wandering around the buildings with their amazing backdrop of the Vestrahorn mountain. The set itself is situated on land owned by a local farmer and seeing his horses grazing nearby it’s easy to imagine the settlement populated with people and livestock.  Although it’s not real, it does give an interesting insight into what life must have been like in viking times.