Spring birdwatching: Puffins in Iceland

Birds enjoy city life too, if Tjörnin pond and the wetlands of Vatnsmýri are any indication, so don’t let that urban setting fool you. From Arctic terns to greater scaup to whooper swans, you can expect to find an array of winged creatures sure to leave an indelible mark on your heart. No puffins, though! However, boat tours operate from Reykjavík and offer puffin-spotting cruises around the nearby islands of Akurey and Lundey. 

Arnarstapi Rocky arches meet nesting seabirds at this quintessential beauty spot on the southern side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. This unique landscape serves as both a stage and a sanctuary for nesting seabirds such as the kittiwake, Arctic tern, and fulmar.

Látrabjarg Venturing to the rugged reaches of Iceland’s westernmost point leads you to Látrabjarg. This hotspot is home to one of Europe’s grandest bird cliffs, and the unrivaled puffin paradise puts on a breathtaking spectacle.

Vigur Abundant eider ducks and puffins visit this view-enriched island, which beckons bird enthusiasts to its shores by boat from Ísafjörður. As the vessel approaches, expect a vivid tapestry of birdlife to unfold before your eyes. 

Drangey An adventurous tour lets you clamber to the top of this northern islet in Skagafjörður, and the birdwatching (puffins, guillemots, gannets, kittiwakes, fulmar, shearwaters) is as exhilarating as the fjord views. 

Hrísey This small, low-lying island has glorious views of Eyjafjörður and surrounding mountains, and large colonies of Arctic tern and ptarmigan (but no puffins).

Grímsey As far north as you can go in Iceland, this island offers bountiful birds (plenty of puffins) plus the Arctic Circle crossing point. 

Langanes Fittingly, this remote duck-shaped peninsula has prolific birdlife, and there’s a great viewing platform above a large gannet colony at Skoruvíkurbjarg. 

Mývatn This lake is actually named for its insect life (mý means midge fly) and is a magnet for ducks and other waterfowl. Note: no puffins!

Borgarfjörður Eystri Come eye-to-eye with an abundance of puffin posses in this stunning, secluded Eastfjords spot. 

Djúpivogur At this renowned spot, trails weave through coastal wetlands full of ducks and waders (but no puffins). 

Ingólfshöfði Take a tractor ride to a promontory rich in birds (including puffins and the somewhat intimidating great skuas, known for divebombing), plus awesome panoramas, and unique history. 

Dyrhólaey This picturesque promontory is a scenic nesting place for puffins and seabirds. Its name translates to ‘Door Hill Island’.

Reynisfjara The famed black beach near Vík has loads of appeal, especially when the puffins nest overhead.

Vestmannaeyjar Reached by ferry, these storied southern islands are overflowing with puffins.

In the southeast region of Iceland, where all eyes are drawn to icy flows (and tours to icy endeavors), the summertime puffin tour of Ingólfshöfði warms hearts with its homespun charm. Not far from the national-park treasures of Skaftafell, visitors board a tractor-towed hay cart for a rustic journey to the Ingólfshöfði nature reserve, a 250ft (76-meter) headland where great skuas nest and puffins take up residence in the cliff edges. 

After a bumpy open-air ride of 3.7 miles (6km) across mudflats, the property owners (who have lived in the area for generations) guide guests up a steep sandy trail to an elevated position where the majesty of the Vatnajökull glacier is on full display (on a clear day, that is). The tour begins with a brief history lesson: This is where Iceland’s first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson, spent his first winter in A.D. 874. Then a leisurely 90-minute walk is taken around the flat headland, drinking in the views, marveling over seemingly misplaced sheep, dodging protective skuas, and ogling camera-ready puffin colonies. 

Tours to Ingólfshöfði run from mid-May to mid-August (when the puffins depart), and pre-booking is required. It’s worth noting that you are very exposed to the elements on this trip, so dress accordingly.

I find it hard to sleep when I pay my regular summer visit to Borgarfjörður eystri. I usually arrive buzzing on a splendor-induced high after driving the spectacular approach road, 43 miles (70km) from Egilsstaðir, and sleep doesn’t come easily. On recent trips, I have developed the habit of paying a post-midnight visit to Hafnarhólmi, 3 miles (5km) outside the village, where I can sit alone on the viewing platforms among prolific birdlife, listening to puffins warble and gulls screech while admiring the pink summer sky that won’t darken properly for weeks. 

Hafnarhólmi is a small bird-filled hill by a picturesque marina, and a timber staircase climbs the hillside and levels out at platforms where you can observe puffins going about their business from marvelously close proximity; a small birdwatching hide is also available. The hill’s raucous cliffs are more than just a puffin playground from April to mid-August – thousands of kittiwakes, fulmars and eider ducks also nest here each summer.

It’s no mean feat to combine a boat tour and adrenaline-inducing hike with superb birdwatching and storytelling, but a summertime trip to Drangey, a rocky volcanic islet in North Iceland’s Skagafjörður, does it with aplomb. 

From a tiny dock north of Sauðárkrókur, a morning boat sets off on one of Iceland’s least hyped but most fun adventures. After a 20-minute trip across the fjord waters, the boat reaches a small dock at the foot of this 590ft (180-meter) sheer-sided rock fortress, and the adventure begins: Rough-hewn steps, ladders and narrow trails climb up the cliff-edge to reach the grassy top, from where the 360° panoramas are mind-blowing and the birdlife magical. Sitting on the grass watching the comical take-offs and landings of puffins, auks and guillemots is entertaining enough, but the island’s connections to Grettis Saga, a tale of outlaws as recounted by guide Helgi, enrich the experience.

Note that this tour is physically challenging, and not for small kids or people with mobility issues or a fear of heights! Rest assured, you can go at your own pace, but at your own risk. The exhilaration of the climb is matched by the views.