NatureInterest 4/5Guide required
Elliðaey
Elliðaey is a small, steep-sided island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, about 1 km northeast of Heimaey, best known for the single white lodge on its green plateau that the internet dubbed the loneliest house in the world. In reality the lodge is a hunting cabin, and the island is a summer haunt of puffins and seabirds reached only by boat in calm conditions.
Region
South Iceland
Coordinates
63.4677° N, 20.1710° W
Important to know
- High danger
- Access is by small boat in open water, the landing is exposed, and the island has steep cliffs and slopes with no facilities or rescue nearby; only visit with an experienced operator in calm conditions.
- Guide required
- Practical access is only with an operator running boat trips from Heimaey, and landings depend on sea conditions.
- Seasonal access
- Boat visits and puffin activity are limited to the calmer summer months.
Plan the stop
- Who it suits
- 12+
- Best for older children, teens, and adults; landing involves a small boat, steep ground, and no facilities, so it is not suited to young children.
- Effort · Strenuous
- A boat crossing and an exposed scramble ashore onto steep terrain; landings are only possible when the swell is low.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · None
- There is no accessible landing; reaching the island requires a small boat and a scramble ashore.
- Limited mobility · None
- Landing and moving on the island involve steep grass slopes and rock with no built paths.
- Sensory · Limited
- Open-sea boat travel, wind, spray, and dense seabird colonies make for an intense outdoor setting.
- Cognitive · Limited
- A remote wilderness island with no facilities; visitors depend on the boat operator's guidance.
Why it matters
The lodge was built in 1953 by the Elliðaey Hunting Association for members gathering puffins; the island had permanent residents until about 1930. Around 6,000 pairs of Atlantic puffins nest here each summer, and it is a breeding site for storm petrels and other seabirds.