Látrabjarg
Látrabjarg is a 14-kilometre-long promontory of sea cliffs rising up to about 440 metres, marking the westernmost point of Iceland and one of the westernmost points of Europe outside the Azores. It is Europe's largest bird cliff, home to millions of seabirds including Atlantic puffins, northern gannets, guillemots and razorbills, and holds up to 40% of the world's razorbill population.
Region
Westfjords
Coordinates
65.5000° N, 24.5000° W
Important to know
- Extreme danger
- Unfenced 400-metre-class cliffs, fragile undercut turf, strong wind, bird-distraction near the edge, and remote rescue access make any edge approach extremely dangerous.
Plan the stop
- Who it suits
- 6+
- Cliff edges are unfenced with fragile, undercut turf and drops up to 440 metres, so young children need constant close supervision and are not recommended to walk near the edge unaccompanied.
- Allow
- 1 hr 30 min
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · Limited
- The car park and lighthouse area are reachable by road, but the clifftop walking paths are unpaved grass and loose turf with no barriers, making them unsuitable for wheelchairs.
- Limited mobility · Limited
- The remote drive and uneven, unfenced clifftop turf make walking near viewpoints difficult for limited balance or stamina.
- Sensory · Limited
- Height exposure, wind, seabird noise, smell, and remote conditions can be intense.
- Cognitive · Limited
- The cliff edge can be undercut and visually deceptive, requiring constant spatial awareness and supervision.
Why it matters
Local farmers historically abseiled the cliffs on ropes to gather eggs and feathers, a tradition that proved decisive on 12 December 1947, when the British trawler Dhoon wrecked below the cliffs; farmers scaled down using their egg-collecting harnesses and rescued 12 of the 15 crew in a three-day operation later documented in the 1949 film Björgunarafrekið við Látrabjarg. The Bjargtangar lighthouse near the site is the westernmost lighthouse in Europe.