It was in the year 940 that the settler woman Þurídur Sundafyllir claimed all of Bolungarvík and Skálavík in the Westfjords. Her brother Þjódólfur arrived shortly thereafter from Norway, and Þurídur gave him the land he could enclose in a single day. He managed to enclose Hlídardalur and half of Tungudalur. Then the siblings began arguing over who owned Tungudalur. They wished all the worst for each other: Þjódólfur wished that his sister would eternally find herself in windy weather, while Þurídur wished that as many birds as possible would defecate on her brother. Now, more than a thousand years later, a thousand people live in this town, the northernmost in the Westfjords, at the mouth of Ísafjardardjúp. Since the settlement, there has been a strong community built on fishing in Bolungarvík, as it is close to rich fishing grounds. There are few, if any, places in Iceland with such a strong small-boat fishing industry. The harbor is exceptionally lively and enjoyable to visit there, and may we also suggest you take a trip to Ósvör, the old fishing station just east of the town. Or go to Skálavík, a deserted bay just west of the town, and go swimming, as one of the best swimming pools in the entire Westfjords is in Bolungarvík. Or drive/hike up Bolafjall and look out over Ísafjardardjup and almost to Greenland. Greenland is actually much closer than driving distance to Reykjavík, which takes just under six hours. Bolungarvík was the last major town in the country to be connected by road to the rest of Iceland, over a thousand years after Þurídur settled there.
Bolungarvík 27/07/2024 : A7RIV, A7C R – FE 2.8/100mm GM, FE 1.2/50mm GM, FE 1.8/20mm G
Ljósmyndir & texti : Páll Stefánsson
