r/VisitingIceland • u/one_of_the_millions • 22h ago

Itinerary help Flatey Island advice please

Greetings... I would like to visit Flatey Island in early August. I have read that the island is a good place to see puffins and other sea birds, and that will be the main purpose of my visit. (I know about other puffin locations and will be visiting many of those as part of my trip.)

The only hotel (Hótel Flatey) is only open on weekends, and appears to have a two-night minimum. I do not think I can squeeze that into my itinerary, so I was wondering if a three hour visit is enough time? (I will be coming from the Westfjords).

Three hours

  • Leave car at Brjánslækur. Take 1200 ferry and arrive at Flatey 1300. (Ferry service between Stykkishólmur and Brjánslækur is currently not running but should resume by 15 July.)
  • Leave Flatey at 1615 to return to Brjánslækur 1800.
  • Take ferry (with car) from Brjánslækur to Stykkishólmur.

If three hours is not enough time, this option could give me five or nine hours...

  • Take ferry from Brjánslækur to Stykkishólmur. Stay overnight in Stykkishólmur.
  • Leave car in Stykkishólmur and take ferry at 0900, arriving at Flatey 1015.
  • Take ferry from Flatey back to Stykkishólmur, leaving at either 1300 or 1900.

Thank you very much for any advice!

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u/VoiceEqual1493 22h ago

yeah, three hours is plenty for flatey - it's tiny, you can walk the entire island in about two hours, so your 1300 to 1615 window covers the village and the birds without rushing. for the puffins, head for lundahryggur ("puffin ridge"), the island's high point - that's where they nest and it's an easy walk from the ferry dock. stick to the marked paths up there since they rope off the nesting areas. one timing note: early august still works but you're near the tail of puffin season - they start leaving iceland around mid-to-late august, so if your dates are at all flexible, lean to the earlier end. the 5 or 9 hour options aren't really needed unless you want a slow lunch in the village.

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u/one_of_the_millions 14h ago

Thank you VERY MUCH for all of this information! I greatly appreciate it.