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Hornbjargsviti
Hornbjargsviti is a lighthouse in Hornstrandir. This territory in the westfjords of Iceland is very isolated and has been uninhabited since the 1950s. Its main attractions are three. First, the bird cliffs surrounding the bay of Hornvík, are a magnet of gigantic proportions. Second, as there is no infrastructure and the tourists few in relation to the sheer size of the area, the sense of remoteness is strong. I hiked there one week without seeing a single person. The nature is pure and the tranquillity unmatched. Third, the area is a paradise for the arctic fox. The arctic fox is a small carnivore. It is the only native terrestrial mammal in Iceland. The arctic foxes are found in two colour morphs, the "white" and the "blue". The white foxes are almost completely white in the winter but bi-coloured in the summer. The blue morph is dark brown and keeps its colour throughout the year but the sun bleaches the colour in late winter. The arctic foxes are found throughout Iceland but the density is probably highest in the West fjords. The main food resources are birds and eggs, carrion, invertebrates and berries. Nowadays the foxes are still hunted throughout the country, where it is believed that protection of live stock or eider farms is needed. The Hornstrandir Nature Reserve is one of few regions where the arctic foxes are protected in Iceland. Due to the protection, the arctic foxes in Hornstrandir have become tame and curious of the people passing by during the summer. Likewise, the tourists are interested in the foxes and their photogenic nature.
Hornbjargsviti
Hornbjargsviti is a lighthouse in Hornstrandir. This territory in the westfjords of Iceland is very isolated and has been uninhabited since the 1950s. Its main attractions are three. First, the bird cliffs surrounding the bay of Hornvík, are a magnet of gigantic proportions. Second, as there is no infrastructure and the tourists few in relation to the sheer size of the area, the sense of remoteness is strong. I hiked there one week without seeing a single person. The nature is pure and the tranquillity unmatched. Third, the area is a paradise for the arctic fox. The arctic fox is a small carnivore. It is the only native terrestrial mammal in Iceland. The arctic foxes are found in two colour morphs, the "white" and the "blue". The white foxes are almost completely white in the winter but bi-coloured in the summer. The blue morph is dark brown and keeps its colour throughout the year but the sun bleaches the colour in late winter. The arctic foxes are found throughout Iceland but the density is probably highest in the West fjords. The main food resources are birds and eggs, carrion, invertebrates and berries. Nowadays the foxes are still hunted throughout the country, where it is believed that protection of live stock or eider farms is needed. The Hornstrandir Nature Reserve is one of few regions where the arctic foxes are protected in Iceland. Due to the protection, the arctic foxes in Hornstrandir have become tame and curious of the people passing by during the summer. Likewise, the tourists are interested in the foxes and their photogenic nature.