Örlygshöfn Cove

Basic Information

Located in the Westfjords of Iceland.
Less known location.
Iceland’s Golden Beach

Iceland is a place with a mysterious yet calming nature that never fails to mesmerize the travelers from across the world. This place is widely known as a place of Fire and Ice owing to the presence of opposite natural elements, at one place you will see those snow-capped mountains, human-sized icebergs on the beach, staggering waterfalls, to those majestic glacier lagoons, while there are certain places with massive lava fields, steaming geysers, and hot pools. Apart from the seasoned travelers and globetrotters from across the world, Iceland, being a volcanically and a geologically active place seems more attractive to the environmentalists as well. This place is like a magnet to them and gives you once in a lifetime experience.

You might have come across infinite pictures of Iceland, but trust us, no pictures can describe how beautifully mysterious this place is and has everything that you as a traveler wish to explore and visit. It might even be that you have not seen any pictures of this location when day dreaming about Iceland. This is because this beach is not very well known among travelers. It is a locals favorite place take in the nature and enjoy the beautiful views and calm environment. You are never going to leave Iceland without tons of experience and memories to cherish forever. Örlygshöfn Cove is known for its calmness and soothing natural environment. So, let’s just dive in further and find out more about this place.

The Indescribable Beauty of Örlygshöfn

Spend some quality time with your friends and family at Örlygshöfn. When you head towards the Patreksfjörður fjord’s southern shore, you will witness the beautiful and calm Örlygshöfn, which is a wide panorama of the seashore with a thick layer of yellow sand, reflecting the true tropical vibes on bright sunny days. There is no doubt why Örlygshöfn Cove is known as Iceland’s Golden Beach. The beautiful golden sand stretches for miles, while the fjord’s waters take over the hue of royal blue on sunny days. This scarcely populated Örlygshöfn Cove, across the fjord, from the Patreksfjörður town.

Örlygshöfn, owing to the vast land that covers the major portion is also a great place for horse riding. But fret not, this place is less dangerous than the Löngufjörur sands in Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This place is completely opposite to many other places in Iceland, you won’t find those steep mountains, waterfalls, or the steaming hot fields here, but a sense of calmness and satisfaction. It is worth visiting the place and marking it on your travel itinerary. Even if not on a horse, you can simply walk on the golden beach and listen to the waves hitting the shoreline. It is completely satisfying, a sense of satisfaction and peace surges down your body as you are more engulfed in the natural environment of Örlygshöfn. Örlygshöfn Cove will make you witness the most beautiful sunset and sunrise, while the winter nights here have the magnificent and picturesque display of northern lights.

Explore the Nearby Museum at Hnjotur

When in Örlygshöfn, you will find the Egill Ólafsson museum at Hnjotur closeby. The museum showcases the immensely deep and destroyed aspects of life in the southern Westfjords and includes the Viking boat and an American plane. For over 30 years, this museum has managed to preserve the local history to attract travelers. You can have a quick look at the museum or spend a good amount of time understanding about different things in the museum. You can also see the farming and different fishing equipment that has been used in this area for centuries. There is a café and a temporary exhibition in the museum as well. This seems to be fascinating for all those curious travelers.

How to Reach Örlygshöfn?

If you are traveling from Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, then it will take you nearly 5 hours and 20 minutes to reach Örlygshöfn. From the capital city, you can follow the Suðurgata to Hringbraut/Route 49 and then take Þjóðvegur, Vestfjarðavegur, and continue to drive on Vestjarðavegur, and then turn left on Barðastrandarvegur to Örlygshafnarvegur in Vestfirðir (612), which will take you to Örlygshöfn Cove and the nearby museum. The nearest population to Örlygshöfn Cove is Patreksfjörður where you can find some good accommodation and small restaurants.