Drangey

North

A flat-topped volcanic island rising around 180 metres out of Skagafjörður, Drangey is the remnant of a volcano that solidified roughly 700,000 years ago. Its sheer palagonite cliffs look essentially unclimbable — which is precisely why Grettir the Strong, the outlaw hero of Grettis saga, used it as a refuge. He and his brother held out here for three years before enemies finally reached them in 1031 AD. The only way up is a single steep path fitted with ropes and ladders. Guided boat tours run daily from Sauðárkrókur marina from June through mid-August, each trip lasting around four hours. The climb is manageable for most people but involves real exposure — if heights bother you, the boat ride and cliff views are still worth the trip. The clifftops support large seabird colonies: puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, and fulmars all nest here, and in summer the noise around the cliffs is relentless. Book through Drangey Tours (drangey.net) well in advance in summer. Sauðárkrókur is roughly two hours from Akureyri. Tours also run in May by prior arrangement.

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