Flatey Island

Flatey

West

Flatey sits roughly halfway across Breiðafjörður bay in western Iceland, about 2 kilometers long and walkable end to end in under an hour. A monastery was founded here in 1172; the medieval manuscript Flateyjarbók takes its name from the island. Today only five permanent residents live here, and the cluster of 19th-century timber buildings — painted in faded reds and yellows — feels quieter than almost anywhere else in the country. The 1926 church is worth going inside: Spanish artist Baltasar Samper painted murals on the interior walls depicting scenes of island life. No cars are permitted, and in summer puffins nest in the clifftops. A small guesthouse and café are open June through August; outside those months nearly everything closes and ferry sailings are frequently cancelled. Access is via the Baldur ferry from Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, which stops at Flatey on the crossing to Brjánslækur in the Westfjords. Day visits are possible on the summer schedule; overnight stays give a better sense of the island once the day-trip passengers have gone.

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