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Flatey island

Westfjords  >  Iceland

Flatey is the only inhabited island of the 3,000 small islets dotting the Breidafjordur Bay. It is the best place in Iceland to spot the Falaropo beccolargo.

Aggiunto* da Jens De Bruycker
Ultimo aggiornamento 11 maggio 2025

Descrizione

Flatey is a very small island, only a 1,5 km or so long, with one dusty road leading from the ferry dock through the so called old village. No cars are allowed on the island. The island is a paradise for bird watching with over 30 different species during the breeding season. On the road from the ferry to the village look for Edredone , Uria nera and Aquila di mare at sea. In every pond you see many Falaropo beccosottile.

Flatey is the best place in the world to see Falaropo beccosottile up close. In the villlage you see plenty of Zigolo delle nevi on the rooftops. On the island look out for the hyper aggressive Sterna codalunga colony (especially in summer when defending their chicks) as they dive for your head when you get to close. Keep one arm (or stick) in the air to keep them at a distance. Past the village the road leads to sea cliffs with Pulcinella di mare and Fulmaro . The part of the island where the Falaropo beccolargo breeds is closed to visitors, with very clearly placed STOP – DO NOT ENTER signs giving people no excuse to trespass. However, they can be frequently seen in the village, feeding in the grass at the feet of delighted birders. The best tactic for seeing Falaropo beccolargo on Flatey is to go up to the church (check out the cool Jesus-with-Islandic-sweater murial inside) and walk along the fence which runs down to the sea. Set up your scope by the stop sign and wait, because sooner or later one is likely to feed in the bay below - this tactic does not work at low tide, the birds like to feed on the surface of the water, not on mudflats, so if the tide is low, you are better off looking elsewhere. Fingers crossed!

Dettagli

Accesso

A ferrystop on the way between the Snaefellsnes peninsula and the Westfjords. The Seatours ferry to Flatey leaves from Stykkishólmur at 9 a.m. and arrives at 10:30 a.m. You can head back to Stykkishólmur at 13:15.

Terreno e habitat

Città/paese , Mare , Lago

Caratteristiche dell’area

Terreno piano

Percorso ad anello

No

È utile un cannocchiale?

Può essere utile

Buona stagione per il BW

Tutto l'anno

Miglior periodo per visitare

Estate , Primavera

Percorso

Strada sterrata , Sentiero ampio

Grado di difficoltà del percorso a piedi

Facile

Modalità di accesso

A piedi

Capanno/torretta di osservazione

No

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Mappa

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