Hólmavík is the Best Place for Whale Watching in Iceland. Here’s Why.
A tiny town of just 400 people, Hólmavík is creeping onto the tourism scene as a quiet highlight of the Westfjords. The Westfjords in general is also growing its visitor numbers, offering an interesting solution to the overtourism issue along Iceland’s South Coast.
Hugging the scenic Steingrímsfjörður, Hólmavík is a charming and unique town, most known for its Icelandic Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft with its quirky displays of Icelandic folklore and legend.
As much as I love my witchcraft history (as a descendent of a Salem Witch Trial accusee), I was actually in Hólmavík for a different reason entirely: its whale watching, which is some of the best in the Westfjords and possibly all of Iceland.
| 🇮🇸 Planning a trip to Holmavík? Here are my quick picks if you’re planning in a hurry! 🏨 Where to Stay: – Gistihús Hólmavíkur ($$, guesthouse, includes breakfast) – Finna Hótel: ($, hotel, breakfast additional price) – Seafront House: ($$$, rental home, self-catering possible) 🐋 What to Do: – Whale Watching with Láki Tour (humpbacks & orcas possible!) – Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft (top attraction in town!) – Sea Kayaking or Horseback Riding in Heydalur (20 min. drive) 🚗 Getting Around: You’ll definitely need to rent a car when visiting remote parts of Iceland like Holmavík. I recommend renting a car with Discover Cars; however, skip their full-coverage insurance and instead buy a la carte insurance from whichever rental provider you book with. This is because you’ll want to buy individual insurances such as windshield insurance, etc. as Iceland presents some unique risks for driving that you ought to be separately insured for. |
The waters in the fjord here are sheltered and calm, compared to some whale watching outside of Reykjavik, where you are far more likely to experience rougher seas, being out on the open ocean. As someone who gets seasickness incredibly easily and often, this is a huge blessing for me.
I often try to break through my sea sickness by drugging myself with concerning amounts of Dramamine (and have almost fallen asleep on certain boat safari cruises because of it)… but that was entirely unnecessary here, as the water here is incredibly glassy and flat.
It was lovely to experience a whale watching tour where I wasn’t groggy, but actually alert and able to absorb the beauty of the scenery around me. And oh, was the scenery ever beautiful!
Here’s a bit about my time whale watching in Hólmavík and why I think it ought to be on your radar (and if you’re wondering what else you can do there, I have a mini guide to the town itself!)
My Experience Whale Watching in Hólmavík
I went whale watching with Láki Tours, who have been offering whale watching tours in the Snæfellsnes peninsula of Iceland for years but opened a new outpost of their tours in the Westfjords, in Hólmavík. You can check out their availability here.
They’re the only operator in town, but luckily, they’re awesome and you will have a great day whale watching with them.
I visited Hólmavík in July, right in peak Westfjords season. But peak season is not a bad thing here in the Westfjords; it’s actually good, as outside of peak season, almost everything is closed or has severely reduced hours.
Due to the harsh weather conditions and relatively smaller demand in tourism in this part of Iceland, visiting the Westfjords is extremely seasonal — most of the region comes alive from June through August.
Luckily, that overlaps perfectly with prime whale watching season in Hólmavík, which runs from May through September.
It was a calm, clear day to head out on the fjord, which is a relative blessing in Iceland even in the summer.
Within a short time on the water, we started spotting those telltale spouts in the distance and disturbances on the water surface: whales in the distance!
We had been briefed before arriving that we were in humpback season, but that there wasn’t any guarantee of seeing them. While orcas are present in this fjord during certain parts of the year, it was highly unlikely that we’d see them.
They mentioned we might see the last of the season’s puffins too: this didn’t end up happening, but luckily I had seen them while kayaking in Heydalur previously.
Luckily, within moments of setting out on the water, we found a pair of humpback whales that we slowly tracked throughout our two-hour whale watching tour.
The company does an excellent job of striking the right balance of tracking whales without chasing them or approaching too closely.
By following ethical whale watching protocol, you can actually see the whales for far longer, as they don’t feel threatened or scared by your presence.
Because of their care in maintaining an appropriate distance from the whales, we were able to watch the humpbacks let their guard down and surface several times rather close to the boat.
We were lucky to see several humpbacks throughout the fjord, but the most special was that we were able to watch two whales swimming together. Typically, humpback whales are rather solitary animals. Occasionally, two will swim side by side for a few hours. According to our captain, it’s rare to see, so it was pretty special to see these two hanging out!
The best thing about whale watching in Hólmavík is the peace and quiet. As there is just one whale watching boat on the fjord at a time, since it’s literally the only company operating in Hólmavík, you’re more likely to see whales since they are less likely to be disturbed by your presence.
The Whales You Can See in Hólmavík (and When)
Whale sightings here generally follow migration patterns, so timing matters. The main three whales you see in the fjord are:
- Humpback whales (June–September)
Humpbacks are beloved amongst whale watchers for a reason. They’re commonly seen and they’re known for their more active surface behavior — tail slaps, flukes (the unique markings on their tails), and rare but beautiful breaches. The humpbacks we saw didn’t breach, but it was still magical nevertheless. - Orcas (May–June primarily)
If orcas are your dream sighting, your best window is May and June. They’re typically present in the fjord from around March through June, but tours begin in May — so realistically, May and June the time to go visit. The local operator reports seeing orcas about 50% of the time during this two-month stretch, but of course, that’s far from a guarantee. - Minke whales (year-round possibility)
Minke whales are smaller whales and can be seen at any time of year. They’re fast, streamlined little guys. They’re shy and often surface briefly — which makes them harder to observe than humpbacks, even if there are probably more of them in the water at any given time.
A note about eating whale in Iceland: The consumption of minke whale meat is largely driven by tourist demand and is often imported from Norway. Nowadays, locals in Iceland typically do not eat whale. The whale watching industry preaches: “Meet us, don’t eat us.”
- Rare but possible sightings: There’s a small chance of seeing blue whales, fin whales, sei whales, pilot whales, sperm whales (who prefer deeper water), and even white-beaked dolphins. Sperm whales in particular require heading further out and this is heavily weather-dependent as the water has to be calm enough in the deeper parts of the fjord, closer to the open seas.
Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016, visiting 75+ countries in total. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. As a former educator, she merges her writing and educational experience to encourage ethical, sustainable travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and TBEX. Her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. When she’s not on the road, she lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
