I hadn’t planned on voyaging out to tiny Viðey Island, but one of the Oddsson Hostel staff told me I just had to go and when I saw that the ferry was included on the Reykjavík City Card I had purchased, I decided to take the chance. Lessons learned: A) Always take into consideration advice given by a local, B) Don’t be so rigid in your plans that you can’t throw your schedule out the window for an expected activity and C) Don’t be so beholden to the advice in a guidebook that you miss out on something great because it isn’t labeled a “must-see” attraction.
Viðey is a small island (1.6km sq) about a 15-minute ferry ride from Reykjavík’s harbor docks. There is only one departure point in the winter, but during the warmer months there are three transportation hubs along the coast. The schedule varies considerly with the changing seasons; make sure you plan accordingly as this ferry system is the one and only way to get out to Viðey. The ferry is run by the Elding company, which also sells day cruises for puffin and whale watching. (Numerous companies line the harbor selling whale expeditions, but only Elding can sell you a ticket for the Viðey ferry. Even when using your free ride via the City Card, you still must go to the Elding booth ahead of time and sign up.)
Before I get into what Viðey is like today, let me give you a little historical background on the island. Vikings settlements were established as early as the 10th Century and a monastery later dominated the island throughout the Middle Ages. The most important person to live on Viðey was Skúli Magnússon, the first treasurer of Iceland, known as the “Father of Reykjavík.” In 1753, construction began on his residence, Viðeyjarstofa, and an adjoining chapel. Viðeyjarstofa was the first building in Iceland completely made of stone and was later passed down to a long line of high-ranking government officials. Viðeyjarstofa has been turned into a restaurant and, along with the chapel, is the only original building to still stand on Viðey today.
In the early 20th Century industry was booming on the island. A fishing village sprang up on the Eastern side of the island, but by 1943 it was completely deserted and all the houses were torn down due to the shortage of building materials during WWII. Placards have been placed around the ruins of the former-village, which feels like the Icelandic equivalent of a Wild West ghost town. How did this once thriving and most prestigious spot in Reykjavík have a population of zero by 1943?
To the city’s great credit, no hotels or stores have been allowed to set up shop on the island. Instead, it has become a birdwatcher’s paradise, with over 30 species calling Viðey home. You can bring a bike on the ferry and ride the paved paths, but an even better option is to hike along the Northern coast of the island from one end to the other. I don’t know if I would quite label the trail as “strenuous,” but you will get a good workout, so be prepared. There were barely one dozen people with me on the island and I had the hiking trail all to myself. This New Yorker shed his city skin and became one with nature like a real Icelander, if only for an hour or two.
The beauty of Viðey:
Viðey’s current claim to fame is Yoko Ono’s Friðarsúlan (Imagine Peace Tower), which she premiered on October 9, 2007, marking what would have been John Lennon’s 67th birthday. The structure looks like a giant well and has “Imagine Peace” carved in 24 languages around the base. When lit, a blue beam of light powered solely by geothermal energy, is reflected out of the well by a series of mirrors. The tower remains on between October 9th and December 8th, the day of Lennon’s death. Although I missed seeing the tower in all its glory, there is a picture nearby to give a hint of what it looks like.
A word of caution about visiting Viðey is to make sure you keep track of time. It’s easy to wander the footpaths and lose yourself in thought, but remember that the last ferry back to Reykjavík leaves around 18:00, and once it departs there’s no way to get off the island until the following morning. While hundreds line up for the whale watching tours, Viðey remains one of Reykjavík’s hidden gems. In that spirit, go check it out, but don’t tell your friends and keep it our little secret.
