Forty kilometers off the north coast of Iceland lies one of Europe's most remote islands with a thriving seabird population. Even on a sunny day in late August, the wind on Grimsey Island whips through waterproof raincoats with such force that it feels as if one strong gust could wipe a person off the face of the earth forever.
People arrive at the picturesque and rough shores of Grimsey armed with wooden sticks - not so much to help keep their balance against the elements, but to scare off Arctic terns, which have been known to swoop down on tourists who swim too close to their nests along the rocky coastline.
A 6.5 square kilometer island located 40 kilometers off the north coast of Iceland, Grimsey is the country's northernmost inhabited point and the only piece of Iceland above the Arctic Circle.
In many ways, this cold outer island, set back from the icy island nation, represents Iceland at its most elusive and extreme - and that's the appeal.
Life on the island
Until 1931, Grimsey was only accessible by a small boat that brought letters to the island twice a year. Today, 20-minute flights from Akureyri and three-hour ferries from the village of Dalvik bring adventurers to this rocky island, most of whom want to see one of Europe's most remote settlements and its incredible variety of seabirds and wildlife.
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In addition to polar kamikaze terns and a thriving puffer population, black-footed boobies (or three-toed gulls), loons and guillemots, as well as free-ranging Icelandic horses and sheep call this island home. It is estimated that the number of seabirds here outnumbers the inhabitants by about 50,000 to one.
"You won't believe it, but there are only 20 of us here, and we live here all the time," explains Halla Ingolfsdottir, a local guide and owner of Artic Trip.
Ingolfsdottir was born in Reykjavik, grew up in southeast Iceland and began spending extended periods of time on Grimsey visiting her sister, who moved to the island years ago after marrying a local fisherman. According to Ingolfsdottir, after more than 20 years of living part-time on Grimsey, she decided to become a permanent resident in 2019 and hasn't looked back since.
"People think I moved here for love of a man, but I fell in love with this island," she explains. "There is a magic here and I fell in love with the way people live here, the islanders and the nature. Nature is very powerful here; it's very different in winter, with the northern lights, stars and storms appearing as darkness falls. In spring comes the light and the birds; every season is special."
In addition to running a tour company, Ingolfsdottir also owns and operates a nine-room guesthouse near her home. When she's not giving tours or taking care of her visitors, Ingolfsdottir stops by the Grimsey power plant once a day to make sure the island is generating enough electricity to sustain itself.
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While mainland Iceland relies heavily on geothermal and renewable energy, Grimsey is so remote that it is effectively off the national grid. Instead, the entire island runs on a single diesel generator.
"People on my tours always ask if I'm bored, but I have so much to do," Ingolfsdottir says. "We do the same things as those who live on the mainland: work, go to the gym, but it's nature that keeps us here."
There is no hospital, doctor or police station on Grimsey. Ingolfsdottir says the coast guard and emergency services have trained the islanders to deal with emergencies.
"If you live here, you have to learn to be flexible and adapt to different situations and scenarios," Ingolfsdottir says. "We are prepared for anything. In case of an emergency, we are taught to be ready for first response, and we have a doctor flying in every three weeks."
A small cluster of houses (many of which serve as guesthouses for tourists) is located on the southwest side of the island. This settlement, known as Sandvik, has a school building that now functions as a community center, as well as a craft gallery and cafe selling a variety of homemade Icelandic objects, knitted items and other knick-knacks.
There's also a small grocery store that's open about an hour a day, a restaurant with a bar, a swimming pool, a library, a church, and an airstrip that's a popular landing spot for
birds.
History and lore of the island
The history of Grimsey, like many other small towns and villages in Iceland, is rooted in local lore. According to legend, the name of the island comes from a Norwegian settler named Grimur, who is believed to have sailed from the western Norwegian region of Sogn.
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The earliest mention of Grimsey dates back to 1024 and is recorded in Heimskringla, an Old Icelandic saga in which King Olaf of Norway asks for Grimsey as a token of friendship. The local chiefs refused, deeming the island too valuable to give away because of its abundance of fish and birds.
By the late eighteenth century, Grimsey's population had dwindled due to pneumonia and accidents related
to fishing - the combination of small rowboats, bad weather, and lack of a natural harbor made landing here a risky endeavor. Nevertheless, the community survived thanks to a constant influx of fishermen from the mainland and those who came to trade with the nearby settlement of Husavik, located on the north coast of Iceland.
Grimsey became part of the municipality of Akureyri in 2009, but the small number of locals are still proud of their unique identity. "Today, the lands of Grimsey belong to the residents, the city of Akureyri and the Icelandic state, who are working to preserve the island's heritage as a natural treasure and a resilient community," says Maria Tryggvadottir, Project Manager for Grimsey Tourism.
Arctic Circle
Like many who visit this enchanting island, Tryggvadottir has developed a special bond with Grimsey. "The thing that fascinates me most about Grimsey is its remoteness, unique light and incredible bird life," says Tryggvadottir. "There is something truly exceptional about wandering the sheer cliffs of this grassy island, experiencing the profound tranquility of the landscape while surrounded by thousands of seabirds. But it is the sincerity and warmth of the people that create a welcoming, close-knit community and make Grimsey truly special."
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Aside from the Arctic terns, another major tourist attraction of the island is its geographical location. Located at 66 degrees north latitude, Grimsey celebrates its status as the only part of Iceland on the Arctic Circle with not one, but two attractions.
In 2017, the 3,447 kg concrete art installation "Orbis et Globus" was unveiled, installed on the highest and northernmost part of the island to mark the imaginary line where the Arctic Circle and Grimsey intersect.
"It has become a great marketing tool for the island, but it can't be moved and we need special equipment from the mainland to move it," Ingolfsdottir says. "We have another Arctic Circle monument that has been here much longer, since 1970."
Because the Earth rotates on an axis tilted 23.5 degrees, the sphere must also move each year to align with the latitude line of the Arctic Circle - typically by about 14 meters each year. Depending on the year, the sphere has moved 130 meters south. In 2047, when the island is technically no longer in the Arctic Circle, the plan is to drop the sphere off the cliff and send it permanently into the ocean.
Polar Nights
Grimsey's location so far north also means that residents face polar nights, when the island is plunged into months of total darkness from early December to mid-February. "The darkness doesn't bother me. Some people don't like the phenomenon, but locals are well aware that it will soon be light again," Ingolfsdottir said.
One way the islanders have decided to deal with the darkness is to make their own lights. "We start decorating the island for Christmas early because we want to light up the island, and we use a lot of Christmas lights. It's like a little Christmas town and we don't put them away until February," says Ingolfsdottir.
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As for the future of Grimsey, Ingolfsdottir said several new projects are planned for the area as early as next summer, including a shelter for writers and other creative people to stay in several existing homes that will be renovated for long-term stays.
Even a short stay on Grimsey leaves campers with an appreciation of the importance of the community and a deep desire to return here for a longer stay.
"We don't want mass tourism on the island," Ingolfsdottir says. "One of the things I like about this island is its individuality, and we have a limit on the number of people who can come here; it's something the island has managed to do from the beginning, and something the rest of Iceland should take note of before it's too late."
The most popular time to visit the island is from April 10 to August 10, when terns flock to Grimsey to nest in the cliffs. Arctic Trip offers guided birdwatching walks, while other operators organize boat trips.