This morning, after sailing overnight from Grímsey on the Arctic Circle, we arrived at the remote fishing village of Raufarhöfn located on the northeast coast of the Melrakkasletta (Fox Flat) Peninsula on Thistilfjördur. This northernmost village in the mainland of Iceland is called the “Arctic Circle Village”. It is protected from the heavy surf of the Greenland Sea by its sheltered harbor and breakwaters. Raufarhöfn, in its heyday, was once Iceland’s largest exporter of herring until, as at Siglufjörđur, the herring run crashed in 1964. Now it is a much quieter village and National Geographic Orion is only the second expedition ship to visit there. We met local folks and learned about life in this remote area of Iceland.
Raufarhöfn is known for Heimskautsgerđiđ (The Arctic-Henge), a place where visitors can, so it is said, empty their minds, renew their energy, and be reminded of the power of the elements.
