East Iceland Information Information
Your comprehensive guide to Everything Reykjavik
The East fjords are the only part of Iceland where the Icelandic reindeer live. Their herd is at home the high mountains and vast open areas. Every year, hunting of reindeer is allowed for a short period of time, but only for those who win a permit in the annual hunting permit lottery.The East fjords have dramatic scenery with high mountains and small villages in the fjords. Egilsstaðir is the biggest town in the area and home of the domestic airport for the east. . Although the town of Egilsstaðir is considered as the capital of the east, it is the town of Seyðisfjörður that gets more attention. Besides being thought of my locals as one of Iceland´s most picturesque villages, Seyðisfjörður is also the arrival area of the Smyril lines ferry that has scheduled trips between Iceland and Scandinavia for the majority of each year.
On February 10th, 1944 German fighter planes sunk the British oil tanker “El Grillo” in the middle of the fjord. This was one of the very few events of World War II that Icelanders experienced firsthand.
Flights are available to Egilsstaðir from Reykjavík and the flight takes 1 hour with Air Iceland.
