Last updated September 19, 2026

Patreksfjörður strung along the shoreline of its fjord beneath a long flat-topped cliff wall

Steinninn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Iceland

Where to Stay in Patreksfjörður

Patreksfjörður is the main village of the southern Westfjords, a line of houses and workshops stretched along the northern shore of its own fjord beneath a long, flat-topped wall of rock. About 720 people live here. The settlement takes its name from Bishop Patrick of the Hebrides, spiritual guide to Örlygur Hrappsson, one of the region's first settlers, and it stayed largely agricultural until the fishing boom of the late 18th century turned it into a trading and fishing port. Fishing and fish processing are still the main work, though the fleet is smaller than it was before Iceland's 1990 quota system. For travelers it matters as the last village with full services before the road runs west to Látrabjarg, and as the practical overnight stop between the Dynjandisheiði crossing and the Baldur ferry at Brjánslækur.

Quick facts

Best time to visit
Late May to early September. That is when the Látrabjarg puffins are on the cliffs, the gravel road out to them is in reasonable shape, and the village's hotel and restaurants are open — the main hotel runs a May-to-October season and shuts entirely in winter. Outside that window the roads in from either direction can close in weather, and services thin out sharply.
Renting a car
A car is the only realistic way in or out. Látrabjarg, Rauðasandur and the Brjánslækur ferry terminal are all drives from here, the last stretch to the cliffs is maintained gravel, and no scheduled transport covers any of it.

Where to stay

Travelers who need a comfortable, reliable stop between the Dynjandisheiði crossing and Látrabjarg or the Brjánslækur ferry, and who value having fuel, a supermarket and a hot dinner in the same place.

A row of houses along Patreksfjörður’s main street with the bare scree slope rising directly behind them

Hansueli Krapf / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Patreksfjörður Village & Waterfront

Best for: Road trips, Nature lovers, Couples

Our picks for Patreksfjörður

A handful of editorial calls across every neighborhood above, not just the highest star rating — see each hotel's own card further down for the full case for and against it.

📍 Best locationFosshotel WestfjordsPatreksfjörður Village & Waterfront

A couple of hotels in Patreksfjörður Village & Waterfront

Patreksfjörður Village & Waterfront is the top-recommended area to stay in Patreksfjörður.

Fosshotel Westfjords

★★★
  • 📍 Best location

Our take The sensible place to sleep between the Dynjandisheiði crossing, Látrabjarg and the Brjánslækur ferry — a comfortable chain hotel in a genuinely remote spot.

Highlights

  • On-site restaurant and bar, in a village where kitchens otherwise close early
  • Fjord- or mountain-facing rooms with blackout curtains, which matter under the Westfjords' near-constant summer daylight
  • Látrabjarg is about 61 km west and Rauðasandur about 33 km away

What to know

  • Seasonal — it runs roughly May to October, so shoulder-season trips need checking first
  • Allow about an hour and twenty each way to Látrabjarg; the gravel section is slow
Check availability on Booking.com

Hotel West

★★★

Our take Patreksfjörður's old general store, converted into simple rooms with fjord and mountain views from the upper floor, over the village and the water.

Highlights

  • Upper floor of the village's old general store, with fjord views
  • Two minutes' walk to the pool, five to the shops and restaurants
  • A small property, with breakfast served downstairs each morning

What to know

  • Rooms are simple — wooden floors and showers, no extras beyond breakfast.
  • The southern Westfjords have few beds, so summer nights sell out early.
Check availability on Booking.com

Useful travel information

Iceland uses the Icelandic króna (ISK), and cards work everywhere. Patreksfjörður has a filling station, a supermarket, a swimming pool, a bank and a health centre, and it is the last place with that combination before the road west to Látrabjarg. Fill the tank here — the run out to the cliffs and back is around 120 km with nothing open along it. Everyone arrives by car, either over Dynjandisheiði from the north or along the coast from Brjánslækur and the ferry.

Tips

  • Fill the tank before you drive west. Látrabjarg is about 60 km away and there is no fuel, food or reliable phone signal between here and the cliffs.
  • Rauðasandur, the wide red-sand beach across the headland, is about 32 km away and reached by a steep switchback gravel descent — worth it in good weather, and a poor idea in fog.
  • If your Baldur sailing from Brjánslækur is early, do Látrabjarg the evening before rather than the morning of. The ferry is the one fixed appointment in the region and the cliff road is slower than the distance suggests.

Frequently asked questions

Is Patreksfjörður a good base for Látrabjarg?
It's the practical one. The cliffs are about 60 km west, the last stretch on maintained gravel, and Patreksfjörður is the closest village with fuel, a supermarket and a hotel. Allow around an hour and twenty each way rather than judging by the distance.
Can I do Patreksfjörður without a car?
Not realistically. There is no scheduled transport to Látrabjarg, Rauðasandur or the Brjánslækur ferry, and the village itself is a single strip along the shore rather than somewhere you'd arrive without wheels.

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