Hornstrandir Nature Reserve

Arctic foxes are the reason most people come. Hunting is banned across the reserve, and the foxes are seen often rather than luckily. The second draw is the bird cliffs around the bay of Hornvík, which rise more than 500 metres on the eastern side and hold seabirds in vast numbers. The third is the emptiness. There are no roads and almost no buildings, and walkers can go for days without meeting anyone. Seals and seabirds fill out the wildlife list, and humpback whales turn up on the boat crossing. The ground itself is the fragile part. The thick moss takes between 59 and 100 years to grow, and a single step kills a wide patch of it.

• No signal: Hesteyri has no mobile or internet coverage, and reception elsewhere in the reserve cannot be relied on.
• No facilities: the only amenities are occasional outhouses. Camping is allowed in designated areas only, so know where yours is before you set off.
• Wind: the flats are exposed and tents have snapped there. Bring one built for wind.
• Weather: in rain and fog the cliff views vanish. Check the forecast before you commit to a boat.
• Insects: summer brings a lot of bugs, though biting is not the main problem.

There is no road into Hornstrandir. Boats run from Ísafjörður, and the crossing takes two to two and a half hours. On a choppy sea it is a rough ride, so hold on. From the landing, everything is on foot. Trails range from level ground along the coast to steep mountain paths, and the round trip out to the cliff and back takes five to seven hours. Cruise passengers have an easy short walk from the cruise port to the boat.

Better: summer, and only on a clear forecast.

Avoid: days of rain and fog.

The point of the long walk out is the view from the cliff, and in low cloud there is nothing to see from it. Snow patches linger on the higher ground into August, though they can be crossed without spikes. By the end of summer the nights are dark enough for the aurora.

Hornstrandir has been a protected nature reserve since 1975, under some of the strictest conservation rules in Iceland. Hunting is banned, which is why the Arctic foxes are so easy to see. Camping is permitted in designated areas only. Much of the land is privately owned by descendants of the families who left in the 1950s and later rebuilt their houses, so the buildings are homes, not ruins. The moss is the thing to watch. It takes 59 to 100 years to reach the thickness you see, and one boot destroys a wide patch. Stay on the trails.