Puffin Lookout is an enclosed wooden viewing hide on Stórhöfði, the headland at the far end of Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar islands, South Iceland. Openings in its walls look straight out at the grassy cliff slopes where puffins dig their burrows. Thousands of birds can be on the slope at once, and the walls keep the wind and rain off while you watch. The birds stay within close view as long as visitors keep quiet.
Puffin Lookout
Local name: Stórhöfði - Fuglaskoðunarhús
In fine weather the puffins are out at sea most of the day; a rainy midday is when the burrows are busiest.
- Accessibility
- The entrance is not wheelchair accessible.
- Parking
- Free car park about 170 m from the hide. A second parking area just over 300 m away is private.
- Difficulty
- About 170 m from the car park to the hide, roughly two minutes on foot.
- Transport
- A hop-on hop-off island bus stops at the lookout. The nearest regular stops are in Vestmannaeyjar, about 4.5 km away.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, every day.
- Address
- Stórhöfði, Heimaey, 900 Vestmannaeyjar
What makes it special
Most puffin viewing is done standing on an open clifftop. This one is done from inside a cabin. Openings cut through the wooden walls point straight at the burrowed slope, so the birds are close and the weather stays outside.
Mid-morning the slope can hold thousands of them. Keep your voice down and they stay put. Weather works the other way round here: in fine conditions the puffins spend most of the day out at sea, so a rainy midday is the better bet. Around sunset hundreds more come back in from the water to spend the night on the cliff.
Good to know
- No facilities: there are no toilets and no drinking water at the lookout, or anywhere within several kilometres of it.
- Rain is not a reason to skip it: the hide is enclosed, and you watch through openings cut in the wall.
- Keep quiet: the puffins stay close to the hide when visitors keep the noise down.
- Fine weather empties the slope: in good conditions most of the birds are out at sea through the day.
- With children: the viewing is done from inside a cabin, out of the wind.
Getting there
The last stretch is short. Vehicles come right up to the site, and the walk from the car park to the cabin takes about two minutes. A hop-on hop-off bus service on the island stops directly at the lookout, so the final approach on foot is the same whether you drive or ride.
Best time to visit
Better: mid-morning, and around sunset. A rainy midday also works.
Avoid: the middle of a fine, calm day.
In good weather the puffins are out at sea for most of the daylight hours and the slope looks thin. Rain keeps more of them at the burrows, and the hide means you stay dry while you watch. At sunset hundreds return from the water to the cliff for the night.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
When are the most puffins visible?
Mid-morning the cliff slope can hold thousands of birds. Around sunset hundreds more come back from the sea to spend the night.Is it worth coming in the rain?
Yes. The hide is enclosed and you watch through openings in the wall. In fine weather the puffins are out at sea most of the day, so a wet midday is often the better chance.Are there toilets at the lookout?
No. There are no toilets and no drinking water at the site, or anywhere within several kilometres of it.How far is the walk from the car park?
About 170 m, roughly two minutes on foot.How close do the birds come?
Close enough to watch from the viewing openings. They stay put as long as visitors keep the noise down.