Látrabjarg (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈlauːtraˌpjark]) is a promontory in the Westfjords of Iceland, and the westernmost point in Iceland. The cliffs are home to millions of birds, including puffins, northern gannets, guillemots and razorbills. It is vital for their survival as it hosts up to 40% of the world population for some species such as the razorbill. It is Europe's largest bird cliff, 14 km long and up to 440 m high. In 2026 a solar eclipse will be visible at Látrabjarg.
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👉 Látrabjarg in the context of Breiðafjörður
Breiðafjörður (Icelandic: [ˈpreiːðaˌfjœrðʏr̥] , lit. wide fjord) is a large shallow bay of the Irminger Sea, about 50 km (31 mi) wide and 125 km (78 mi) long, to the west of Iceland. It separates the region of the Westfjords (Vestfirðir) from the Snæfellsnes peninsula to the south. Breiðafjörður is encircled by mountains, including Kirkjufell and the glacier Snæfellsjökull on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, and the Látrabjarg bird cliffs at the tip of the Westfjords. Numerous smaller fjords extend inland from Breiðafjörður, the largest being Hvammsfjörður at its southeastern corner. An interesting feature of the bay is that the land to the north was formed about 15 million years ago, whereas the land to the south was formed less than half that time ago.. Breiðafjörður therefore was formed by tectonic movements, and all the islands and skerries were made by volcanic eruptions to form ridges and craters that mostly line up in an east-west position.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Látrabjarg
- 👉 Látrabjarg in the context of Breiðafjörður
- Látrabjarg in the context of Westfjords
Látrabjarg in the context of Westfjords
The Westfjords or West Fjords (Icelandic: Vestfirðir, pronounced [ˈvɛstˌfɪrðɪr̥] ) is a large peninsula in northwestern Iceland and an administrative region, the least populous in the country. It lies on the Denmark Strait, facing the east coast of Greenland. It is connected to the rest of Iceland by a seven-kilometre-wide isthmus between Gilsfjörður [ˈcɪlsˌfjœrðʏr̥] and Bitrufjörður [ˈpɪːtrʏˌfjœrðʏr̥]. The Westfjords are mountainous; the coastline is heavily indented by dozens of fjords surrounded by steep hills. These indentations make roads very circuitous and communications by land difficult. In addition, many roads are closed by ice and snow for several months of the year. The Vestfjarðagöng road tunnel from 1996 has improved that situation. The cliffs at Látrabjarg comprise the longest bird cliff in the northern Atlantic Ocean and are at the westernmost point in Iceland. Drangajökull, the only glacier in the region, is located in the north of the peninsula and is the fifth-largest in the country. Westfjords is certified by the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program.
View the full Wikipedia page for Westfjords