Húsavík

When looking for a hotel in Húsavík, you can start by considering which topics you would like to shape your stay. Whale watching, marine ecology and maritime history sit alongside space exploration, church architecture and walking trails. These highlights offer concrete points of reference for exploring the town according to your interests. The range is particularly clear in the museums, at Húsavík Church, on a marked walking trail and at the GeoSea baths.

Whales and the History of Research

The Exploration Museum in Húsavík is dedicated to the history of human exploration, from early explorers to the exploration of space. Its main gallery features photographs and artefacts relating to Apollo astronaut training near Húsavík in 1965 and 1967. This connects a broad theme—human exploration, extending into space—with a specific historical link to the area around the town. If you are interested in spaceflight or the history of research, this offers a different perspective from the museums devoted to the sea and seafaring.

The Húsavík Whale Museum shares knowledge about whales, marine ecology and the historical relationship between whales and humans in an entertaining and engaging way. Together with the University of Iceland Research Centre, the museum forms the educational component of the whale-watching tours offered in Húsavík in summer. The tour crews also share knowledge about whales and tell stories about Skjálfandi Bay. While the museum explores ecological and historical connections, the crew’s stories bring the bay into the picture.

Seafaring and Town History

The Maritime Museum at the Húsavík Museum presents the development of fishing and boatbuilding, from rowing boats to motorboats. It also showcases the craftsmanship of Nordic clinker-boat traditions. In this way, the development of fishing and boatbuilding is presented alongside the craft tradition of boat construction. If you are interested in maritime history, the museum combines technological development with a look at boatbuilding.

Húsavík Church is a wooden church in the centre of Húsavík and is considered a landmark of the town. It was consecrated in 1907, and its tower is 26 metres high. Its construction, year of consecration and tower height provide an architectural point of reference for the town’s history. Unlike the exhibitions, the focus here is on a single building whose significance as a landmark is part of the townscape.

Walking Trails and Views

The marked walking trail to the Botanical Garden and the Goldfish Pond begins at the car park on Garðarsbraut. It is almost 10 kilometres long, well signposted and follows good paths. The trail runs along the Búðará River to the Botanical Garden, continues towards Yltjörn and then returns to Húsavík. The starting point, route and distance offer concrete points of reference if you would like to include a walk in your travel plans.

From the GeoSea baths, the view extends across Skjálfandi Bay and north towards the Arctic Circle. The Húsavík swimming pool is close to museums, restaurants, the harbour and other services. These two places offer different points of reference: at GeoSea, it is the view across the bay; at the swimming pool, it is its location relative to the listed amenities in town.

Whale-watching tours in Húsavík are offered in summer. If this experience matters to you, take the season into account when planning your trip. When searching for a hotel, you can weigh the other highlights according to whether you are particularly interested in whales, the history of research, seafaring, architecture or walking trails.

Discover more destinations: Raufarhöfn, Hjalteyri, Draflastadhir, Grenivík, Siglufjörður, Bakki, Miðgarðar, Svalbarðseyri.

For the overview of the wider region: Nordurland Eystra.