Greenland
Off the southeastern coast of Iceland, a short boat ride from the fishing town of Djúpivogur, Papey Island is a tiny, uninhabited island whose name — "Friars' Island" — recalls the Irish monks (papar) who may have been Iceland's earliest inhabitants, predating the Norse settlement of the ninth century. Just two square kilometres in area, Papey was inhabited until 1966, when the last farming family departed, leaving behind the island's small wooden church (built in 1807 and one of the oldest in eastern Iceland), stone walls, and the memory of a community that survived for centuries on this remote scrap of land.
The island's most compelling residents today are its puffins. Papey hosts one of eastern Iceland's largest puffin colonies, with thousands of pairs nesting in burrows on the grassy slopes each summer. The birds' comical appearance — black and white plumage, triangular orange bill, and an earnest waddle that seems to parody human seriousness — makes them irresistible to visitors, who can observe them at remarkably close range as the birds shuttle between their burrows and the sea, carrying beaks full of sand eels back to their chicks. Arctic terns, eider ducks, and grey seals complete the wildlife ensemble.
The landscape of Papey is Iceland at its most pastoral — green grass, stone walls, and the gentle contours of a low island that offers no protection against the North Atlantic winds that sweep across it. The abandoned farmstead, with its corrugated-iron buildings slowly rusting in the salt air, tells the story of a community that lived by fishing and sheep farming in conditions of considerable hardship. The church, maintained by volunteers, is visited annually for a special summer service — a tradition that connects the present community of Djúpivogur with its island heritage.
The surrounding coastline of eastern Iceland is among the least visited in the country, despite offering some of its most dramatic scenery. The Eastfjords — a series of deep, narrow inlets separated by mountainous headlands — create a landscape of intimate beauty that contrasts with the vast, open spaces of Iceland's interior. Djúpivogur itself, with its restored Danish trading post and waterfront sculpture installation "Eggs at Gleðivík" (thirty-four granite eggs representing the eggs of local bird species), provides a charming base for exploring this quiet corner of Iceland.
Papey is reached by boat from Djúpivogur, with scheduled tours operating during the summer months (June-August). Expedition cruise ships sometimes visit, with Zodiac landings on the island's rocky shore. The puffin season runs from mid-April through mid-August, with June and July being the peak viewing period. Weather can be unpredictable, and boat crossings may be cancelled in rough conditions. Papey offers a gentle, intimate encounter with Icelandic nature and history — a contrast to the grand volcanic landscapes that dominate most visitors' Iceland experiences.