Island
Tucked into a sheltered bay on the eastern coast of Borgarfjörður, where basalt cliffs descend in geometric columns to a shore scattered with driftwood from Siberian rivers, Bakkagerði occupies one of the most quietly dramatic settings in Iceland. The village—home to barely a hundred souls—takes its name from the farm that has stood here since the age of settlement in the ninth century. Norse sagas record this as a place of both natural bounty and supernatural activity, where the hidden people of Icelandic folklore were said to gather at a rocky outcrop called Álfaborg, the Elf City, which still presides over the village with an air of inscrutable authority.
The character of Bakkagerði is shaped by its remarkable intimacy with the natural world. The village sits at the mouth of a valley flanked by rhyolite mountains streaked in rust, ochre, and moss green—a geological palette that shifts dramatically with the weather and the angle of the light. In summer, when the midnight sun refuses to set, the surrounding hillsides erupt in wildflowers and the air fills with the calls of migratory birds. The Hafnarhólmi puffin colony, accessible via a short boardwalk from the harbor, is widely regarded as the best and most accessible puffin viewing site in all of Iceland, with thousands of Atlantic puffins nesting in burrows mere meters from delighted observers.
The food culture of eastern Iceland reflects a tradition of resourceful self-sufficiency. Bakkagerði and its neighboring farms produce the classic Icelandic staples: wind-dried fish (harðfiskur) eaten with butter, smoked lamb (hangikjöt) cured in birch smoke, and skyr, the thick cultured dairy product that predates the Viking age. The village's small café serves homemade cakes and strong coffee, while the larger town of Egilsstaðir, roughly an hour's drive, offers restaurants showcasing the new Icelandic cuisine movement, where local ingredients like Arctic char, reindeer, and wild herbs are prepared with contemporary Nordic precision.
The surrounding Borgarfjörður Eystri region is a paradise for serious hikers. The trail from Bakkagerði to Brúnavík, an abandoned fishing station on the coast, traverses some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Iceland, with views across the Dyrfjöll range and its famous Stórurð boulder field—a natural amphitheater of house-sized rocks scattered around an improbable turquoise pool. The longer Víknaslóðir trail system, recognized as one of Iceland's best multi-day treks, winds through rhyolite mountains and deserted bays over three to five days. Wildlife enthusiasts will find Arctic foxes, seals in the fjord, and the occasional minke whale visible from elevated coastal trails.
Bakkagerði is accessible by road from Egilsstaðir, the regional hub of eastern Iceland, via Route 94—a gravel road that crosses a mountain pass and is typically open from June through September. Expedition cruise vessels occasionally anchor in the bay, deploying Zodiacs for shore access. The puffin season runs from mid-April through mid-August, with June and July offering the best combination of nesting activity, wildflowers, and hiking conditions. The village has limited accommodation, so booking well ahead is essential during peak summer months.