SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary introduces a different model for whales that have lived in human care: a protected natural-sea refuge rather than a performance venue. The visitor center follows Little Grey and Little White’s journey from Shanghai to Heimaey and explains the long process of adapting to colder, more natural conditions.

Admission also supports the island’s Puffin Rescue Centre, where injured birds and lost pufflings are assessed, rehabilitated, and released when possible. The belugas’ location and visibility depend on their welfare needs, so arrive for the conservation story rather than expecting a guaranteed close-up encounter.

Official visitor information and tickets

Beluga Whale Sanctuary

Eldfell Volcano Hike puts you on the cinder-red cone that rose beside town during the 1973 eruption. The climb is short but unmistakably volcanic: loose scoria underfoot, lava fields below, and a summit view that explains how close the new flow came to sealing the harbor.

Follow the marked trail from Fellavegur and allow time at the rim rather than treating this as a quick viewpoint. The final slope is steep and exposed, and Heimaey’s wind can turn an easy-looking walk into a serious little climb.

TIP: Hike after visiting Eldheimar. Seeing the excavated house first makes the lava field and the shape of the crater far more legible from above.

Official island guide

Guided puffin and volcano tour

Eldfell Volcano Hike

Eldheimar Museum tells the story of the night Heimaey split open in 1973, when nearly the entire island was evacuated before dawn. Its centerpiece is Gerðisbraut 10, a family home excavated from the ash and preserved inside the museum like a modern Pompeii.

The audio-led exhibits move from the first fissure to the fight to save the harbor, mixing personal testimony with the physical remains of the eruption. It is compact, emotionally direct, and the best preparation for walking the new lava or climbing Eldfell afterward.

Official museum and tickets

Eldheimar Museum

Stórhöfði Puffin Lookout is Heimaey’s front-row seat to the Atlantic and the island’s summer puffin colony. A short path crosses sheep pasture to a small observation hut where opening panels let you watch birds on the cliff without crowding their nesting ground—or taking the full force of the wind.

Puffins are seasonal, usually arriving in late April and thinning out by mid-August. Bring binoculars, keep to the marked approach, and give the cliff edge a very generous margin.

TIP: Go early or late in the day, when puffin activity is often livelier and tour groups are fewer. In thick wind or rain, use the hut rather than chasing a closer angle.

Official island directions

Official puffin guide

Stórhöfði Puffin Lookout

Westman Islands RIB Safari turns Heimaey’s coastline into the main event. The two-hour trip cuts between the outer islands and into sea caves, with stops for Elephant Rock, gannet cliffs, puffins, seals, and—when luck cooperates—whales.

This is sightseeing with speed and spray, not a calm harbor cruise. The operator supplies safety gear and adjusts the route to sea conditions; dress for a colder, wetter ride than the weather in town suggests. The regular two-hour departures run from mid-May to mid-September and require a minimum group size.

Official two-hour RIB Safari

Westman Islands RIB Safari

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I’d consider Hotel Vestmannaeyjar if you want a stay with a spa. The breakfast buffet is a nice bonus.

What strikes us most on our trips to Iceland is that its outworldly combination of volcanoes, glaciers, and massive waterfalls is all on one relatively little island. So if you want to experience all the majesty and diversity of Mother Nature in a compact setting – look no further.

Hotel Vestmannaeyjar is Heimaey’s polished full-service base, pairing a central, walk-everywhere location with the island’s most complete hotel amenities. Rooms are straightforward and comfortable, while the on-site restaurant, sauna, and hot tubs make the return from a windy hike feel especially good.

Choose it when you want breakfast handled, dinner close, and a proper spa wind-down without sacrificing access to the ferry or town center.

Hotel Vestmannaeyjar

Get a taste of Iceland with Reykjavik, Golden Circle, and its South regions.

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Reykjavik-based discovery while venturing into the Golden Circle and South Coast.

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Explore everything Iceland has to offer on the Ring Road adventure.

Ring Road Adventure

Unique adventure to strike the Northern Lights and ice caves off your bucket list.

Winter Wonders

Heimaey is Iceland’s most dramatic island escape: a compact fishing town pressed between fresh lava, sea cliffs, and one of the country’s great puffin colonies. The short ferry from Landeyjahöfn makes it a natural extension of a South Coast trip, while an overnight lets you experience the harbor and volcanic landscape after the day-trippers leave.

Climb Eldfell for the defining view over the 1973 lava field, trace that eruption through a half-buried home at Eldheimar, then continue to Stórhöfði for puffins and wind-scoured ocean panoramas. A RIB ride adds sea caves and the Elephant Rock coast; the beluga sanctuary brings the island’s marine story indoors.

The center is walkable, but a car makes Stórhöfði and the island’s scattered viewpoints far easier. Weather changes quickly and can affect sailings, so keep the ferry schedule within reach.

Heimaey