Húsavík Community Guidelines

The whale capital of Iceland

Húsavík in Skjálfandi Bay in North Iceland, is a town of just over two thousand people. It is considered the best place in Iceland to watch whales.

Húsavík is the oldest settlement in Iceland. As the largest town in the Þingeyjarsýsla district, it serves as the center for the surrounding area.

According to both legends and sagas, Húsavík’s founder Garðar Svavarsson stayed one winter in Húsavík in 870 AD and then left a man called Náttfari and two workers to tend to his farm.

Húsavík’s main street is named after Garðar Svavarsson, On the lively Garðarsbraut street, one finds various restaurants, mainstreet businesses and whale watching ticket offices. The town is known for whale watching tours in Skjálfandi Bay and is often referred to as the whale capital of Iceland.

Will Ferrell’s movie, Eurovision Song Contest – The Story of Fire Saga, was set in Húsavík and released in June 2020; it follows singers Lars and Sigrit’s adventure to compete in Eurovision. The film’s feature song Húsavík – My hometown was nominated for an Oscar. Check out Molly Sandén‘s live version from Húsavík on YouTube.

 

Húsavík Museums
  • The Whale Museum offers a large exhibition featuring marine ecosystems; introducing visitors to the habitat and ecology of whales. The museum exhibits all different cetacean species found in the North Atlantic including their natural history, strandings, whale watching, and the history of past and present Icelandic whaling. On display is a unique collection of 11 full whale skeletons – including a blue whale, the largest animal on earth!
  • Húsavík Culture House holds a variety of Man and Nature – 100 years in Þingeyjarsýsla, which tells the story of man’s relationship with nature in this region between 1850-1950.  A Maritime Exhibition – includes a large number of boats, fishing gear, equipment, and tools which are used in the fisheries, for seal-hunting and shark-fishing.
  • The Eurovision Museum opened in 2021 and features an exhibition dedicated to Icelands‘s participation in the competition and a dedicated exhibit showcasing the movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, filmed of course in Húsavík.
Services in Húsavík

www.visithusavik.com. The local map of services can be found at most service points in town.

Suggestions for ship operators

We highly value our marine life. Please navigate carefully. Do not go whale watching with your own vessels. We have great whale watching tours to offer guests in town. With more than 25 years of experience, the guides and captains follow a code of conduct that has proved successful.

 

Guidelines

  • You are entering a working harbor, please be mindful of Shuttle service is available from local logistics company Fjallasýn upon request.
  • Please use the crosswalks to cross the streets in town. The traffic can get quite heavy in the summer.
  • Please dispose of all trash and cigarette butts in the public bins. Do not dispose of your waste in private bins.
  • There are no public toilets in town. If you are not a guest of the business, kindly ask if you can use their facilities.
  • Please do not enter unmarked/private buildings. If you are unsure, please knock.
  • In restaurants, please do not call out or wave at the staff. Be patient, make eye contact, and they will be right with you.
  • There is no tourist information center in town. You can find lots of information on visithusavik.com about all we have to offer.
  • Enjoy our nature from established trails, our northern flora is delicate.
  • We have wonderful drinking water.  Feel free to fill your own re-usable water bottles from the tap!