Borea Adventures, Main Office - Ísafjörður

Olga

We had great time during the 3days trip. Beautiful nature, arctic foxes, unforgettable experience of crossing the river and taking the ferry with big waves. Perfect guides Justin and Laurent took care about everything. We were a group of 9 people and we got along very well.
Highly recommended but be ready as the hikes are demanding. We were lucky having 2 days of good weather. Doing the long hikes with rain wouldn’t be easy at all!
I am leaving Westfjords with plenty of good memories.

Lori F.

I can now add Iceland to my list of places where I have kayaked! Do not let the cold water or weather scare you. Borea ensures that you are geared up in warm & waterproof outfits. They help you get into your kayaks, give you a quick lesson if needed, then you head out to kayak along the local birds of Iceland and beside the majestic landscape. It's nice to have a guide with you to provide local history & education and to be there should anything go wrong. We took the "Calm tour" as it was only 3 hours, which gave us a chance to explore the cute little town before our Cruise ship left.

Lois S.

Today we did the combo kayak and bike tour with Jake. It was just my husband and myself. The sea kayaking was easy and beautiful, the biking was a bit more challenging going up some hills but not too hard. Jake was very informative and a pleasure to spend the day with. We had booked this tour through a 3rd party (Friends of Rejkavik) unknowingly and when we needed to change the date they said no and we would not get a refund. I contacted Borea and Alex was amazing and changed our date, found us a guide and we had a great day!

Sarah G.

My husband and I took the Hornvík Heights and Sights 2-day tour in Hornstrandir with Borea in early June. It was the absolute highlight of our 3-week trip in Iceland!

The first day, we got on a ferry from Ísafjörður to Veiðileysufjörður, hiked across Hafnarskarð Pass to Hornvík Bay, setup tents, and had dinner at the luxurious basecamp (which had a stove, refrigerator, heater, and sofa). The second day, we had a late start due to uncertain wind conditions (extremely strong wind during the night and in the morning). We were thankfully able to hike towards the Horn cliffs (which included a chilly barefoot river crossing) and spent some time on the cliffs before heading down to get picked up by the ferry back to Ísafjörður.

There were so many incredibly memorable moments - crossing over the snow at the top of the incredibly windy mountain pass, sleeping in a very luxurious tent in extreme wind yet feeling quite warm, the chilly river crossing, incredible views of Hornvík Bay & the Horn cliffs, spotting arctic foxes (even one carrying a seagull in its mouth!), etc.

Lukáš was the guide for our group of 6 hikers, and he was absolutely wonderful. He kept a steady pace with periodic stops to explain different features/point out wild plants. There were a handful of times during the tour that I was very glad we had a guide (especially at the top of the mountain pass & at times when the path wasn't so clear). Lukáš made sure we were all safe and helped those of us who were struggling with the wind.

At Hornvík camp, we met another couple + their guide Justin. Lukáš and Justin prepared a delicious dinner + a breakfast the next day for us. Both guides were incredibly friendly, kind, and approachable. They had both been living & guiding in the West Fjords for 6+ years and had a wealth of knowledge about the region.

The ferry ride to be dropped off in Hornstrandir was uneventful (other than briefly spotting a whale!), and we enjoyed the Zodiac ride from the ferry to the shore. The ride back to Ísafjörður, however, was extremely choppy (far more than average). Multiple people became seasick and vomited (including locals coming back from their summer home in Hornstrandir). Sensitive folks might want to look into taking medication for seasickness in case this happens.

We highly recommend this tour to any moderately adventurous folks who wish to visit the beautiful and pristine Hornstrandir Nature Reserve!

Note: We recommend practicing hiking with elevation to prepare. My husband and I had regularly completed hikes with longer distance and greater elevation gain, but we still found some of the sections challenging due to the Icelandic conditions of high wind and steep cliffs. (For whatever reason, Icelandic trails have very few switchbacks and tend to be more vertical than trails in the United States, for example.)

As recommended on the Borea website, waterproof/high top hiking boots are essential! There are a number of river crossing scrambles where waterproof shoes are incredibly useful, and you'll definitely want ankle protection as the paths are often very rocky/uneven.

Last note: Unless you book a private tour, you'll most likely have other hikers on the tour. We really liked the 3 other couples we met/hiked with -- they were excellent hiking buddies & had pleasant attitudes. (If you're reading this, thank you for making it an even better trip!)

Hanna O.

We hat the most exhilarating and special experience kayaking through the Hornstradir fjords with our wonderful guide Nicole! She was not only clever, funny and very knowledgeable, we felt safe and well taken care of the entire time, and the food she cooked was fantastic! The remote places we visited were stunning and we got to see polar foxes and seals in their natural habitat, getting really close to us on land and on sea! Even with adjustments for weather we had a unique and truly memorable experience, which we will hold dear for very long. Thank you Borea adventures for a smooth organisation, this wonderful trip and our rekindled love for kayaking (we’re soon to be owners of our own sea-kayak, and hope to return at some point with even better paddling skills 😉 )

BIGGEST recommendation for everyone, beginner or expert as this is a once in a lifetime experience!! <3

Jeffrey L.

Literally my favorite three day hike ever. I've hiked on 5 continents over 40 years and never had an experience this great. The scenery, logistical support and overall vibe of the experience Borea provided was off the charts great. You start with a lovely boat ride up to the Arctic Circle and are dropped off in a bay that feels further away from civilization than you've ever been. Six hours of amazing hiking later you come to a backcountry camp with your tents already pitched, greeted by warm drinks in a communal gathering/cook/dining tent. Your next day starts with a great breakfast, and after getting a pack lunch, you're off again for a loop in the remote Westfjords. After a great dinner at camp and breakfast the next morning, you traverse a serious pass to an entirely different fjord/watershed and hike down to the water where a boat picks you up for the return to civilization.

Each night was filled with great chat and tales of other backcountry adventures, thoroughly entertaining. We happened to share the camp (and the boat ride) with a BBC film crew who were filming a documentary on the mating rituals of the Arctic fox, and I came back from my trip learning all sorts of stuff from my fellow campers.

I can’t say enough about this experience, highly recommended.

Matthew T. C.

A delayed review.

My family and I (partner and two kids, ages 13 and 9) had booked a custom guided 4-day hike with Borea for July 2020. Then the pandemic came. Borea simply shifted the whole trip to July 2021.

July 2021 finally came. Before the trip, when we arrived at the Borea office, we were informed that bad weather was heading towards Hornstrandir and that we'd have to modify the trip. Needless to say, I was concerned with this new plan, but it turned into an unforgettable and wonderful experience! Thank you Sigga and Hjalti!

Because the hike was shortened by one day, Borea actually booked us for a night at the Hótel Ísafjörður, and then our lovely guides took us on a day tour of the area surrounding Ísafjörður, including Simbahöllin in Þingeyri, Skrúður the botanical garden, Dynjandi the waterfall, and the Latrar Air Station.

We thank Borea and our wonderful guides for a fantastic trip!

Obi K.

Had a great time doing the wildlife around Vilgur Island. Our guide Oli (sorry I probably wrote your name wrong :p) was kind and knowledgeable and gave a lot of interesting information. Would highly recommend!