Tales of sea monsters have played a colourful role in Icelandic folk culture for centuries and thousands of written accounts can be found all around the country. Today, these elusive creatures that still appear in Arnafjörður have been given a worthy home at the Icelandic Sea Monster Museum, in Arnarfjörður fjord, proclaimed to be one of the most prolific centers of monster activity in Iceland.

Visitors to the Sea Monster Museum watch these remarkable creatures brought to life through a lively mix of words, images and videos, an action-packed multimedia display that culminates in a spectacular interactive plinth, the first of its kind in Iceland. First-hand accounts from eye-witnesses are joined on-screen by academic theories on the nature of sea monsters, while a variety of relics and artifacts relating to this mysterious branch of zoology appear throughout the museum as tangible evidence for their existence.

Ten ideas for recreation in  Arnarfjörður and nearby:

1. Take a look at the house and art collection of Samúels Jónsson (1884-1969) in Selárdalur by Arnarfjörður. He was often called „the artist with a child’s heart“.
2. Walk along Dynjandi  in Arnafjörður, the biggest and most famous waterfall in the Westfjords.
3. Take a look at the exhibition, “For the Good of the Nation – Jón Sigurðsson 1811-1879”, at Hrafneyri  in the Arnarfjörður. It celebrates the life and work of Jón Sigurðsson (1811-1879), the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement, who was born and raised at the farm.
4. Visit Hnjótur Museum and it´s exhibition about the heroic  rescue of the British trawler Dhoon that stranded at Látrabjarg cliffs in 1947.
5. Experience Látrabjarg, the greatest bird cliff in Iceland.  Wow!
6. Drive to Rauðisandur and explore the unique light sandy beach there.
7. Hike the nature reserve in Vatnsfjörður on Barðaströnd, where beauty is at every step.
8. Visit The Old Smithy from 1913 in Þingeyri  village, where all the machines are still working.
9. Check out the tree and flower park Skrúður in Dýrafjörður, from which other parades in Iceland take their name.
10. Visit the Old Bookstore in Flateyri that has been run by the same family for over a century (established in 1914)

For further information and ideas go to www.westfjords.is