Drangey is a rocky island in the middle of Skagafjordur in North Iceland. It has a flat top, sheer sides, and access is limited to a single landing site with guided summer boat trips from Saudarkrokur.
The island in Skagafjordur
Drangey is formed of volcanic tuff and stands out as a recognisable landmark in the region. Its shape is easy to pick out, a flat summit above steep cliffs in the middle of the fjord. For broader context on the area, read this North Iceland guide.
Grettir's saga and the outlaw years
Grettis saga recounts that Grettir Asmundarson and his brother Illugi lived on Drangey and were killed there. That saga connection is also tied to Grettislaug, a natural geothermal pool on the Reykjastrond shore.
The bird cliffs
The sea cliffs on Drangey are nesting grounds for large numbers of seabirds. Local people also travelled there historically to collect eggs and harvest seabirds.
Getting onto the island
Drangey can only be accessed at one landing site. Guided boat trips run in summer and are operated by Drangey Tours, with departures from the marina at Saudarkrokur.
There is a made path to the top along the face of the cliffs. Puffins often rest close to the path. If you are mapping out the approach to Saudarkrokur from elsewhere in the north, check driving distances between North Iceland towns.
Warming up afterwards
If you want to continue the saga thread after the boat trip, Grettislaug on the Reykjastrond shore is the nearby geothermal bathing spot linked to Grettir in the sagas. For a wider overview of natural and geothermal bathing around the country, use this guide to hot springs in Iceland.
Comparing North Iceland tours
You can compare North Iceland tours in one place. This is useful if Drangey is part of a wider trip in the region.
