Malarhorn Guesthouse

The owner was especially kind and helped us with a few special requests. The whole place felt peaceful and uncrowded, and the simple, attractive wooden room had comfortable beds and a very functional private bathroom. It has a camping-style feel, which suited us for a stay close to nature. We had dinner and breakfast in the dining building. Both were buffet-style; dinner offered meat, fish, and vegetarian options, while breakfast was simple but good. The tiny town is quite remote, and Grimsey Island was right across from us. After dinner we drove farther north along the coast on a one-way road and enjoyed a stunning view.

The fish soup was especially delicious. We had a lovely wooden room with a balcony looking straight out over the water, right beside the fjord. The dining area's atmosphere could use some improvement, but the stay as a whole was a 5/5.

The guide was laidback, great to be around, and knew a lot about the area and birds. There were only 10-12 of us on the boat and island hike, so it felt intimate. We got respectfully and quietly within a couple meters of puffins resting on the cliffs, and saw gulls, razor bills, cormorants, and other northern sea birds around a 100,000+ puffin colony. We also happened to spot a humpback whale diving quite close by. It stayed around for 15 minutes. An unforgettable wildlife experience. Thank you.

The food was a bright spot: both the included breakfast and the dinner we had one evening were very good. The setting along the fjord is stunning, and the common areas were nice. The rooms vary a lot, so make sure you know what kind you are booking. We thought a quick look at Google reviews and photos would tell us enough, but we were quite wrong. Ours was absolutely tiny, barely fitting two beds, with no space to stand or put down our bags. We also had some quality problems, including holes in the sheets and a window shade that rolled down onto the person in the outer bed. Common-area space was limited too, depending on how many other groups were trying to fit into the very small rooms. It felt like a bit of a letdown. There aren't many places to stay in this part of the Westfjords, but next time we'd likely look elsewhere, or make sure to get a different room here.