Coastal Stays in Þórshöfn, Northeast Iceland
Þórshöfn is a fishing village on Þistilfjörður bay in Iceland's far northeast, at the root of the long Langanes peninsula and well away from the Ring Road. Five listed stays put the sea at the centre of the visit: Thorshamar sea side villa, Fálki cottages and Smyrill Cottages all claim direct beachfront access, while Ingimarsstaðir and Bjarg at Lyngholt offer sea views close to the small airport. Every one of them includes a kitchen or kitchenette, which matters in a place this remote. I would choose Þórshöfn for travellers who want an empty shoreline, seabird cliffs on Langanes and long, quiet evenings facing the Arctic Ocean.
Þórshöfn is a fishing village of a few hundred people on Þistilfjörður, with a busy harbour, a swimming pool, a small airfield and not much else, which is exactly its appeal. It lies far from the Ring Road at the base of the Langanes peninsula, in one of the least visited parts of Iceland. Life follows the fishing seasons, and the nearby coast is a place of seabird cliffs, driftwood beaches and long open horizons.
Where to stay
Beachfront Cottages on Þistilfjörður Bay
The coast here is the reason to make the detour. Þistilfjörður opens straight onto the Greenland Sea, and the Langanes peninsula stretches north-east toward the Fontur lighthouse, so a beachfront cottage in Þórshöfn looks over open water with very few other travellers in sight. The listed stays are small and self-catering, suited to a few nights of walks, birdwatching and cooking your own dinner.
Thorshamar sea side villa is the stay I would book for a group or a family on this coast. It holds a score of 9.4 from 47 reviews and is described with direct beachfront access, sea views, an outdoor dining area and a sun terrace. Inside there are two bedrooms, a living room with a sofa bed, a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine, which makes a longer stay realistic in a village with few shops. A family-friendly restaurant is mentioned in the listing, and hiking is possible nearby along the shore of Þistilfjörður, where the land is low and the horizon opens wide.
Fálki cottages and Smyrill Cottages are the two cabin options, both listed with direct beachfront access and sea views and both about 16 km from Thorshofn Airport, according to their descriptions. Fálki, scored 9.0 from 91 reviews, is a holiday home with one bedroom, a bathroom, a living room, a garden and a terrace, and family rooms are mentioned too. Smyrill, at 8.9 from 80 reviews and located at Fell, has one-bedroom chalets with a kitchenette, a balcony and a sofa. I would pick Smyrill for a couple and Fálki when a garden matters, and I would bring groceries for both, since they sit outside the village.
Ingimarsstaðir and Bjarg at Lyngholt are the coastal options closest to the village and its airfield, both about 1 km from Thorshofn Airport. Ingimarsstaðir is a spacious three-bedroom apartment with a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine and a sun terrace with sea views, plus an on-site restaurant, bar and minimarket. Its 9.5 score rests on only four reviews, so I would treat it as promising rather than proven. Bjarg at Lyngholt, scored 8.9 from 15 reviews, is a sea-view apartment with a kitchenette, a private bathroom and free parking, with the restaurant and bar of the Lyngholt property on site.
Staying on the coast in Þórshöfn also sets up the best day trips in this corner of Iceland. The gravel road up Langanes leads toward the Skoruvík cliffs, where the Stóri Karl sea stack holds a gannet colony, and on to the Fontur lighthouse at the tip. West across the bay, the Rauðanes peninsula has a short coastal walk past sea arches and puffin ledges in summer. In the village itself, Þórshöfn's swimming pool is a welcome stop after a cold walk, and the old Sauðanes vicarage just north of town shows how this coast was settled. In winter, the low light pollution favours the northern lights.
A traveler's takeFor a coastal base in Þórshöfn, I recommend Thorshamar sea side villa first: its 9.4 score, direct beachfront access, two bedrooms and full kitchen make it the most complete of the five. Couples should look at Smyrill Cottages instead. Our tip is to give a full day to Langanes, driving out to the gannet colony at Skoruvík and the Fontur lighthouse, and to fill the tank before leaving the village.
CoastalIngimarsstaðir
Spacious apartment with sea views, a garden, and on-site dining near Thorshofn Airport
Why guests love itIngimarsstaðir is a three-bedroom apartment 1 km from Thorshofn Airport, with a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine and free WiFi. A sun terrace with sea views, a garden and outdoor seating sit alongside an on-site restaurant, a bar and a minimarket, which is unusual in a remote corner. Guests rate it 9.5 from 4 reviews. Our editorial verdict: a roomy apartment for a family in the north-east, with dining and basic shopping on the premises.
CoastalThorshamar sea side villa
Beachfront villa with sea views and a fully equipped kitchen
Why guests love itFor a family, Thorshamar sea side villa gets the essentials right: two bedrooms plus a sofa bed in the living room, a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine for wet hiking gear. The beach is right outside, so children can explore the shore while adults cook. The family-friendly restaurant on site means a night off from the stove. I would book it for a calm coastal week in Þórshöfn rather than a busy sightseeing loop.
CoastalFálki cottages
Beachfront cottages with sea views and a garden in Þórshöfn
Why guests love itI would choose Fálki Cottages for direct beach access and sea views in Þórshöfn. The holiday home has one bedroom, a bathroom and a living room, with a garden and a terrace, and family rooms are available. Hiking trails are nearby, and the airport is 16 km away. Guests rate it 9.0 across 91 reviews. With one bedroom, I would pick it for a couple or a small family who want quiet and a coastal outlook rather than evening choice.
CoastalSmyrill Cottages
Beachfront chalets with sea views and a private balcony near Thorshofn
Why guests love itI would choose Smyrill Cottages for waking up on the shore. The chalets sit directly on the beach in Fell, 16 km from Þórshöfn Airport, and each has one bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchenette, a balcony and a sofa. Fishing and hiking are nearby. Guests rate it 8.9 across 80 reviews. These are compact chalets built for two, so I would pick them for couples who want a quiet coastal stay rather than a social setting.
CoastalBjarg at Lyngholt
Sea-view apartment with kitchenette and on-site dining near Thorshofn Airport
Why guests love itBjarg at Lyngholt is a sea-view apartment in Þórshöfn, 1 km from the town's small airport, with a kitchenette, a private bathroom and a cosy living area. The on-site restaurant and bar mean dinner is sorted on the days nobody wants to cook, which matters in a village this remote in northeast Iceland. Free private parking sits on site. I would book it for a stop on the Langanes coast or a flight connection; guests rate it 8.9 from 15 reviews.
Local tips
- 1Bring groceries for Fálki cottages and Smyrill Cottages: both sit about 16 km from the airport, outside the village.
- 2Give Langanes a full day and drive slowly: the road to the Skoruvík gannet colony and the Fontur lighthouse is gravel.
- 3Walk the Rauðanes peninsula west of town in summer for sea arches and nesting seabirds along the cliffs.
- 4Book Thorshamar sea side villa for a family or group: it is the only listed coastal stay with two bedrooms and a washing machine.
- 5Weigh Ingimarsstaðir's 9.5 score carefully: it rests on only four reviews so far.
- 6Finish a cold day at the village swimming pool, then watch the sky over Þistilfjörður for auroras from September onward.