Stykkisholmur Webcam – Harbor and Islands of West Iceland

The Stykkisholmur Webcam looks down on the old harbor town at the northern tip of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland, from a grassy knoll above the rooftops. The camera turns between several fixed views. One frames the harbor basin, its fishing boats and the basalt island of Sugandisey with a small orange lighthouse on top. Another runs across the old town to the open water of Breidafjordur, where low islands lie in rows and the hills of the Westfjords line the far shore. A third takes in a point of old timber houses with more islands behind. The light swings hard with the seasons, from bright summer nights to short winter days.

About Stykkisholmur

Stykkisholmur is the largest settlement on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, home to about 1,200 people. It takes its name from Stykkid, a small island in front of the harbor, and the sheltered anchorage is the reason the town exists. A trading post was founded here in 1550, and the natural harbor is still counted among the best on the west coast of Iceland. Sugandisey, the column basalt island in the harbor view, shields the basin from the open fjord and is joined to the shore by a causeway, so the boats tied up below the camera lie in calm water even when Breidafjordur is rough.

The old town keeps a strong 19th century character. The Norwegian House, built in 1828 by the merchant Arni Thorlacius, is described as the oldest two-story timber house in Iceland and now holds the regional folk museum. Egilsenshus, another wooden house, dates from 1867. Thorlacius left a second mark on the town: in November 1845 he began recording the weather, and the Stykkisholmur station has kept the longest continuous temperature record in Iceland ever since. The former town library, overlooking the harbor, now houses the Library of Water, an installation by the American artist Roni Horn with glass columns of water collected from glaciers around the country. The town also stood in for Nuuk, Greenland, in the 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

On the Stykkisholmur Webcam the harbor view is usually the busiest. Small fishing boats and pleasure craft fill the pontoons, a floating pier with a yellow edge lies off the quay, and larger white passenger boats tie up along the inner wall. The town view looks over a red-painted house, a car park and the streets running down to the water, with low islands scattered across the bay beyond. On a clear day the mountains of the Westfjords stand out on the northern horizon, where the Baldur car ferry is bound.

Weather and Climate in Stykkisholmur

Breidafjordur keeps Stykkisholmur mild for a town at 65 degrees north. Winters are cool rather than harsh: on the 1991 to 2020 record, January has a daily mean of 0.2 C (32 F), with average highs of 2.7 C (37 F) and lows of minus 2.2 C (28 F). Snow can settle on the rooftops and on the knoll in the foreground. Daylight is the bigger story. Around the December solstice the sun is up for only about three and a half hours and stays low in the south, so the camera spends most of the day in twilight or darkness, with the harbor lamps picking out the quay.

Summers are cool and bright. July averages 10.7 C (51 F), with highs near 13.9 C (57 F) and lows of 8.4 C (47 F), and around the June solstice the sun is up for close to 22 hours and sets only after midnight, so the harbor view can stay lit through most of the night. Autumn shows both sides of the climate within a few days. Frames from early October caught the grass on the knoll gone gold and orange under a clear blue sky, then low grey cloud and raindrops on the lens the next morning. Precipitation runs to about 738 millimeters (29 inches) a year.

Things to Do Near Stykkisholmur

Most of what the camera shows can be reached on foot. Sugandisey is a short walk from the town center across the causeway, and the climb up to the lighthouse gives the widest view over Breidafjordur. Live From Iceland describes the islands of the bay as innumerable, and from the top it is easy to see why. Back in town, the Norwegian House folk museum opens daily through the summer, and the Library of Water keeps afternoon hours from June into September. In August the town holds Danish Days, a festival that celebrates its long history as a Danish trading post.

The harbor below the camera is also the gateway to the bay. Island tours leave from the quay and weave between the small islands of Breidafjordur, and some trips include shellfish fishing on board. The Baldur car ferry, run by Saeferdir (Seatours), crosses daily to Brjanslaekur on the south coast of the Westfjords and calls at Flatey on the way, an island with only a handful of permanent residents. Farther afield, Snaefellsjokull National Park covers the western end of the peninsula and makes a full day out from town.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For the real Nuuk, and two more Icelandic towns on the water, try these cameras:

• Akureyri Webcam
• Reykjavik Webcam
• Nuuk Harbor Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Stykkisholmur located?

Stykkisholmur sits on the northern shore of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland, facing Breidafjordur bay. It lies about 110 kilometers (68 miles) north-northwest of Reykjavik in a straight line, and farther by road around the coast.

What can you see on the Stykkisholmur Webcam?

The camera moves between several views from a knoll above town: the harbor with its fishing boats and the lighthouse island of Sugandisey, the old town rooftops leading down to the bay, and a point of old timber houses with the islands of Breidafjordur behind.

What is the weather like in Stykkisholmur?

Mild for its latitude. January averages 0.2 C (32 F) and July 10.7 C (51 F), with about 738 millimeters (29 inches) of precipitation a year.

How old is the weather station in Stykkisholmur?

Observations began in November 1845, started by the merchant Arni Thorlacius, and the station holds the longest continuous temperature record in Iceland. It has moved several times within the village since then.

Was The Secret Life of Walter Mitty filmed in Stykkisholmur?

Yes. The town was the filming location for the scenes set in Nuuk, Greenland, in the 2013 film.

Can you take a ferry from Stykkisholmur?

Yes. The Baldur car ferry sails daily from the harbor to Brjanslaekur in the Westfjords, stopping at the island of Flatey on the way. It is operated by Saeferdir, known in English as Seatours.

How do you get to Sugandisey from Stykkisholmur?

On foot. The basalt island is joined to the mainland by a causeway a short walk from the town center, and the lighthouse on top looks out over the bay.

Source: Live From Iceland