# The Westfjords From Above

- URL: https://www.visiticeland.com/article/bolafjall-platform/
- Published: 2023-02-16
- Last updated: 2026-08-19

> Stand on a massive viewing platform made from 60 tonnes of steel and take in the Westfjords view.

Mt. Bolafjall is where visitors are _encouraged_ to walk to the cliff’s edge, standing on 60 tonnes of steel supporting the massive viewing platform.

At 628m, the Bolafjall platform spectacularly overlooks the **Djúpið**, as the Ísafjarðardjúp is casually called. The long inlet marks the watery borders of inhabited and unpopulated land; on one side is the largest town in the Westfjords, and on the other, the **Hornstrandir Nature Reserve** without a single road.  

From June to early September, it is possible to drive to the top of Bolafjall, some 9km from the town of **Bolungarvík** In light snow, the road stays open most of the way, with the remaining 3.5km a modest walk  Bear in mind the mountain is notoriously windy.  

*Image: Steep views! The Bolafjall Platform photographed with a drone. Photo: Visit Westfjords/ Haukur Sigurdsson.*

As you arrive, the first question that comes to mind is: What is that giant random bulbous building doing on top of the mountain? The answer: It is **a radar station** scanning the Atlantic airspace for NATO, one of four such monitors in Iceland.  

### **Down to the beach: Skálavík**  

Further on the gravel road from Bolungarvík is the beach of **Skálavík**. It is popular for short walks, cold swims, and even surfing. The remote farmsteads were inhabited until the 1950s but are now mostly summer cottages.  Experienced hikers can cross the (demanding) mountain pass to **Galtaviti** lighthouse. 

*Image: The beach at Skálavík is perfect for scenic walks or a picnic. Photo: Parker O'Halloran*