# The village of the visiting artist - URL: https://www.visiticeland.com/article/flateyri/ - Published: 2023-02-24 - Last updated: 2026-09-01 > On a summer night – when the bookstore is open late and people stroll from the three cafes on Main Street – it is hard to label Flateyri a tiny village. On a summer night – when the bookstore is open late and people stroll from the three cafes on Main Street – it is hard to label Flateyri a tiny village. The official register is 180 people, living on a sandbar in the stunning Önundarfjörður, some 20 kilometers from the Westfjord capital Ísafjörður. In reality, however, it is a different place over summer as houses are summer cottages and AirBnBs. Traditionally a fishing village, Flateyri has successfully blended its seafaring heritage with tourism.  *Image: In a yellow tin-clad building with a cowboy-style logo, Vagninn restaurant is as hip as it seems, attracting top performers* ### **Hafnarstræti: Main Street**   Hafnarstræti, from the church to the fish plant, is the heart of Flateyri.   First up, is the newest building in Flateyri - the 2023 campus for [**Flateyri Folk High School**](https://lydflat.is/), a non-formal residential school based on a Nordic model teaching life skills and community work to gap-year youth.   In a yellow tin-clad building with a cowboy-style logo, [**Vagninn** ](https://www.instagram.com/vagninnflateyri/?hl=en)restaurant is as hip as it seems! Open mostly over summer, Vagninn attracts top chefs and musicians. Dishes lean towards the traditionally home-made; at the time of writing their version of _plokkfiskur_ (fish stew) was a rave. (Follow [**their calendar**](https://www.facebook.com/vagninnflateyri/?locale=is_IS) for concerts and events.)   Next door is **Gunnukaffi**, a big coffee shop with a small grocery store to the side. Catering is simple and the atmosphere correspondingly welcoming and laid back; this is the place where locals catch up.   Founded in 1914, the [**Old Bookstore in Flateyri**](https://gamlabokabudin.is/) (Gamla Bókabúðin) claims to be ‘the oldest store in Iceland still in traditional operation.’ Second-hand books are sold by the kilo (!) but more importantly for non-Icelandic readers their English selection covers a wide range of translations by Icelandic authors.   Last but not least, reaching the end of Hafnarstræti, the harbor cafe **Bryggjukaffi** serves home-made cakes and soups, renowned for their speciality fish soup.   Note the adorable street art all over town; it’s [**twelve different birds**](https://www.ruv.is/frettir/menning-og-daegurmal/2021-09-28-fjoldi-flatra-fugla-lentur-a-husveggjum-flateyrar), painted by local artist Jean Larson.   *Image: Local artist Jean Larson has sprinkled Flateyri with street art of migratory birds* ### **History, rich and tragic**   Flateyri has been a trading post since 1792 and saw its heyday in the 19th century when it was home to a fleet of decked vessels and the base for shark-hunting and whaling operations. The Bookstore hosts an exhibition covering its rich history.   Modern times have been less kind to its existence: in 1995 a major avalanche killed 20 residents. Again, in 2020, a series of three avalanches caused destruction and a painful shock, bypassing residential houses thanks to avalanche barriers. Since the 2020 event, barriers have expanded further, visible in the mountain hills.   *Image: Students at the Flateyri Folk High School preparing for a kayak trip* ### **Sea Angling and Kayaking**   As elsewhere in the Westfjords, developments in Iceland’s fishing industry have devastated small ports and operations. Local fishermen have instead turned to sea angling and made Flateyri into a leading base for sea-angling tours. Guests, staying for at least one week, howl big species like cod and haddock. Visit [**Iceland Pro Fishing** ](https://www.facebook.com/IcelandProFishingHf)for more.   Experienced kayakers [**can rent gear** ](https://www.facebook.com/people/Kayak-Flateyri/100054480968971/)- ask Bryggukaffi for details - for the calm waters of Önundarfjörður. Guided tours were infrequent at the time of writing.     ### **Playgrounds and swimming**   The school in Flateyri, located on the northern end, has a large and creative playground. Attached to the school building is the public swimming pool - Sundlaug Flateyrar -  open year-round. The swimming pool itself is indoors, but outside are two hot leisure baths.   *Image: Holtsfjara is an excellent beach for children and a top choice for sea swimming* ### **Experiences around Flateyri** - **Strompurinn** is a giant red-brick chimney along the beach [**2.5 kilometers before arriving at Flateyri**](https://goo.gl/maps/1HBfrreMP38WPjmY7). The chimney was built for a whaling smelter, roughly a century ago, that never went into operation.   - **Holtsfjara** is a quiet beach in Önundarfjörður perfect for a short walk, sea swimming and family fun. The sand is fine and yellow, rivaling the better-known Rauðisandur beach. - [**Suðureyri**](https://www.westfjords.is/en/destinations/towns/sudureyri) is somewhat a sister town to Flateyri, on the other side of the mountains. Sea angling opportunities and a good outdoor swimming pool.   **View a short video from Flateyri here below.** [Find out more on Visit Westfjords](https://www.westfjords.is/) [Video](https://vimeo.com/985609635?h=5ab0a11ac7)