Vestmannaeyjar Boat Tour | Elephant Rock, Whales & Puffins

A Vestmannaeyjar boat tour sailing around Heimaey island, past Elephant Rock and sea caves, with a chance of puffins and whales along the way. It's a relaxed sightseeing trip with commentary on the islands' nature and history.

• A relaxed sailing trip around Heimaey, the main Westman Island
• Elephant Rock, a rock formation shaped like an elephant drinking from the sea
• Sea caves known for their acoustics, where the guide may play music
• A chance to see puffins on the cliffs and whales offshore
• Guided commentary on the islands' nature, wildlife and history

Your day, stop by stop

2Depart Heimaey harbourBoard the boat and head out along the coast.

The boat sails out from the harbour at Heimaey, the only inhabited island in the Westman Islands, and begins its loop around the island. It is a larger passenger boat with room to move around. The trip takes about 1.5 hours.

Time here · trip runs about 1.5 hours

3Elephant Rock and sea cavesPass the elephant-shaped rock and sail into coastal sea caves.

Elephant Rock, Fíllinn in Icelandic, is a basalt sea cliff on the north-west coast of Heimaey, in the Westman Islands. The sea has worn the rock into deep, wrinkle-like grooves, with a rounded head, an eye-like hollow and a trunk that seems to rest in the water. The creased grey surface looks so much like elephant skin that people ask whether it was carved. It was not. The best view is from the water on a boat tour, as there is no path down to it. Elephant Rock is one of the most photographed formations in the islands.

Tip · sit toward the back for the best photos of Elephant Rock

Read our Elephant Rock guide →

4Puffin cliffs and wildlifeCliffs with puffin colonies in summer, and a chance of whales offshore.

The guide points out birdlife on the cliffs, with puffin colonies in summer, roughly May to August, and any whales or seals spotted along the way, alongside stories about the islands' history. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Season · puffins present roughly May to August

About the Vestmannaeyjar boat tour

This boat tour sails a loop around Heimaey, the only inhabited island in the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) archipelago off the South Coast. It's a relaxed trip rather than a fast RIB ride, aboard a larger passenger boat with room to move around and take in the views.

Along the way you pass Elephant Rock, a sea stack that really does look like an elephant dipping its trunk in the water, and sail into sea caves where the guide sometimes plays music to show off the acoustics. The cliffs around Heimaey hold large puffin colonies in summer, and whales are sometimes seen in the surrounding waters, though never guaranteed.

The islands have a striking history: much of the town was buried or threatened by lava during the 1973 Eldfell eruption, and the guide weaves this into the commentary alongside the wildlife. It's a good option if you want the scenery and stories without the speed of the RIB boat trips.

Questions people ask