Tálknafjörður in the West fjords (4:4)

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will be working with the local municipality in Tálknafjörður, in the West Fjords.

Volunteers will work in a forest, planting trees and taking care of green areas. Volunteers will also help to beautify the town, make walking paths, mark walking paths and mark their GPS coordinates.

The weather conditions in Iceland can be unpredictable, be prepared to experience different kinds of weather and bring warm clothing since most of the work takes place outdoors.

ACCOMMODATION: Volunteers will sleep on mattresses on the floor in a local house in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag. There is no shower in the local house, but volunteers will have access to showers in the local swimming pool.

Food supplies will be provided and a kitchen will be available. Volunteers will share the duties of cooking and cleaning.

Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for an international evening.

LOCATION: The West Fjords are among the most breathtakingly beautiful places in Iceland, with its high mountains and dramatic fjords cutting deep into the landscape. The Lonely Planet travel guide put the area on its top 10 list of regions in the world to visit in 2011.

Tálknafjörður is located in the southern Westfjords; it is one of three communities in the southwestern area of the Westfjords.  Tálknafjörður is a fishing village that rests on the 15 km long and nearly 4 km wide bay, also called Tálknafjörður. The mountains drop steep into the bay, the lowland stretches are small and narrow and short valleys cut into the interior plateau. Thermal activity has been discovered in a few places and is used for house heating and a swimming pool in the village.

The town of Tálknafjörður is quite remove, the distance to Ísafjörður, the largest city in the West Fjords, is 161 km and the distance to Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland is 403 km. The closest town is Patreksfjörður, just 18 km away. In number of inhabitants is only about 275 people and about two thirds of the people are employed in a local fishing company.

The nature in the area is untouched and almost uninhabited. The cliffs and valleys are packed with birds, the uninhabited fjords offer a moment of silence and tranquility, and the Arctic fox proudly roams the mountains and inlets. The waterfalls are high and the streams pure. The distances are long and the fjords are deep. And then there are places where there are no roads at all.

LANGUAGE: English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

TERMINAL: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camp site and vice versa. Apart from being cheaper and more convenient, it allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Volunteers should have a motivation for working outdoors and be prepared to experience different kinds of weather in a very isolated region of the country.

There will be countless opportunities to discover the area by foot or to hike the surroundings; the location is surrounded by stunning nature.

Our hosting partner will organise some free time activities in the area; for instance visiting the local swimming pool and a day trip in the area.

18+