Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Iceland’s unofficial mascot is the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica)—that adorably stout, tuxedo-clad seabird with a too-big orange beak and beady black eyes. Some 10 million puffins summer in Iceland—the largest population of any country on earth. They usually arrive in Iceland in April/May, then take off again at summer’s end—making the window for seeing them quite short.
The biggest puffin populations (about one million) are in the Westman Islands; along the South Coast (particularly around the Dyrhólaey promontory, and farther east, at Ingólfshöfði cape); in the northeast an hour beyond Egilsstaðir in the tiny coastal village of Borgarfjörður Eystri; and along the Westfjords (at Látrabjarg, Hornbjarg, Hornstrandir, and Breiðafjörður). The islet called Lundey (“Puffin Island”)—with a relatively small population of about 20,000 puffins—is a handy destination for a puffin cruise from downtown Reykjavík’s Old Harbor.
Visit ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
*Check out more Rick Steves’ Europe travel resources:*
• “Rick Steves’ Europe” public television series: ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show
• “Travel with Rick Steves” public radio program: ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio
• European tours: ricksteves.com/tours
• Guidebooks: store.ricksteves.com/shop/guidebooks
• Travel gear: store.ricksteves.com/shop
• Travel classes: ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks
• Rick Steves Audio Europe app: ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-europe
Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.
Iceland’s unofficial mascot is the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica)—that adorably stout, tuxedo-clad seabird with a too-big orange beak and beady black eyes. Some 10 million puffins summer in Iceland—the largest population of any country on earth. They usually arrive in Iceland in April/May, then take off again at summer’s end—making the window for seeing them quite short.
The biggest puffin populations (about one million) are in the Westman Islands; along the South Coast (particularly around the Dyrhólaey promontory, and farther east, at Ingólfshöfði cape); in the northeast an hour beyond Egilsstaðir in the tiny coastal village of Borgarfjörður Eystri; and along the Westfjords (at Látrabjarg, Hornbjarg, Hornstrandir, and Breiðafjörður). The islet called Lundey (“Puffin Island”)—with a relatively small population of about 20,000 puffins—is a handy destination for a puffin cruise from downtown Reykjavík’s Old Harbor.
Visit ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
*Check out more Rick Steves’ Europe travel resources:*
• “Rick Steves’ Europe” public television series: ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show
• “Travel with Rick Steves” public radio program: ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio
• European tours: ricksteves.com/tours
• Guidebooks: store.ricksteves.com/shop/guidebooks
• Travel gear: store.ricksteves.com/shop
• Travel classes: ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks
• Rick Steves Audio Europe app: ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-europe
Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.
