The headland on which the town of Flateyri (pop.350) stands was probably left there when a large section of the mountain above, cleaved into the sea. At Flateyri there is a constant threat of snow avalanches in winter, and the peculiar clusters of hillocks above the village on the mountainside beyond it are not trolls turned into stone, but manmade breakers offering avalanche protection. 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. Today, most of Flateyri’s inhabitants work in the fishing industry, just as local people has always done.

The town is quite self-contained and all major services are to be found there. It has its own tranquil way of life. Flateyri is a lovely place in the calm of the evening when boats slumber by the harbour side and the fjord beyond it sports its upside down image of Mt. Thorfinnur. In the shadow of the mountain, the hearts of fish and men beat in time with the tide.