Oyndarfjordur

Oyndarfjørður has a curiosity on its shoreline: the Rinkusteinar, two large boulders sitting in the water at the head of the fjord that rock back and forth with the swell and have apparently done so for as long as anyone recorded, the movement visible from the bank. Folk explanation made them enchanted ships. The village behind them is small, with a church of 1838 and a stream running through it.

Background

Oyndarfjørður lies on the northeastern coast of Eysturoy in Runavíkar municipality and had 132 residents in September 2025. The postal code is FO 690. The name comes from the man's name Oyvindur. The village stayed cut off until a road from the south reached it in 1969. Old overland postal paths now make a hiking loop that runs north from Fuglafjørður to the village, which has a youth hostel, then heads west to Elduvík and south to Funningsfjørður before returning to Fuglafjørður.

Source: Wikipedia, "Oyndarfjørður"

What's there

• The Rinkusteinar - two shoreline boulders that rock continuously with the swell.
• The 1838 church - the wooden village church above the shore.
• The fjord head - the sheltered water the village sits at.
• The folk explanation - the tale of the stones as enchanted ships.

When to go

May to September is the season. The rocking is clearest when there is some swell running; in a flat calm it is barely visible. Fog is common.

Before you go

In dead calm the stones barely move and the visit disappoints. There are almost no facilities in the village. The shoreline is slippery and unfenced.

Nearby

Fuglafjordur is south, and Elduvik is southwest.

Key facts