Arctic Fox Centre
A research centre for the only land mammal that was in Iceland before people arrived.
Updated 16 October 2026
The arctic fox is the only land mammal that reached Iceland without human help, walking in over sea ice at the end of the last glaciation, and it has been here ever since - hunted for centuries under a bounty system, and still hunted outside the Hornstrandir reserve. The centre at Sudavik is both an exhibition and a working research base: it runs monitoring of the population, collects data from hunters and researchers, and hosts volunteers doing fieldwork in Hornstrandir. The exhibition covers the biology, the two colour morphs, the hunting history and the debate about management. Orphaned cubs have been kept on site in some years.
Background
The centre grew out of fieldwork that Páll Hersteinsson PhD and Ester Rut Unnsteinsdóttir MSc, a professor and his student, began together in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in 1998. When they presented the idea at a tourism conference in Ísafjörður in 2005 it met a mixed reception, yet backers followed, and by 2007 it had become a non profit body with 42 shareholders. The doors opened on the 10th of June 2010, and Páll died in 2011. The exhibition is housed in a building from the final decade of the 19th century, recently restored by the local authorities of Súðavík. Its second part traces a social history of foxes and people in Iceland that reaches back over 1000 years.
Source: Wikipedia, "The Arctic Fox Centre"
What you'll find
- Iceland's only native land mammal - arrived over sea ice, before people.
- A working research base - monitoring, data collection and fieldwork.
- Hunting history and current debate - bounties then, management now.
- The two colour morphs - white and blue, explained.
When to go
May to September for full hours and fieldwork season. Two hours.
What to expect
Whether live foxes are on site varies year to year and cannot be counted on. The exhibition is small. Hours are reduced in winter. Seeing wild foxes means Hornstrandir, which is a separate expedition.
Nearby
Isafjordur is west; Hornstrandir is reached by boat from there.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q2101044, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Arctic Fox Centre
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Warm base layers - Merino or synthetic against the skin - never cotton, which chills when damp. Find on Amazon
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- Shelter suited to the place - Tent, tarp or hut booking - match it to the terrain and rules. Find on Amazon
- An insulated + windproof jacket - A down or synthetic layer under a hard shell handles most cold. Find on Amazon
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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
