Breidavik

Breidavik is a broad bay on the way out to Latrabjarg with a beach of pale golden sand and turquoise shallows that look implausible for this latitude and are exactly as cold as they should be. A guesthouse and campsite operate at the farm behind it. That farm has a difficult history: from 1953 to 1979 it housed a state institution for boys considered delinquent, and testimony that emerged in the 2000s about abuse there led to a national inquiry and formal apologies, one of the cases that changed how Iceland deals with historical abuse in institutions.

What to look for

• Golden sand and turquoise water - unexpected at this latitude.
• A guesthouse and campsite - at the farm behind the bay.
• A former boys' institution - run here between 1953 and 1979.
• A case that led to a national inquiry - after testimony in the 2000s.

When to go

June to August, while the road and the guesthouse are open. Half a day.

Practical notes

The water is cold enough that swimming is brief. Road 612 is rough gravel and slow. Accommodation is limited and books out. There is no shop; supplies come from Patreksfjordur.

Nearby

Latrabjarg is west; Raudisandur is south along the coast.