By
Rebecca Gibson |
Siglufjordur, Iceland’s northernmost town, has become a member of Cruise Europe.
Initially a small shark fishing village in the 1900s, Siglufjordur is now one of the largest towns and most important harbours in Iceland and welcomed its first cruise ships in 2002.
The ships berth at the Town Quay dock, which is a short walk from local museums, galleries, restaurants and shops. Vessels can also dock at Oskars Quay, a smaller 155m-long berth with an 8.5m depth, which is located further afield.
Call numbers have risen significantly in recent years, from three in 2013 to six in 2014 and 19 in 2015. Newcomers for 2015 included Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Poseidon. Ten cruise vessels have already booked calls for 2016.
Siglufjordur also aims to carry out improvement work on the Town Quay to enable ships of up to 200m in length to dock at the 160m-long quay.
While in Siglufjordur, cruise guests can go hiking or bird watching, visit The Folk Music Centre to listen to locals singing traditional rhymes and folk songs, and head to the Herring Era Museum. Groups can also arrange to watch local ‘herring girls’ demonstrate how they used to gut and pack the fish into barrels, before enjoying a singing and accordion performance.