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Day Place Highlights
1 Tromso Explore this fantastic Norwegian Town, Embark Silver Wind
2 Bear Island Experience nature in its finest in this southernmost island of the Svalbard Archipelago
3 & 4 Svalbard Southern Region Polar bears, walrus, icebergs, glaciers
5 - 7 Svalbard Northen Region Beautiful fjords, prominent glaciers, hike stunning scenery
8 At Sea Relax, unwind and catch up with what you've been meaning to do
9 Jan Mayen Island Whale and birdwatching, view an active volcano, hike to research station for impressive views
10 At Sea Relax, unwind and catch up with what you've been meaning to do
11 Husavilk Visit the European capitol of whale watching, go hiking, horse riding and visit Dettifloss waterfall
12 Siglufjordur Explore Iceland's northernmost town,go hiking to reach stunning views
13 Sudereyri & Bolungarvik Visit old fishing villages, view beautiful landscapes
14 Reykjavik Disembark the Silver Wind, Explore Reykjavik
The Silver Wind is a is a modern and luxurious ship providing cosy ambiance for the 240 passengers on board (she has capacity for 254 passengers but only takes 240 to the polar regions). Originally built in 1995, she has undergone refurbishments in December 2018 with a second planned for summer 2020. She is timelessly elegant and full of opulence throughout all of her 6 passenger decks. Her new and improved strengthened ice-class hull makes for ease and adaptable sailing through the Polar Regions for whatever the conditions may bring.
Tromsø surprised visitors in the 1800s: they thought it was very sophisticated and cultured for being so close to the North Pole—hence its nickname, the ‘Paris of the North’. It looks the way a polar town should—with ice-capped mountain ridges and jagged architecture that is an echo of the peaks. The midnight sun shines from May 21 to July 21, and it is said that the northern lights decorate the night skies over Tromsø more than over any other city in Norway. Board the Silver Wind in the late evening.
Almost half way between Tromsø and Svalbard is isolated Bear Island – considered the southernmost island of the Svalbard Archipelago. The unglaciated island is an impressive Nature Reserve of steep, high cliffs that are frequented by seabirds, specifically at the southern tip. Brünnich’s Guillemots, Common Guillemots, Black Guillemots, Razorbills, Little Auks, Northern Fulmars, Glaucous Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and even Atlantic Puffins and Northern Gannets nest along the cliffs south of Sørhamna. Despite of the name, bear Island, polar bears are very infrequent visitors.
Svalbard’s Southern Region and specifically Spitsbergen’s west coast is less ice-clogged than the rest of Svalbard due to the moderating influenced of the Gulf Stream. Several fjords cut into the western coast of Spitsbergen and have been used by trappers and hunters, as well as the different mining companies that tried to exploit the riches of the archipelago’s largest island of Spitsbergen. Remains of huts and mines, as well as active commercial and scientific settlements can be found and visited. Depending on the time of the season, glaciers can be visited on foot or by sea. Northern places like Magdalenefjorden and Hornsund will reveal fascinating views of geological formations, craggy mountains, spectacular glaciers and a variety of seabirds and seals.
There are several deep fjords and prominent glaciers in the northern reaches of Svalbard, as well as the northern hemisphere’s widest glacier front. Ice conditions will dictate how much can be accessed in terms of cruising bird islets like the Andøyane Islets or approaching glaciers like Monaco Glacier and Seliger Glacier. The Northern Region is also known to have several walrus haul-outs and areas defined as “Arctic Desert”. Walks and hikes ashore to have a closer look at flora and wildlife are a possibility in the spectacular Northern Region of Svalbard.
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching or catching up on your reading, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.
Humpback and minke whales cavort and feed in the waters around the impressive volcanic island of Jan Mayen with its towering ebony peaks and broad black lava beaches. The primordial landscape is dominated to the north by the 7,500 feet high (2,300 meters) Mt Beerenberg, an active volcano covered in glacial ice that last erupted in 1985. With permission from the Norwegian authorities, a landing is possible at this rarely visited outpost. Visitors may walk to the research and weather station, or beyond, for birds-eye views of the meteorological station and the long black sandy eastern shore of the island. Birds to be seen here may include Atlantic Puffins, Northern Fulmars, and Snow Buntings.
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching or catching up on your reading, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.
There’s simply nowhere better than Husavilk – the European capital of whale watching – for getting up close and personal with the majestic giants of the ocean. Pretty Husavik is framed by the majestic Húsavíkurfjall mountain, which swells up behind and creates a stunning backdrop for the town’s tiny wooden warehouses, cherry red houses and undulating fishing ships. Sail among gentle giants in Shaky Bay, spotting humpbacks, minke whales and the world’s biggest – blue whales. Hikes and horse rides into the surrounding countryside can take you up around Lake Botnsvatn. From the summit, look out over views of the bay, reaching out to the crumpled snowy peaks beyond. Or feel the full force of this land of natural power, at Dettifloss Waterfall, one of Europe’s most powerful, thrashing flumes.
A tiny town in the scenic north of Iceland, cosseted away by a jagged wall of mountain peaks, Siglufjordur is an isolated gem. With just over a thousand residents, Siglufjordur takes its name from the glassy fjord that stretches out nearby. Iceland’s northernmost town, only a single-lane road tunnel, bored through the snow-capped mountains, provides a land link with the rest of the country. Siglufjordur is a historic Atlantic capital of herring fishing, and you can learn of the industry that gave the town its purpose, and powered Iceland’s economy at the award-winning Herring Era Museum. Take a boat out around the scenic fjord, or embark on lengthy hikes out and above this romantically isolated outpost.
Suðureyri is a small Icelandic fishing village perched on the tip of the 13 km-long Súgandafjörður in the Westfjords. The community was isolated for years by the huge mountains and rough road that led over them. Now it is connected to Ísafjörður by a 5 km tunnel. The village has tours set up to allow visitors to experience traditional Icelandic life firsthand. This includes going out on original fishing boats or visiting the fish factory in town. You can also go swimming in a geothermal swimming pool.
Bolungarvík is a small town in the northwest of Iceland, located on the Westfjords peninsula, approximately 14 kilometres from the town of Ísafjörður and 473 km from the capital city Reykjavík. It was one of Iceland’s oldest fishing outposts and is close to abundant fishing grounds as well as a natural history museum where a polar bear specimen and the biggest bird collection in Iceland can be seen. Skálavík bay can be reached by gravel road over a mountain pass and that same road also leads to the top of the Bolafjall mountain (638 m.) with views of the village of Bolungarvík, the Ísafjarðardjúp fjord, the Jökulfirðir fjords and the Hornstrandir nature reserve. The surroundings of Bolungarvík are destinations for hiking, horse riding and birdwatching.
Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation’s nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island’s population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. Reykjavík’s name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there’s no smoke around.