A plot of land in the remote fjord of Hellisfjörður in East Iceland is for sale, Austur Frétt reports. The plot, which is not accessible by road, is 1,900 hectares [4,695 acres] and therefore covers almost the entire fjord.
The fjord is currently in the ownership of Hollywood film producer Sigurjón Sighvatsson, who has owned it since 2018. According to Ævar Dungal, the real estate agent overseeing this sale, there’s already been a fair amount of interest from potential buyers in both Iceland and abroad. He notes, unsurprisingly, that it’s rare for whole fjords to be put up for sale in Iceland, but that in addition to that fact, this particular fjord has a lot of natural resources and interesting history to further recommend it.
A Norwegian whaling station was operated on the north side of the fjord from 1901 – 1913, and remnants of the operation are still visible there. There also used to be a village of the same name at the base of the fjord, although the whole area has been uninhabited since 1952. A summer house was built in the fjord in 1970, however, and is being sold along with the land. The house, which has solar panels installed on the roof, has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen (with gas stove), and a living room. The fjord also boasts rich bird life, reindeer, and great trout fishing.
As there is no road into the fjord, the property must be reached by boat, horse, or on foot. This is unlikely to discourage potential buyers, however. “Many of the people who have shown an interest think it’s actually an advantage that there’s no road,” explained Ævar.
See photos of the property here.
