Iceland · Archaeological Heritage
Historic & Abandoned Places
Registered abandoned farms, ruins, shielings and historic church sites from Iceland's national archaeological survey — not every site here is abandoned, and not every site is currently open to visit.
Iceland was settled from the late 9th century onward, and centuries of farming, changing climate, and rural depopulation have left thousands of former farmsteads, outbuildings and seasonal herding sites recorded but unoccupied across the country. Minjastofnun Íslands, the national heritage agency, maintains an open archaeological survey of these locations. This collection presents a reviewed selection of that data with independently written, factual descriptions — and, where public access hasn't been verified, an honest note saying so rather than an invitation to visit.
2 Places
Abandoned Farm · Westfjords
Hesteyri
Hesteyri is a deserted fishing village in the remote Jökulfirðir fjords of the northern Westfjords, abandoned in 1952 after decades as a trading post and later a herring-processing hub.
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Abandoned Farm · East Iceland
Karlsskáli við Reyðarfjörð
Karlsskáli was a substantial farm on Reyðarfjörður in East Iceland that supported up to 50 people at its peak before being abandoned after a fire in 1961.
ExploreBefore You Go
Responsible Exploration
- Many of these sites sit on private agricultural land — access is not guaranteed and should never be assumed.
- Do not climb on, enter, or move stones from any ruined structure.
- Do not remove artifacts. Several sites carry Iceland's highest legal protection tier (friðlýst).
- Where a page doesn't confirm a public trail or parking point, none should be assumed to exist.