Papey Island

Background

History & Background

Papey was inhabited for centuries, with the last permanent residents leaving in 1966. The island's name and several local place-names have long been connected with traditions about Christian 'papar' who may have been in Iceland before Norse settlement. A protected archaeological feature known as Papatóft or Papatættur is associated with Írskahóll on eastern Papey; it was protected in 1931, although its exact location is uncertain. Papeyjarkirkja, built in 1807, and the island's later lighthouse are among the clearest surviving landmarks of its human history.

Papey lies off the East Iceland coast near Djúpivogur and is best experienced as one complete island destination rather than as a collection of separate attractions. The island is known for puffins and other seabirds, its long history of habitation, Papeyjarkirkja and the lighthouse. The name Papey has long been linked with traditions about Christian 'papar' who may have been in Iceland before Norse settlement. One of the island's protected archaeological features is known as Papatóft or Papatættur, associated with Írskahóll on eastern Papey. The site was protected in 1931, but the precise location of the feature is uncertain. This archaeological story is therefore best presented within the wider Papey experience instead of as a separate destination.