Saksunarvágur Lagoon

Tidal lagoon ringed by hills, reflecting cliffs at high water

The tidal lagoon at the foot of the village is why most people come to Saksun. Almost entirely enclosed by hills, with only a narrow gap to the sea — when conditions are right, the Atlantic pushes in through the channel and the lagoon fills. The water level changes hour by hour. At low tide the beach is exposed and you can walk along the shore; at high tide the lagoon reflects the surrounding cliffs and the effect is extraordinary.

The walk down from the village takes about fifteen minutes each way. Don't attempt to ford the channel to the beach on the far side — the currents at the outlet are deceptive and have caught out confident swimmers.

The lagoon was once used as a harbour, but the sandbar at the channel entrance gradually silted up and made it impassable for larger boats. By the early twentieth century, Saksun's isolation was complete — the village had no road connection until 1962.

things to do sight
A story
Saksun was a working harbour until a great storm in the mid-nineteenth century shifted enough sand to leave the sandbar at the outlet too shallow for boats. Within a generation the village had gone from a sheltered port to a road-less farming hamlet, and stayed that way until the access road was finally cut over the moor in 1962.