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Breiðafjörður - as the name indicates - is a rather broad fjord in the west of Iceland. It separates the region of the West Fjords (Vestfirðir) from the rest of the country.
If the weather is fine, it is possible to see the coast line of the West Fjords from the Snæfellsnes peninsula, but in reality they lie at a distance of up to 40 km. From the little port of Stykkishólmur, there is a ferry to the West Fjords. But people can also travel overland by car, taking the road from the east of Snæfellsnes along the Hvammsfjörður, the narrowest part of the Breiðafjörður.
In the fjord, a big number of islands are situated which were inhabited in former times, on and off for several hundred years. The most important of these islands is Flatey. In the summertime, it can be reached by ferry. During the Middle Ages, especially in the 12th century, there was a monastery of Augustine monks which represented a centre of Icelandic culture. The most extensive medieval manuscript, the Flateyjarbók was written here. Afterwards, the island was an important trading post.
See also: Fjords of Iceland