The Atlantic Puffins in Iceland #ricksteves #ricksteveseurope #puffins #icelandpuffins

Iceland’s unofficial mascot is the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica)—that adorably stout, tuxedo-clad seabird with a too-big orange beak and beady black eyes. Some 10 million puffins summer in Iceland—the largest population of any country on earth. They usually arrive in Iceland in April/May, then take off again at summer’s end—making the window for seeing them quite short. The biggest puffin populations (about one million) are in the Westman Islands; along the South Coast (particularly around the Dyrhólaey promontory, and farther east, at Ingólfshöfði cape); in the northeast an hour beyond Egilsstaðir in the tiny coastal village of Borgarfjörður Eystri; and along the Westfjords (at Látrabjarg, Hornbjarg, Hornstrandir, and Breiðafjörður). The islet called Lundey (“Puffin Island”)—with a relatively small population of about 20,000 puffins—is a handy destination for a puffin cruise from downtown Reykjavík’s Old Harbor. Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe. *Check out more Rick Steves’ Europe travel resources:* • “Rick Steves’ Europe” public television series: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show • “Travel with Rick Steves” public radio program: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio • European tours: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours • Guidebooks: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/guidebooks • Travel gear: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/ • Travel classes: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks • Rick Steves Audio Europe app: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-europe Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.