Bjarnarhöfn: a unique history in fermentation.

At Bjarnarhöfn, time slows down, and history lingers in the air—along with the unmistakable scent of hákarl. This centuries-old Icelandic delicacy, made from fermented Greenland shark, is not for the faint of heart. The process is both ancient and fascinating: first buried to ferment, then hung to dry for months in the salty North Atlantic air. What emerges is a bold, ammonia-rich bite that tells the story of Viking survival and Icelandic ingenuity. Whether you love it or just endure it, hákarl is a taste of Iceland’s wild past—and at Bjarnarhöfn’s Shark Museum, you can see (and smell) the tradition firsthand.