{{Short description|Island near the east coast of Iceland}} {{About|the Icelandic island|the similarly named Scottish islands|Papa, Scotland}} {{More citations needed|date=September 2025}} thumb|Papey seen from the air thumb|Church on Papey
'''Papey''' ({{IPA|is|ˈpʰaːpˌeiː|audio=Papey pronunciation.ogg}}) is an island near the east coast of Iceland in Múlaþing municipality (formerly in Djúpavogshreppur municipality) and is about {{convert|2|km2|sqmi|2}} in extent, the highest point on the island being about {{convert|58|m|0}} above sea level.
The island was inhabited from the settlement of Iceland until 1966. There still is a lighthouse, a private house, a church and a weather station on the island, the latter automated since 1998.{{cn|date=September 2025}} There are also large colonies of Atlantic puffins on the island.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |last1=Hudson |first1=Shaney |title=Nature’s biggest treasure hunt |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20130906-natures-biggest-treasure-hunt |access-date=5 September 2025 |work=BBC |date=10 September 2013}}</ref>
Papey is said to be named after the monks called ''Papar'' and it is mentioned in the ''Landnámabók'' as one of two places where these monks lived. The story in ''Landnámabók'' is that as Ingólfr Arnarson and his followers had lived during the winter at Geithellar in Álftafjörður at a distance from Papey, some of his women followers climbed a mountain in the spring and saw smoke from the island. When they later got a closer look and found special items there, they understood that the smoke had to have been from ''Papar'' (or quote: "''Vestmen''") inhabitants. There are also some toponyms on the island (aside from the island's name itself) indicating ''Papar'' monks were living there.
Archaeological surveys on the island and in the area surrounding Djúpavogur, especially between 1970 and 1980, did not show any evidence of any monk settlement. There was, however, evidence of Norse settlements. Some of these surveys were led by the then-president of Iceland, Kristján Eldjárn.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Islands of Iceland}} {{Authority control}}
{{Coord|64|35|30|N|14|10|00|W|display=title|region:IS_type:isle}}
Category:Islands of Iceland