Raufarhöfn is a fishing village on the Melrakkaslétta, the Arctic fox plain, which is a flat, treeless peninsula in the far northeast of Iceland and lies just south of the Arctic Circle. A couple of hundred people live here, down from a thousand at the height of the herring boom, and the harbour is still the focus of the place. The wide, bare landscape has a loneliness that some riders find magnetic and others find a bit much; I lean toward magnetic.
The road to the village crosses open country with low grass, small lakes and a horizon that seems very far away. The tarmac can be rough and patched, with frost heaves in places, and gravel is common on side roads, so slow down and keep your eyes open. The wind has a free run across the plain and can be severe. Weather is changeable, with mist coming in from the sea, and in winter the road is often snowed up. In summer it is a rewarding ride, with birdlife everywhere: the plain is a nesting ground for ducks, swans and waders.
Above the village, on a low hill, stands an unusual stone monument called the Arctic Henge, a modern construction inspired by the Norse poem the Völuspá, and designed so that it catches the midsummer sun. Whether you find it moving or odd, it makes a good reason to walk up and look at the horizon. The settlement also has a small shop, a cafe or two in summer and a guesthouse, though facilities are limited, so check fuel before setting off; the nearest bigger stops are Húsavík to the west and Þórshöfn to the east.
The Arctic fox, Iceland's only native land mammal, lives in the area, though you are unlikely to see one. What you will see are the traces of an older Iceland: turf-roofed ruins, drying racks for fish and rusting winches on the quay. In the quiet hours of a summer night, the light makes everything look gilded, and the sea has a metallic sheen.