Hvammstangi is a fishing village of a few hundred people on the east side of the Vatnsnes peninsula in north-west Iceland, where the bay of Miðfjörður opens into the great Húnaflói. It is small, tidy and unhurried, with brightly painted houses facing a harbour full of small boats, and it is known for shrimp, a trade that kept it going for years. The thing to do here is look at seals. The Icelandic Seal Centre in the village tells the story of the harbour and common seals that haul out on the beaches around the peninsula, and the shore at Vatnsnes is among the best places in the country to watch them at rest on the rocks.
Out on the peninsula, the road loops around a rough, windy coast, and at its western edge stands Hvítserkur, a basalt stack shaped like a drinking animal, with white streaks of bird droppings that gave it its name. The farms along the way have views across the bay to the Strandir mountains, and in summer the fields hold nesting waders such as golden plover, snipe and redshank, whose cries follow you as you ride. The ring road, Route 1, passes just to the south, bringing the faster traffic.
Riding the loop is a lesson in Icelandic roads. The ring road itself is smooth tarmac with long straight sections and exposed crosswinds, and Route 711 around Vatnsnes is mostly gravel, with loose stones, washboard and sheep that wander freely. It can be slow going. Weather moves quickly, and fog off the sea can drop visibility to nothing, so dress for rain, wind and cold even in July. In the long light of June and July the evenings are glorious, and you can ride at midnight with the sun low over the water.
Hvammstangi has a fuel station and a small shop, and a few places to eat, including a café by the harbour that serves fish soup. It is the start of the Arctic Coast Way, a long route around the north coast, so the facilities are used to travellers. Stock up on what you need, because the distances between settlements in the north are long, and the next big town, Blönduós, is some distance east. Check the forecast, carry a warm layer and keep your tank topped up.