Isafjordur is the largest town in the Westfjords, with about two and a half thousand inhabitants, and it sits on a narrow gravel spit that juts into the fjord Skutulsfjordur, with steep mountains rising almost vertically on three sides. It was settled early as a fishing and trading port, and it grew rich on cod. The oldest part of town has some of the finest surviving timber buildings in the country, some of which date from the eighteenth century, and the Westfjords Heritage Museum is housed in one of them, with exhibits on fishing, boats and daily life.
The ride here is a journey in itself. The roads of the Westfjords wind around deep fjords, over steep passes and along cliffs, and many sections are gravel. The tunnel into Isafjordur, which links three valleys in a Y-shape, has a one-lane section with passing bays, so be ready to pull over and give way to oncoming traffic. Plenty of stops are worth making, including the great waterfall Dynjandi, which falls in a series of cascades down a mountainside and is easily one of the most beautiful in Iceland.
Weather is a real factor. Fog, rain and strong wind are frequent, and in winter heavy snow often cuts off the passes. Summer is the best time to ride, when the days are long and the light lasts almost all night, but even in July the temperature can be cold, so carry warm clothes.
In town, you will find fuel, a supermarket, a swimming pool, restaurants and a bakery, all within a short distance of each other, which makes it a comfortable base. Fish is the thing to eat, and the catch of the day is usually excellent. Every year at Easter, the town hosts a rock festival with a defiantly local name, and the place fills up with musicians and visitors.
This is a fitting place to finish a ride through the Westfjords, a remote corner of Iceland that few people visit and nobody forgets.