Siglufjordur is as far north as you can reasonably get on a paved road in Iceland, a small fishing town squeezed between steep mountains and a long narrow fjord on the Troll Peninsula. In the first half of the twentieth century it was the herring capital of the country, and during the summer the harbour was so crowded with boats and the town so full of seasonal workers that the population swelled well beyond what you see now. When the herring disappeared in the 1960s, the boom ended almost overnight. The Herring Era Museum, in a group of old waterfront buildings, tells the story well, with a salting station, workers' quarters and plenty of old photographs.
Today the town is quiet, with colourful wooden houses climbing up the slopes and a small harbour that often has a few fishing boats alongside. The mountains drop almost straight into the water on both sides, which gives the place a remarkable, enclosed feeling. In winter the snow can pile up, and in summer the midnight sun lights the peaks for what feels like days on end.
Getting here was once a serious challenge. For decades the only road came through the Strakagong tunnel, a narrow, unlit single-lane bore cut through the cliffs, and more recently the Hedinsfjordur tunnels have linked Siglufjordur to Olafsfjordur and Akureyri, shortening the journey and making the town far less isolated. The tunnels have a few single-lane sections with passing places, so ride cautiously, give way properly and keep your visor clear for the change from daylight to dark.
The road along the coast on the approach is some of the best riding in the north, with the water on one side, bare slopes on the other and a surface that is generally good. Wind can funnel hard along the fjords, so expect gusts, particularly on exposed corners.
With a population of just over a thousand, the town has a pump for fuel and a small supermarket, along with a couple of cafes and restaurants. The hot pool is well worth an evening visit after a long day on the bike.