Hólmavík is the main village of the Strandir coast, a long, thinly populated stretch of the Westfjords facing north-east to the Arctic, and it feels like a place where the road has to try a bit harder. The population is a few hundred, and the settlement clusters around a small harbour on the Steingrímsfjörður, with the mountains behind and the open sea ahead. It is an unusual place for a museum, but it has a good one.
The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft, in the village, tells the story of the witch hunts of the seventeenth century, when Iceland, unlike much of Europe, burned mainly men, most of them accused of using runic spells. The exhibition is eerie and surprisingly humorous, and includes a pair of trousers made from human skin, a legendary charm said to bring wealth. It is the kind of place that you might not choose to visit, but you will remember.
The ride here from the south follows the shore of Hrútafjörður and then the coast, with long, open bends and wide views, while the road west climbs over the high moor of Steingrímsfjarðarheiði. The surface is generally paved, but some side roads are gravel, and the weather can be wild, with fog and strong winds. Traffic is very light, and sheep are the main hazard. The northern sections of the Strandir coast are quieter still, reached by a long, slow road with few services.
Nature on this coast is wild and open. Seabirds nest on the cliffs, seals bask on the rocks, and Arctic foxes live in the hills. Driftwood from Siberia washes up on the shore, carried by currents across the Arctic Ocean, and it was long a valuable resource for the people of this treeless coast. The air smells of salt, seaweed and wood smoke.
The village has a shop, a cafe and a place to stay, so it is a sensible stop, though choices are limited. Ísafjörður lies farther along the route. Come when the light is soft, and allow time for the museum.