Westfjords Route 60 and 61: Borgarnes to Isafjordur

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Borgarnes

   Borgarnes sits on a narrow peninsula pushing out into a wide, shallow fjord, and when the tide is out, the water turns into a shining flat of sand and mud with birds feeding in it. The town is small, about 1,800 people, and it is the main settlement of the Borgarfjordur district in west Iceland. It is a natural stopping point on the way north from Reykjavik, and most people use it for a quick coffee or fuel before heading on, which is a pity, because there is a good story here.

   Read the complete Borgarnes write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Borgarnes is where the day begins. Next is Budardalur.

2. 2. Budardalur

   Budardalur is a very small settlement at the head of Hvammsfjordur in western Iceland, and it serves as the centre of the Dalir district, whose name simply means the Valleys. Only a couple of hundred people live here, but it is an important stop on the road, because the nearest fuel for a long distance is found here, along with a shop, a cafe and a few services. A small dairy is based in the town, and local cheese and skyr are a good thing to try.

   Read the complete Budardalur write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Budardalur comes up about 80 km into the recorded legs. Next is Holmavik.

3. 3. Hólmavík

   Hólmavík is a small fishing village on the eastern shore of the Westfjords, and for many riders it is the gateway to the wildest part of Iceland. It sits on a little peninsula in Steingrímsfjörður, with a harbour full of boats, a church and a handful of colourful houses, and it has barely three hundred and fifty people. The landscape around it is stark and beautiful: low, rounded hills, deep fjords and bare, dark mountains beyond. In summer the light barely fades, and at midnight the sky glows orange over the water.

   Read the complete Holmavik write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 160 km into the recorded legs you reach Holmavik. Next is Isafjordur.

4. 4. Isafjordur

   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.

   Read the complete Isafjordur write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Isafjordur closes the day.