Winter wonders of the Arctic Coast Way

Ocean drive

Road trip along the Arctic Coast Way.

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TEXT: Michelle Spinei PHOTOS: Courtesy of Visit North Iceland and the proprietors

As I drove, I looked at the snowcapped mountains on one side of the road and the ocean on the other. Up ahead, houses painted in bright primary colours signified that I was coming up to the next fishing village.

Winter weekend getaway

I was on a winter road trip along the Arctic Coast Way (Nordurstrandarleid), a brandnew tourist route that stretches along the entire northern coastline of Iceland, from Hvammstangi to Bakkafjordur. Winding through fjords and along several peninsulas, the route features natural wonders like lava fields and geothermal pools, as well as wildlife watching and adventure activities. While summer months are typically associated with road trips around Iceland, the colder months bring a dramatic turn to the Icelandic landscape, dotting the mountains with red and gold in the autumn and a coat of white in the winter. The northern lights are at their peak visibility from late September to March. I started my trip in Akureyri, the unofficial capital of North Iceland, before driving up to Siglufjordur for a long weekend. The section of the Arctic Coast Way I chose is known for its charming fishing villages and maritime heritage. Non-stop, the drive takes about one hour, but there are plenty of reasons to stop along the way.

Akureyri is home to an active cultural scene and a bustling main street of shops and restaurants, so I gave myself an evening to relax and explore. I headed to the Akureyri swimming pool, which was filled with people coming back from a day at the nearby ski slopes. I sat in the hot pots and

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01 The iconic Akureyrarkirkja church overlooks Akureyri’s main shopping street. Photo: Visit North Iceland. 02 Route 82 offers views of the ocean and mountains. Photo: Visit North Iceland. 03 Northern lights over Siglo Hotel. Photo:

Siglo Hotel. 04 Historic fishing boats on display at the

Herring Era Museum. Photo: Herring Era

Museum.

GETTING THERE:

Siglufjordur Olafsfjordur

Akureyri

Reykjavik

Air Iceland Connect flies daily between Reykjavik and Akureyri in only 40 minutes. You can rent a car at the airport. Check road conditions at road.is before you leave. There’s also a bus connection to Olafsfjordur and Siglufjordur.

→ airicelandconnect.com → arcticcoastway.is

chatted with both locals and fellow tourists and received the tip to see popular Icelandic indie band Valdimar that evening at Graeni hatturinn. The venue was packed and the band gave an energetic performance as their fans danced and sang along to the songs.

Troll territory

The next morning, after stopping at a bakery for astarpungar, Icelandic donuts known as “love balls”, I drove north on Route 82, heading towards Trollaskagi (“Troll Peninsula”) to Olafsfjordur. The black-sand beaches around there are known to attract surfers year-round, so I walked along hoping to see some Arctic surfing. While I didn’t find surfers, I did find plenty of trolls. Olafsfjordur is home to an artist residency that carried out a project painting troll murals throughout the town. It was fun to wander around and try to find them, peeking out on the sides of buildings.

Herring Era

I drove onwards to Siglufjordur and went to the Herring Era Museum, which describes the gold-rush-style history of herring and its importance to Iceland’s economy. I stayed the night at Siglo Hotel, nestled in the town’s marina, in a room with a view of the mountains. In the evening, I braved the chilly air and walked along the harbour. I saw what I thought at first were pale clouds in the distance. After a few minutes they started moving ever so slightly and I realised that my drive was timed perfectly enough to view the northern lights.

DID YOU KNOW...

The oldest rock above sea level in Iceland, 15–16 million years old, can probably be found in the mountain Goltur by Sugandafjordur in the Westfjords. While the rock in Iceland is among the world’s youngest, Greenland has the oldest; some of it is at least 3.8 billion years old.