In Pictures, Landscapes of the Westfjords in Iceland

And a love letter to one of the best drives in the world

Hey folks,

Growing up watching Top Gear (and subsequently The Grand Tour, R.I.P.), I’ve always held the road trip as an idea close to my heart. Especially a drive through some distant land where I feel like I’m truly out there, surrounded by immense natural beauty and constantly in awe of our world.

Recently, I spent just shy of two weeks driving through the Westfjords of Iceland. This region of dramatic beauty is still one of the least trafficked places in the country. I suspect it’s because it takes time to drive, and the payoff isn’t quite clear. The big waterfalls, black sand beaches, and glaciers of the Ring Road and southern Iceland steal most of the media spotlight and are objectively easier to get to. Though the Westfjords isn’t a place for objectivity, it’s one for old magic that still manages to exist.

The Westfjords is a relatively small region as the crow flies, but driving it is another story. Here, the roads cling to the edge of the world, tracing the inlets that have been carved into the landscape over millions of years. To get around, especially in the northern parts, you must drive in and out of the deep fjords. Gravel and pothole-strewn roads are still common in the area as well. This all makes for long and sometimes challenging drives, but for most of the way you’ll have the roads to yourself.

The Westfjords have a rugged, almost austere character to them. Each fjord rises steeply out of the ocean to a flat-topped basalt summit, then plunges back into the cold waters of the North Atlantic. Years of erosion have drawn deep, paintbrush-like grooves into the sides of the mountains. Vegetation is scarce, save for some moss and low shrubbery that cling to the wrinkles of the fjords. You get the sense that it used to be, and probably still is, a difficult life.

Yet, there’s an ethereal quality as well. You can find crystal blue water and white sand beaches. As clouds roll through the fjords, they linger around the mountain tops as if the basalt itself is alive, breathing in the cold air. Eventually the sun breaks through and you’ll see a rainbow or two. Thrushes like Meadow Pipits and Redwings can be heard all day and night in the summer months. And if you’re fortunate you can even spot some puffins, creatures that seem too whimsical to exist.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be looking at specific parts of the region that fascinated me. For now, consider this a brief tribute to the Westfjords and one of the best road trips in the world.

-Skylar