Day 09 of 12 Day Roadtrip Iceland Reykholar Patreksfjordur
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 12-02-2021
Route Summary
This is day 9 of a 12 day Road Trip on Iceland. Driving in Iceland is a great experience whether you travel by car or as described in this review by motorcycle.
These routes are based on information about Iceland that you can find on the Internet, especially from the Guide to Iceland, where you can find a wealth of information to prepare you well for your trip. The material on this site has been compiled with great care, the link can be found in the review of the first route in this series.
You drive through landscapes that are varied and beautiful, you see glacier tongues, volcanic mountains, geothermal areas with active geysers, lava fields, craters, forests, waterfalls and incredibly rugged stretches of coast.
The routes in the north are part of the 'Arctic Coast Way'.
The main roads are of good quality but you also drive a lot on gravel roads, so not suitable for road motorcycles. Some of these roads are sometimes closed due to the weather. It is therefore important that you check the weather forecasts and the situation of the roads every day before you leave, this information can be found on the website of "Icelandic Meteorological Office" and for the roads on the website of "The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration" " The links are in the review.
Due to the Icelandic climate, this trip can only be made in the summer.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
6h 16m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
457.71 km
Countries
Vestfjarðarvegur road
RouteXpert Review
Today you will fully immerse yourself in the many wonders of the West Fjords. You have to get up early, because today we have a ride of 450km ahead that is packed with adventure and sights The first destination is the largest settlement in this region, Ísafjörður. This is a ride of 280km, more than three hours without long stops. Before you leave, fill the engine up.
This drive to Ísafjörður is spectacular; The mountains of the West Fjords are old and large, with waterfalls tumbling from their many corners and the views are simply spectacular.
Along the way you will also see the seals resting on the coast and humpbacks regularly come close to the coast, so pay attention while driving and if you want you can stop at some places to take some pictures of all the beautiful things.
To reach Ísafjörður from Reykhólar, you must drive north on Route 607, then north on Route 60, at RP2 you can choose to turn left and drive north again on Route 608, this route is 70km shorter, but also partly asphalted.
This description is for the longer and fully asphalted route, so we turn right at RP2 Go west on Route 61. At RP3 we drive towards the Húnafjörður fjord, here we stay on Route 61 and continue through the green hilly landscape to RP4 where the route will wind along the fjord Ísafjarðardjúp to Ísafjörður. This is really enjoying, beautiful roads, beautiful panoramas of the beautiful fjords. There are several small parking places along the road where you can stop. At RP8 there is also a lookout point for seals.
At RP12 you can stop to see the Valagil waterfalls, from the parking it is a walk of about 2 kilometers, but definitely worth it. Even from the start of the hiking trail you can see one of the giant gorge waterfalls at the end of the valley. This waterfall is visible throughout the walk, but the real jewel is the gorge waterfall of Valagil, which you can only see when you get there. The path is a narrow sandy path and is very easy to follow.
The next stop, including lunch, is planned in Ísafjörður (RP13), a junction for locals and visitors, with lots to see. The Old Town still has many 19th-century wooden houses, authentic remains from Iceland's history; the old hospital is now used as a cultural center, where you can see art from the local population. Ísafjörður is also the home of the Maritime Museum Westfjords.
After lunch at one of the city's many restaurants or cafés, take Route 60 South, traveling across gigantic mountains until you begin to wind around the fjords again.
Note from RP17 the road becomes pretty winding and parts are not asphalted or gravel.
At RP18 we arrive at the Dýnjandi waterfall. This is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland, it is in fact a series of falls that fall down from a height of more than one hundred meters along a cliff that looks like a staircase. The contrasts between the foaming white water, old gray rocks and creeping green moss contribute to the magic of this great site.
To reach Dýnjandi you have to take a short walk, and this route takes you past many other smaller, but still beautiful, waterfalls.
After admiring this wonderful natural wonder, we take Route 60 south until you reach Route 62, opposite Breiðafjörður (RP19). Take this road to the West and once again keep an eye on the water for spotting orcas.
We continue to the village of Patreksfjörður, the final destination for the day.
I rate this route with 5 ***** stars, although it is a very long drive but a very nice route with beautiful panoramas along the fjords and through the mountains, there are a number of nice sights along the way and you have a good chance of to spot seals, humpbacks and even orcas.
RP15-16 Route 60
RP18 Dynjandi-Waterfall
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Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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