Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [206]
About 18km north of Kópasker you can turn off Rte 85 and head north along a rough track to the extinct 73m crater Rauðinúpur. Set on a wild headland with steep cliff faces, this remote finger of land feels like the end of the earth. Screeching gannets and a lonely lighthouse will be your only companions here, and as you look out to sea the power of nature and sense of dramatic isolation are immediately apparent.
Back on the main road and heading east through more fertile farmland, you approach the remote peninsula Hraunhafnartangi, the northernmost point of the Icelandic mainland. This desolate spot has narrowly missed being one of Iceland’s biggest attractions – it’s just 2.5km south of the Arctic Circle. If the headland was a little further north, there could have been an interpretive centre, a tacky souvenir stall and a Christmas grotto. Instead it’s a largely undiscovered headland that was a Saga Age landing site and is the burial place of saga hero Þorgeir Hávarsson, who killed 14 enemies before being struck down in battle. A marked trail leads along the gravel beach here to the brightly coloured lighthouse and the grave site.
The awkward left-side turn-off to the headland is marked with a small blue sign; look for the lonely lighthouse off in the distance. Camping is possible anywhere on the headland.
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RAUFARHÖFN
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Like the setting of a Stephen King novel, distant Raufarhöfn (roy-ver-hup), Iceland’s northernmost township, is an eerily quiet place with a prominently positioned graveyard. The port has functioned since the Saga Age, but the town’s economic peak came early in the 20th century during the herring boom, when it was second to Siglufjörður in volume. Today, Raufarhöfn’s rows of dull prefab housing give few clues to its illustrious past.
There are ambitious plans afoot to erect a massive stone circle on the hill just north of town. When completed, the Arctic Henge will be 54m in diameter with four gates (to represent the seasons) up to 7m in height. The plan is to use the stone henge as a finely tuned sundial to celebrate the solstices, view the midnight sun and explain the strong local beliefs in the mythological dwarves mentioned in the poem Völuspá (Wise Woman’s Prophecy). The centrum might be completed by the time you read this.
If you didn’t make it up to Grímsey, Arctic Travel ( 893 8386; www.arctictravel.is; Vogsholt 12; mid-Jun–Sep) will take you to the Arctic Circle by boat – they’ll even give you a little certificate. Sea-angling, sightseeing and midnight cruises are also on offer. Call for pricing details.
If you want to stay, there’s a free campsite, but Hótel Norðurljós (Northern Lights; 465 1233; ebt@vortex.is; Aðalbraut 2; s/d incl breakfast Ikr9000/14,000; mid-Jan–mid-Dec; ) is the town’s only formal accommodation option. The exterior seems to have been battered by one too many storms, but the inside is quite cosy and rooms have tranquil harbour views.
Hótel Norðurljós restaurant (2-course lunch/3-course dinner Ikr2200/3700) offers up some of the best home cooking you’ll have during your Icelandic foray. The hotel owner moonlights as the chef, creating truly memorable dishes. Each meal incorporates an array of local ingredients; there’s freshly caught fish, a surprising seaweed pesto, and even homemade skyr with handpicked berries. A terrace overlooks the harbour, and guests can borrow the owner’s kayak or canoe to explore the nearby islands.
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RAUÐANES
Heading south from Raufarhöfn, there’s excellent hiking at Rauðanes, where marked trails lead to bizarre rock formations, natural arches, caves and secluded beaches. The small and scenic peninsula is edged by steep cliffs full of nesting birds, caves, offshore sea stacks and an exposed rock face, Stakkatorfa, where a great chunk of land collapsed into the sea. Pick up the Útivist & afþreying #5 map for a detailed look at the area.
The turn-off to Rauðanes is about 35km south of Raufarhöfn, but the track is only