Whales and frozen landscapes: a road trip along the Arctic Coast

Akureyri (Iceland)Whiteout, sometimes translated as white storm, is a situation in which the white of the fog, the low clouds and the snow make you lose all spatial reference. It is also the title of a mystery novel by the Icelandic writer Ragnar Jónasson, one of those Nordic authors who have become fashionable in recent years. Here and now, as we drive through the north of his country in the middle of winter, climbing a mountain pass on a particularly tortuous stretch of the Arctic Coast Way, this meteorological expression is distressingly apt. Through the windshields I can see absolutely nothing. Moving forward is difficult, since, in dangerous terrain like this, you can end up falling off a cliff or colliding with some invisible obstacle.

~BK_LINE_BREAK~ The only way forward on the snowy road, in the middle of the thick fog, are some yellow poles that, every few meters, mark the edge of the asphalt. I drive very slowly, a few kilometers per hour, while my traveling companions, Eulalia and Elena, scrutinize the whiteness and, from time to time, shout: "There's a pole over there on the right!" I quickly correct my trajectory to stay on the road and continue little by little, until they point out the next yellow pole. A sign that marks the difference between staying on the asphalt or falling off a cliff. Once past the mountain pass, already descending towards the coast, the fog disperses and the Icelandic winter landscape appears in all its splendor: white meadows, farms and colorful houses, groups of charming Icelandic horses and a beautiful fjord in the background with threatening clouds over the sea. ~BK_LINE_BREAK~ 900 kilometers to discover

The so-called Arctic Coast Route (Nor∂urstrandarlei∂ The Icelandic road trip (also known as the Icelandic road trip, or 900 km road trip) is a 900 km long road trip along roads in the north of Iceland, sometimes with only one lane and a third of which are unpaved tracks. It is a pleasant journey in summer, but a real adventure in winter, when snow and ice whiten everything. I won't lie to you if I tell you that I love driving on these lonely roads and challenging conditions of cold, snow, ice and blizzard. I like to experience the wildness of nature. However, it is essential to be well informed about the weather forecast, the state of the roads (often closed, there is a specific website), to be flexible with the itinerary, and to always carry warm clothing, food and water in the car.

This was the fifth trip I made with my partner Eulalia to Iceland, always in the middle of winter. These frozen landscapes have us hooked. But this time it was the first time we traveled to the north of the island: a land between the ocean and the mountains, with remote and wild landscapes. There, fishing villages coexist with farms and ranchers; whales and seals, with swans and griffin falcons; history with legends; and the cold and icy winds, with the magical northern lights. ~BK_LINE_BREAK~ The Arctic Coast Way runs through seven peninsulas and their corresponding fjords of the Arctic Ocean. We went in March, and the average temperature in Akureyri, the capital of the region, during that month is 0 °C, and can occasionally drop to -23 °C. As in many other places in Iceland, the city's heating systems are based on harnessing geothermal energy, which is abundant in this land born and shaped by volcanoes. ~BK_LINE_BREAK~

~BK_LINE_BREAK~ Akureyri is also one of the towns from which trips are made to the sea for whale watching, a hobby that is becoming increasingly popular. In neighbouring Húsavík there is the Whale Museum, dedicated to these large marine mammals. Iceland has been - along with Norway and Japan - one of the few countries in the world that has not respected the moratorium on the hunting of these cetaceans that was agreed internationally in 1986. Since that year, more than 1,700 whales have been killed. Although two years ago the government said it would stop hunting in 2024 (not for protectionist reasons, but because they say the economic return they get from it is increasingly less), this year it has again given 128 permits. ~BK_LINE_BREAK~ On the Vatnsnes peninsula lies one of the most photographed places in the north of Iceland, although access is not easy: the Hvítserkur rock. This dark monolith – which some say is shaped like a rhinoceros, others like an elephant and some like a cow – stands in the middle of a black sand beach. You get there after driving thirty kilometres on a dirt track and going down a steep path to the beach, only accessible at low tide. We arrived at high tide and in the middle of a freezing snowfall, and so we had to settle for seeing it from a viewing point above the coast. What we did not expect was that, when we returned to the car, we could not open the doors because the locks had frozen. Neither the remote control nor the key could open it, in the middle of the snow and wind storm. With temperatures below zero, no cars in sight and a nearby hostel closed, the situation was not very encouraging. The options were to break a window or walk thirty kilometers in those conditions to the main road. In the end, by removing our gloves and warming the lock with the contact of our bare hands, we managed to open it. It is curious how comforting and safe the few square meters of the interior of a vehicle provide. Luckily, in Iceland, in winter, we usually carry a thermos with hot tea to recover from the cold. ~BK_LINE_BREAK~ The lake of mosquitoes

From Akureyri we drive inland to Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, a horseshoe-shaped waterfall thirty metres wide. The vast amount of water that falls originates from the Vatnajökull glacier, the largest ice glacier in Europe.

From there we continued southeast to Lake Myvatn. It is a tourist destination in summer, although at that time it is full of mosquitoes. That is where the name comes from (My = Small fly, vatn = Lake). In winter it is a frozen and solitary place with no mosquitoes. For the days we had to spend there, we had rented a cabin and, when we arrived there, it was hard to find a human being who would help us and give us the keys. Surrounded by volcanic scenery, even with geysers and other attractions, we spent a few days touring the area calmly, by car and on foot, also enjoying the fauna of swans, ducks, white partridges and griffon falcons. ~BK_LINEBREAK~ One of the attractions for visiting the region in winter is the possibility of observing the northern lights, this luminescent phenomenon resulting from geomagnetic storms that can be observed in the northern latitudes of our planet (in the south they are the southern lights). Iceland is not the best destination to observe them, since it is often overcast. But if the sky is clear, the latitude is perfect and, if we are lucky, we will be able to observe the greenish lights moving in the night sky. Myvatn is a good place to see them, so we had booked three nights. The second day we had a good snowfall, but at night it cleared up and we enjoyed an impressive show of northern lights, right from the terrace of the cabin. ~BK_LINE_BREAK~

~BK_LINE_BREAK~ Once past Myvatn, we couldn't go much further: we reached the remote Dettifoss waterfall just a little too close, because of the ice on the road. And next to the Asbyrgi canyon, with cliffs up to a hundred metres high, these would be the two easternmost towns we would visit. Further east, the road turns south: the name Arctic Coast Way does not go any further. ~BK_LINE_BREAK~ The Arctic Coast Route is not just about driving on desolate roads: it is a route to take little by little, discovering the wild nature, culture, stories and experiences that can be found around every bend. When you travel it, you have the feeling of having left the beaten track and become less of a tourist and more of a traveller. ~BK_LINE_BREAK~