Iceland - Day 3
On day 3 in Iceland my route took me along the gravel roads of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Getting packed up in Hvamstangi I headed west, skimming the bottom of the Westfjords. The route took me along the gravel roads of route 54 and I was really looking forward to some unpaved road. As I was about to turn off I saw a little collection of buildings and some whales in the fjord so I dropped down to the little beach to see them [1]. For a while I watched a couple of whales breaching and blowing in the fjord. As I was leaving I saw a load of bikers on enduro bikes and saw the Ride With Locals truck arrive which was cool to see!
Heading down the gravel roads the sun was out and I rode mile upon mile of amazing fast gravel. The scenery was stunning and the gravel roads amazing! This was exactly what I visited Iceland for and I had the chance, finally, to turn on the Insta360, GoPro, and even use the drone too. This was the most perfect day since arriving and I absolutely loved the weather.
As I skirted the edge of the Álftafjörður and crossed the Kársstaðaá Bridge [3] I couldn’t believe how incredible this scenery was! I was in the lap of the mountains, gravel road under my wheels, and a huge smile on my face! The entire trip was worth it, even for this one day! I’ve never experienced anything like it and I was totally stunned. The riding was slightly technical in some places due to the loose gravel and ruts from 4x4 vehicles but every second was enjoyable.
This route then took me across the land-bridge at Kolgrafarfjörður [4] then hugged the coast towards Grundarfjörður [5] with a nice little sheltered port.
My plan for the night was to stay at Hellissandur Camping and eventually I arrived there to see the site was in an old lava field with small nooks and crannies to set up in. I found a cosy little nook with a picnic table away from where the bulk of the campervans would be for the evening. After a cup of tea and setting my tent up I had an amazing shower and then had a walk aceoss part of the lava field, then dinner of another trail meal in the beautiful sunshine with a hot chocolate before getting into my tent to relax and watch some TV.
At around 8pm the warden came around for payment for the camping for the night which was 2,000isk / 12.30gbp.
Stage Distance: 220km
Overall Distance: 820km
Prev: Iceland - Day 2
Next: Iceland - Day 4