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A country shaped and sculpted by the elements, Iceland deserves to be discovered on a road trip. Given the green light for travel (though you can only enter freely if you’ve had both your vaccinations), the Nordic nation is now open for business. Dodge the crowds by following this route through the west and north, touring coastlines clustered with bird colonies and venturing inland for panoramic mountain views.
Lava tunnels and rock art Leaving Reykjavik behind, head north along the ring road (or route 1), turning west onto route 54 at Borgarnes. A two-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital, a backbone of snow-streaked peaks stretches along the Snaefellsnes peninsula, ending in the sugar-dusted dome of Snaefellsjökull, a dormant volcano and glacier.
Leaving Reykjavik behind, head north along the ring road (or route 1), turning west onto route 54 at Borgarnes. A two-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital, a backbone of snow-streaked peaks stretches along the Snaefellsnes peninsula, ending in the sugar-dusted dome of Snaefellsjökull, a dormant volcano and glacier.
It’s tempting to start hiking, but beaches fringing the coastline demand exploration. Neighbouring black-pebbled beaches Dritvik and Djupalonssandur are strewn with pieces of rusted metal, the eerie remains of the Epine trawler, wrecked in 1948. Try lifting a collection of granite boulders, once hauled by hefty fishermen to measure their might.
Nearby, there’s an opportunity to replicate Jules Verne’s Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, by descending 200 metres into Vatnshellir cave, an 8000-year-old lava tunnel accessed by a spiral staircase (£21; summitguides.is). Two coiling towers created by an expulsion of gas are highlights of the 45-minute tour.
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Iceland is filled with rugged nature and swirling stories history, legends, and folklore that cover this land as thickly as its winter snows. Until recently, most travelers searched for the island nation’s cultural and natural charms along the Ring Road, the famed 828-mile highway circumnavigating the country. In normal times, Iceland’s most famous highway comes with big thrills huffing volcanos, exploding geysers but it also comes with swarms of tourists.
Not so the recently launched Arctic Coast Way. Created in 2019, it links existing auto routes in Iceland’s rugged north into one epic road trip. For now, it’s still a less-traveled gem of otherworldly basalt cliffs, pebble beaches with basking seals, and utter solitude.