The drive along Svalvogavegur Road in the Westfjords was definitely one of the highlights of my Icelandic summer 2023 🙂 Since I saw a blog post about it by a woman who had taken a trip with one of the local tour companies, I knew I just had to try it one day too. And so I did, only a few years later.
Driving around Iceland is a one long scenic drive. No joke. The landscapes variate between regions. Each region offers stunning landscapes, just different kind of stunning. The Westfjords are no exception thereof. You might even say driving around in that area takes the experience up a notch. Adds a little adventure to the otherwise scenic drive due to the many narrow and winding (sometimes gravel) roads.
I really love the Westfjords. The numerous dramatic fjords, the high and mighty mountains and my absolute favorite, Dynjandi Waterfall. For me it’s an adventure in itself just to drive around this area. And the cherry on top? How few people are around! If you want to get away from the crowds, the Westfjords are the place to go for sure.
Don’t recommend to drive this road on your own
But let’s get back to Svalvogavegur. Let me start with saying that I would never dare to drive this road myself. Why? Well as it is in parts, a really scary one! First of all, you need to time your drive well, as a part of the road disappears on high tide. Second of all, on long parts of Svalvogavegur, it’s really hard or even impossible to pass cars from the other direction. So as you can see, this is an advanced drive to say the least.
That being said, it was a wonderful drive. For me that is! 😂 There were parts I wasn’t allowed to talk to my husband while we drove as he had to concentrate so badly on the driving!
I was so lucky that I was traveling with my him. He is very experienced when it comes to driving under difficult conditions like these. If I hadn’t been driving in a big jeep and with him as a driver, I would definitely have booked a tour with one of the local companies who offer this tour. I do NOT recommend it at all to drive it yourself.
Svalvogavegur is also popular among cyclists
It’s also popular to ride this 49km/30mi long road on a bicycle. It may be a bit tough but at least you won’t have a problem passing others on the narrow road or feel like your car is falling down the steep mountainside down to the ocean! 😅
So if you’re planning a trip to the Westfjords I wholeheartedly recommend booking a tour along Svalvogavegur. Get your heart pumping on this adventurous and scenic drive. You can for example do it with Westfjords Adventures but please note they call the road “Kjaran’s Avenue”. It seems to go under these two names.
If however, you’d rather ride it on a bike, you can for example rent a bike at Simbahöllin in Þingeyri, a small village at the end of Svalvogavegur.
One more tip!
If you find yourself in this area, you should also check out the old swimming pool and the hot spring in Reykjafjörður Fjord. They are located right by the road and have an ocean view plus stunning mountains all around. Sounds good, right?
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Until next time!
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