Melrakkaslétta

North Iceland


The unsealed but magnificent old coastal road (Rte 870) around the wildlife-rich and little-visited Melrakkaslétta (Arctic Fox Plain) bumps along for 55km between Kópasker and Raufarhöfn. It passes by driftwood, rolling fields, ponds and marshes of this birder's paradise. There are trails and turn-offs to lonely lighthouses on remote headlands. The road sees little maintenance – 4WDs will face few problems, but it's best to ask locally whether Rte 870 is in a suitable state for 2WDs.

For a long time Hraunhafnartangi was thought to be the northernmost point of the Icelandic mainland, but recent measurements have pinned that prize on its neighbour, Rifstangi, which falls just 2.5km shy of the Arctic Circle.