Ísafjörður

Ísafjörður is the capital of the Westfjords and the only place in the region with everything: two supermarket chains, fuel, a hospital, tyre and repair shops, an airport with flights to Reykjavík, and the ferry to the Hornstrandir reserve. On any Westfjords route it is the base for the north and the fill-everything stop before the long, empty Strandir road east to Hólmavík.

The practical line, confirmed on the operators' lists today: Bónus (bonus.is) and Nettó (netto.is) both have stores, and Olís has a fuel station (olis.is); other fuel brands may be present but were not confirmed on a station map today. There is a municipal pool, a campsite and toilets at the harbour. From here eastbound, Súðavík is minutes away and then route 61 runs round the Ísafjarðardjúp fjords for about 220 km to Hólmavík with one fuel point at Reykjanes; fill here.

Timing: three and a half to four hours from Brjánslækur via Dynjandi, three hours to Hólmavík. The Vestfjarðagöng tunnel from Súgandafjörður and Önundarfjörður is single-lane in parts with passing bays and a junction inside the mountain; drive it slowly the first time.

Quiet except for cruise days in summer, when ships larger than the town anchor off and the centre fills until the tenders leave. In winter the town is reachable but the roads out are avalanche-controlled; the Road Administration closes the Súðavík and Flateyri sections ahead of storms, and vedur.is publishes the avalanche danger. Phone signal is good in town, patchy in the Djúp.