Husavik Mountain

In early July the hills around the mountain turn purple with lupine, and under the midnight sun the whole slope takes a low golden light late into the evening. The view is the other reason to climb: Húsavík spread out below, the harbour, the water beyond it. The road up is pleasant walking, and few people are on it — most of what you hear on the way is your own boots on gravel and the occasional car grinding past. Bring a lunch and eat it at the top; there is room and time for it.

• Driving up: four-wheel drive only. Stone lies loose on the track and there is more of it near the summit.
• Turning round: there is nowhere to turn until the top, so think twice before starting up in a hire car.
• On foot: about 4 km with some 400 m of climb; walkers take between half an hour and an hour.
• Shared track: cars and walkers use the same road, with no separate path — keep to the side.
• No toilets and no drinking water anywhere near the mountain.

The walk starts in Húsavík itself, in front of the church, where a dirt road leaves the edge of the built-up ground and begins to climb. It runs about 4 km to the top and gains around 400 m, which takes between half an hour and an hour depending on pace. Cars can be left below by the main road — there is gravel parking about 880 m from the mountain, and more at about 1 075 m. Anyone driving the track needs four-wheel drive and some experience of this kind of surface: it is stony, it steepens towards the summit, and there is no turning place before the top.

Best: early July, when the lupine is out on the hills around the mountain and the midnight sun holds a golden light over the slope well into the evening.

Avoid: winter if you mean to drive up — the track is unmade stone and ices over in the cold months.

The road stays quiet whenever you come; few people walk it, and the top is usually yours for as long as you want to sit there.