Northwest Iceland

Norðurland vestra is the part of the north most people drive through on the Ring Road without stopping, but it rewards a slower pass. Skagafjörður is the country's horse district, with breeding farms and riding tours, and a strong saga and folk tradition. At Glaumbær, a folk museum keeps a cluster of 13 turf buildings — homes built of stone, timber and turf between the mid-18th century and 1879 — open from late May to September. The Vatnsnes peninsula, a side loop off the Ring Road, leads to Hvítserkur, a 15-metre basalt sea stack shaped like a drinking animal; the surrounding shore is one of the more dependable places in Iceland to see harbour seals year-round. Blönduós, on the main road by the Blanda river, is the practical stop for fuel and food and holds an Icelandic Textile Museum. It is a region of working farms rather than headline sights — a place to break a long northern drive.