Katja Gaskell is one of the first to explore Iceland's Westfjords Way
"You are lucky today," grinned Jon, the very jolly captain. "This is the last boat of the season". It's only August but already the dark fjord waters look restless. We're standing in the wood-panelled office of West Tours on the docks at Isafjordur, a pocket-sized town in Iceland's Westfjords region. It sits on a small sandspit flanked by steep mountains on three sides and the open waters of Isafjardardjup on the fourth. It was into these waters that we were due to set sail.
Isafjordur marked the almost half-way point on our journey around the Westfjords, a large, mountainous peninsula whose fretted coastline stretches out into the icy waters of the Denmark Strait. It's the oldest corner of Iceland, formed some 16 million years ago, moulded and shaped by glaciers, freezing rain and snow, fierce winds and corrosive ocean waves. The landscape is among the most dramatic in Iceland - and also among the most isolated. The first road linking Isafjordur to the capital Reykjavik was only completed in 1959 and heavy snowfall between November and May means that for large parts of the year the region is cut off.
This is all set to change, however, with the arrival of the Vestfjardaleidin (Vest-fyar-tha-lay-thin), the Westfjords Way, Iceland's newest driving route. This 950km road is being launched this month to coincide with the opening of the Dyrafjardargong tunnel, which will link the northern and southern parts of the Westfjords and allow the region - and driving route - to be accessible for nine months of the year.
While New Zealanders can't visit right now, it's worth planning ahead for post-Covid travel - a new mountain road will be completed in 2023, opening the region up year-round. Given that today only 7 per cent of visitors to the country make it to the Westfjords, it's hoped that the Westfjords Way will attract visitors looking to experience Iceland's road less travelled.