The Road that Tourism Forgot

A road in northeast Iceland.

Take the road less travelled as Meet the North diverges from Iceland’s ring road to explore the Melrakkaslétta peninsula.

This BBC Travel piece introduces you to unique characters and beautiful landmarks in the country’s often overlooked northeast corner.

“You don’t want to take that road. It’s flat and featureless. It’s of no interest.”

But by leaving the paved ring road and travelling 275km on roads 85 and 870 over three days, we entered a new territory of unexpected encounters, full of tundra beauty, moody vistas and unforgettable locals.