Cove Skalavik was the westernmost settlement of the district Northern Isafjordur. It is short and wide and faces the open sea. The short and well-vegetated valley at its end is framed with steep scree mountains. In earlier times, there were a few farms on the coastline, where people lived off the land and the sea. All of them have been abandoned.

An avalanche killed four people, when it overran the farm Breidabol in 1910. Five were saved after 40 hours in the snow, among them an 8 weeks old baby. The nearest village is Bolungarvik. Two routes between Skalavik and Bolungarvik were used. One, 12 km long, lies over the mountain pass, where the road is now. This route was said to be haunted by an evil spirit, who claimed still another victim in 1994. The other route, along the foot of the mountain Stigahlid, was rocky and much more difficult.