You’ve had your five a day (veggies/beers/panic attacks), now you gotta stay active. Whether it’s to get a dose of culture, hopping on a day tour or splashing around in your municipal pool, you can’t go wrong with our picks for Best Activities.
Best Hike
Reykjadalur
Hveragerði
Think about this: You could be sitting in a café reading this magazine right this second, and just 48 minutes from now, you could be at the foot of a path leading up to that famous geothermal river you’ve seen plastered all over social media. This hike may not count as going “off the beaten path” but on one of those rare, sunny days in Iceland, it’s tough to beat. The hike itself is less than a 3 hour round trip but that’s not counting however long you feel like rewarding yourself by lazing around with the warm river washing over you, watching the daffodils staring lonely up at the clouds or whatever they get up to in their spare time. Just don’t forget to pack a suit and wear proper hiking footwear, despite the modest 350 m elevation.
Runner-Up:
Helgafell
Hafnarfjörður
This year’s panel had an unusually high showing of people from the town of Hafnarfjörður and, like all people from Hafnarfjörður, they are adamant about highlighting the wonders of their town. This includes Mount Helgafell which stands just a short drive outside of everyone’s favourite fishing village. The hike itself is the perfect length for a morning hike and takes you across sandy dunes and lava fields draped with heather. While this exact area is no longer volcanically active, the top of Helgafell will give you a view over the part of the Reykjanes peninsula which has been coughing up fresh lava lately. That, plus a sweeping view over the entire Greater Reykjavík area. You could do a lot worse with a two-hour round trip.
Runner-Up:
Móskarðshnúkar
This year we felt like shaking things up and giving Mount Esja a rest (she’s earned it). While Esja is still an attractive hike with highly-accessible hiking paths, it has a lesser-known cousin in Móskarðshnúkar, just to the east of it. The mountain consists of twin peaks (hey, that’s the name of a show!), both standing around 800 metres, but few hikers venture above 700, as the final stretch is quite challenging. Up to that point it’s a relatively easy hike, with the main issues being the rocky path and the occasional strong side winds. But you are rewarded with amazing 360 degree views and a fraction of the number of the hikers frequenting Esja next door.
Runner-Up:
Esjan
Kjalarnes
This is Reykjavík’s mountain more or less. It’s the one we see when we cycle to work, when we ditch school, when we drive to that out-of-town wedding, when we hit rock bottom arguing with a cormorant at the marina. It’s always there in the distance like…well…a rock. It’s also one of the most popular hiking routes in the country for good reason and barely needs mentioning.
2023: Glymur waterfall
2022: Volcano lava field
2021: Akrafjall
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