Renting a scooter for a few hours is just the ticket to see a good amount of Reykjavík in a quick spurt of time. Tired of walking everywhere, and nonplussed with the bus services, I was able to zip in and out of the sidestreets to find all the best sights in a single day.
If you’ve never ridden a scooter before, it’s beneficial to try a small practice run. There are a few drain covers on the harbour you can weave in and out of to get the feel of it. In thirty seconds you’ll feel like a natural. The harbour is quiet making it the perfect place to start.
First up I went to Hallgrímskirkja. It was difficult to navigate around the one-way system near the church so I was essentially performing laps of the same circuit, which was fun but I wasn’t really getting anywhere. Then, I headed for the main shopping strip Laugavegur, which was so slow paced it felt like Monte Carlo, with time to people watch and weave in and out of traffic which was locked at 10 km/h.
Next up: Vesturgata and left at the roundabout to Ánanaust to simply follow the ocean all the way up to the lighthouse. The road is around 5km long and takes in an exquisite, aquatic view. The route is also a great way to build up some serious velocity on the straight. I hit 60 km/h in no time, and suddenly ‘Take My Breath Away’ was in my head. All I needed now was nemesis named Iceman and a wingman named Goose.
At the lighthouse, I parked, took a stroll, and gawped at the rocks, seaweed, ocean, long grasses, and summer sun. It was desolate there, so this would make a great romantic Top Gun moment. If you’re just hiring for a couple of hours, this route is definitely the best bet, as you can spiritually escape Reykjavík for a short time, albeit not technically.
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