Cycling in Iceland is an incredibly beautiful experience. You’ll find stunning scenery with marked contrasts, including pastures, coastal plains, waterfalls, desert, and mountainous areas with glaciers. The interior is known for its wild beauty, wide vistas and endless shades of greens, blues and browns.
Things to love about cycling Iceland
Despite its small size, the country has a remarkable variety of dramatic landscapes, including glaciers, mountains, deserts, geothermal areas, lava fields, black sand beaches, and thunderous waterfalls. The scenery changes frequently, and there are always surprises waiting just around the corner. You might even get lucky and spot the mesmerising northern lights.
Those planning to save the pennies and camp will be pleased to hear there are no dangerous animals hiding amongst Iceland’s pristine landscapes. Rivers are generally safe to drink from and wild camping is legal.
Due to its location close to the Arctic Circle, Iceland gets plenty of daylight during the summer months. This makes long days in the saddle very possible.
Just be prepared for the weather. It’s often cold, rainy, and very windy in Iceland. There may be lots of daylight, but the climate does not lend itself to long picnics. Expect headwinds!
Where to go cycling in Iceland
The entire population of Iceland is only about 300,000, but the tourism industry brings around 1.7 million visitors every year. This has pros and cons – there are service for cyclists, but you’re more likely to meet other tourists than locals.
In terms of where to ride in Iceland, many people head straight for the Ring Road that encircles the island. It’s great for those on narrow tires and surprisingly picturesque, but it’s also very popular with drivers.
We have a new article on the much more remote and exciting Westfjords region – before you set your heart on the Ring Road, read about the Westfjords, here.
Have you ridden in Iceland?
We’d love to hear your experiences – share your comments below.
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