#hostelling

My cycle: 30km of lighthouses, coffee, a thermal pool and a stop for a sandwich by the river

Having secured a hired bike for the day (see ‘Tips, tricks and resources’ for more on this) I started my route from the HI City Hostel at Laugardalur Valley, where I was staying, by cycling towards the bay to the ferry crossing to the little island of Viðey (1st row image). With the ferry only operating at weekends during winter (but throughout the week in summer) I wasn’t able to travel to the island- but it seems well worth incorporating a visit for its cultural and built heritage.

Instead I cycled on towards the city (2nd row- left), following the dedicated walking and cycle path along the seafront- enjoying moving towards the Reykjavik skyline. There is, along this route, a little ‘secret beach’ (2nd row- right)- perhaps the only accessible sand on the north side of the Reykjavik peninsula. About 3 kilometres of easy pedalling took me past the Harpa concert hall (3rd row), and then on towards the harbour area (4th row- left image). When visiting Reykjavik just now it is notable that there is quite a bit of construction work going on around this area - and it’s necessary to be particularly aware of traffic, and considerate to pedestrians if cycling. (See ‘Tips, tricks and resources’ below on negotiating areas without dedicated cycle paths.)

Soon I was past the extent of the city I had explored by foot as I made my way west to Seltjarnarnes, at the tip of the peninsula that Reykjavik is situated on. Cycling on a high quality segregated path separated from the road traffic (note that while some parts are dedicated for bikes, others are shared with pedestrians- keep an eye on the signs and markings on the path) I quickly felt I was moving away from the bustle of the city.

Following the route all the way along the coast to the beach at Grótta Island, and its lighthouse and birdlife, I then turned towards what are some of my favourite views in Reykjavik - over the water towards the mountains to the south. Passing the serene Bakkatjörn lake and nature reserve (4th row- right) image), I turned eastwards at the golf course (which looks a spectacular place for a round!) back towards the city.

Having cycled approximately 10 kilometres, I felt it was perfect timing for some swimming (which had become a daily routine for me while in Iceland…), and I stopped at the Sundlaug Seltjarnarnes pool. There are numerous public thermal pools around Reykjavik- I’d already visited the 2 most central pools, as well as Laugardalsaug next to the City hostel. Having access to a bike provided a great opportunity to spend some time in a pool a little further away from the centre, and the Seltjarnarnes pool turned out to be one of my favourites in the city - quieter that some of the other pools, and with fantastic views over the sea to the mountains to the south.

After my swim I was ready for coffee and some cake - and just a minute away from the pool I found the lovely ‘Innovation House Café’ where I thoroughly enjoyed a cappuccino and a big slice of cake (another benefit of cycling is that you feel justified to have as much coffee and cake as you want. It is pedalling fuel…).

From there I found my way back to the coast, and headed south-east towards the city airport. I’d been told that the Icelandic cultural icon Bjork’s house was somewhere around here… (5th row- left) A few more kilometres along some great segregated paths (5th row- right) took me to the Geothermal Beach at Nauthólsvík. Unfortunately I passed on one of the days during the week that the facilities are closed- but I made sure I jogged there the next day. Visiting the Geothermal Beach on a sunny Friday afternoon was, for me, one of my favourite experiences in Reykjavik- and I highly recommend making the effort to get there. But ensure to check for the changing facilities and hot bath opening times.      

Beyond the Geothermal Beach I followed the cycle path eastwards through a quiet residential area. A pedestrian/cycle bridge carried me across one of the busy highways that cut through the city- and on towards the edge of the Elliðaár River and Elliðaárdalur Valley area.

After a stopping here for a sandwich I’d packed in my bag, I came across a quite unexpected scene right underneath one of the major roads, close to the city centre. Here the river hit a small waterfall, and the view of white-water, trees, countryside and snow-capped mountains felt so different to the majority of other European capital cities I’d been in - and so close to the city centre (6th row). It is scenes like this that make Reykjavik particularly special - and what draws me back to it. However, as it becomes increasingly busy with more visitors, it is maybe now necessary to try a bit harder to seek out different parts of the city to get such experiences. In this instance, a bike was the perfect mode to find this little place of sanctuary.

I cycled north, and then west back to the City Hostel at Laugersfield from where I had started (and, of course, in time for a swim at the thermal pool next to the hostel). I had thoroughly enjoyed my day on the bike, seeing new and hidden parts to the city. However, aside from the personal benefits and experiences from my cycle, there is a wider issue that this links to - and really important for the long term sustainability of tourism in Reykjavik (and Iceland more generally)…

Trying to make tourism more sustainable

Reykjavik, and Iceland, is experiencing a bit of a tourism boom in the last couple of years. It is being more widely recognised for its incredible natural beauty- and, furthermore, potentially because of its increasing number of cultural links (from musicians such as ‘Of Monsters and Men’ through to being used as filming locations for smash TV series ‘Game of Thrones’). With airlines now offering cheap flights from all around Europe, and also North America, Iceland’s infrastructure is feeling the strain of extra visitors. It is an issue that I’m sure many of the people who live and work in Reykjavik recognise. There are significant economic benefits to tourism, but there are also clear potential social and environmental trade-offs too- from increased pressure on services that locals also want to use, and depend on; to potential damage to the very nature that makes Iceland so attractive. It’s a dilemma that the increasingly popular ‘I Heart Reykjavik’ travel blog addressed in a post while I was there.

One of the primary problems associated with tourism in a place, with both negative social and environmental impacts, is increased levels of traffic on the roads. Tour buses, service vehicles, hire cars all put additional pressure on the road infrastructure of a place- leading to of negative issues such as congestion, accidents, noise, air pollution and carbon emissions. It can also just undermine how a place ‘feels’. Many visitors come to Reykjavik and Iceland to escape cities that are clogged with traffic and noise, and the city could lose one of the very qualities that attracts people in the first instance if it doesn’t effectively manage such challenges. As responsible tourists, as well as those involved in the tourism industry in Reykjavik, being aware of these issues is really important.

This is where cycling, if even just around the city, can potentially have a significant positive impacts. By taking some of the load off the road network, visitors can avoid contributing a number of the negative issues that are associated with using motorised vehicles. Clearly it is necessary for the majority of visitors to Iceland to use a form of motorised transport while in the country, and with many hiring a private car. But, and particularly when in the city, the option of using a bicycle could be a great way to reduce their social and environmental impact to some extent. What is more, by exploring parts of Reykjavik they might not otherwise visit, help spread the economic benefits of tourism more widely around the city. Notably, the HI City Hostel from where I started my cycle, as well as associated hostels in the city centre and around the country, have a strong sustainability policy. 

Also, as I’ve already stated- when you cycle about you are justified to have as much coffee and cake as you want…    

Tips, tricks and resources

- Make sure you pick up the #Reykjavikloves ‘cycling’ fold out map- available from the tourist office, and many other locations. It details a number of recommended routes linking some of the dedicated cycling infrastructure around the city, and indicates interesting places to visit along the way. Combine the cycling map with the others in the #Reykjavikloves series- which include maps focused on culture, festivals and thermal pools. For me, in particular, linking cycling and the city’s numerous swimming pools was a perfect combination…

- There are increasing numbers of people who bring their own bikes to Iceland to do some cycle touring (much more an option for summer- and something I’m really hoping to do later this year). But most people are likely to consider hiring a bike for just some time while in the city- as I did on this occasion. The added benefit of this is that you can look to hire a bike that best suits your needs, and the weather conditions, for the time you are in Reykjavik. Depending on the time of year this could be just a normal city bike, or a mountain bike with winter tyres.

- Bike hiring options in the city include: The ‘bike company’ next to the Harpa concert hall (www.bikecompany.is); ‘Borgarhjól’ on Hverfisgata, right in the centre of town (www.borgarhjol.is); while the HI City hostel rents out bikes direct from its reception- including high quality mountain bikes with suspension and winter tyres if the conditions merit these. The HI Loft hostel hires more conventional city bikes.