Iceland is a place of extremes. The landscape is ever-changing changing and although hikes there are often more challenging, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful, diverse views. Here are our tips for three walks in Iceland.
Laugavegur
This is one of the most popular of Iceland’s hiking trails and takes around 4 days to complete. The 54-km route starts in Landmannalaugar, where you can visit a hot springs area before you start the hike. Every day is different: you come across waterfalls and glaciers, and you pass geysers, black sands, hot springs and volcanoes. And each night, you sleep in one of the mountain huts or in a tent at one of the camping grounds.
- You can find more information about the trail here.
Kjalvegur the old
This hiking trail lies between Hveravellir and Hvítárnes in Kjalvegur, and is excellent for beginners. Many hikers choose to start in Hveravellir, where you can visit one of the hot springs, just like with the trail above. Along the way, you’ll pass craters of volcanoes, a lot of lush greenery, and plenty of rivers to cross. The route is 41 km in total and takes about 2 to 3 days to complete.
- You can find more information about the trail here.
Esja
For those who don’t have much time but want to experience some Icelandic nature, Mount Esja is a good place to go. Located about half an hour’s drive from Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, Mount Esja offers several different hiking routes to the top (914 meters), which range from easy to challenging. On average, the routes take a few hours to complete.
- You can find more information about the trail here.
Text Bente van de Wouw Translation Julia Gorodecky Photography Michael Hacker/Unsplash.com, Daniele Buso/Unsplash.com, Serey Morm/Unsplash.com
