Recommended Maps:

Iceland Vegatlas 1:200.000; Reykjanes Map, free of charge, with town plans of Reykjanesbaer, Grindavík & Garður

What do we make? Do we cycle from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik or do we take the coach? Good question! The road between the airport and the capital has become during the past years the formula-one-course of Iceland. Almost for the whole distance it has been developed as 4-lane-motorway with character similar to a highway in the US or Germany. However, there exists a wide side stripe, which is quite good for cycling (most of the time paved, but in some parts full of glass and stones).

The main problem is not the road between Keflavik and the first town of the capital region Hafnarfjörður. The problem is the high-traffic starting with Hafnarfjörður. 3-4 lanes for each directions, no shoulder, steep hills, a lots of trucks and the fact that the Icelanders never cycle on this roads. If you cycle into town in the night or early morning, it´s quite fine. But in the rushhour it´s a horror (I will never cycling this route without a mirror).  Therefore, we offer at the beginning of the city centre two variations for the journey into to the city of Reykjavik.

Map Biking Iceland route 1 to 2


To the city of Reykjavik you can take (with your bike) the airportbus (see www.flybus.is) or you cycle a very long bypass over the Routes 85/86. There are no plans, to bann cyclist from the Road 41 between Keflavik and Reykjavik. But if it will come an official autobahn (it would be the first one in Iceland), than they try to find a solution for the cyclist, they promise me. But no Icelander would have the idea to cycle between Keflavik and the capital.

Okay let´s start the trip at the airport. :
From the big terminal you cycle 3 km to Keflavík downtown Keflavík is quite good for the first and last night in Iceland. You´ll find two youth hostels a camping place ("Alex") with is only some hundred meters besid of the mainroad from the airport to Reykjavik (first junction to Keflavik downtown). Who spends there the first and last night of his Iceland tour there at Alex, can store free of charge his bicycle box in an extra space. Other luggage pieces cost a small charge. From the airport terminal up to the campsite these are 3.5 km. A transfer is offered. Asked the Campguard.

The first bypass to road 41 is a trip through downtown Keflavik. The distance is maybe 2 km longer, but free of stress. With Ytri-Njarðvík, at the Bonús supermarket and in the filling station you will join in to the Mainroad 41. Theres parallel o road the new industrial area, which you can take for some kilometres. But it will stop immmdietly and getting a horse and motorcross track.

But at first a few infos to Reykjanesbaer:


Keflavík/Njarðvík (pronounce it Kepplawick) are brothers and sisters towns which go over fluently into each other and have united with the smaller place Hafnir to the community Reykjanesbaer. 7600 inhabitants live only in Keflavík. Also Njarðvík with his 2570 inhabitants is already an independent town. Keflavík was for a long time a very important fishing place. In 1929 the first chill hall was built in the place for the safekeeping of the caught fish. Nowadays Keflavík and Njarðvík are dominated by the nearby US-air base (most of the US dissapears) and the arriving and departing of tourists.

Bus to Reykjavík: daily 5 departures  4215551.


Who remains from the airport on the high street:

The road 41 goes above the towns. Who would like to buy only some food, does not need to cycle into town, because directly at the eastern end of the town at the junction with the road 41 to Ytri-Njarðvík there is a big supermarket (with filling station). Innri-Njarðvík lies in northeast direction, the road 422 leads to the youth hostel.

Here the routes 86 (turn right) goes to Grindavík The town grows obviously further in the direction of the east. A new residential area and industrial zone has originated. The distance to Reykjavík runs by a 7000 year-old lava field northward. 10 km off Keflavík, the route 85 follows the road 43 southward to the Blue Lagoon and to Grindavík.

Alternative:

To the north of the main road exists an old seaway which is used today only by riders and motorcross drivers. The way relatively feels well to drive on. Of course not paved, with washed out and also a little hilly, but quite lonely and off traffic.

There is also connection with the route 85, at the bridged crossroad. In 2007 a resting place was there under construction. You can cycle on the sandy path further in the direction of Reykjavik. The seaway flows behind the hill about 2 km beyond the village Vogar into the road 420. This road is an alternative to the main road 41. Quietly, but about 7 kilometres longer than the main way.

In Vogar there is a camp site (200 m of the entrance to the town). A small store offers a small choice of goods.  With km 22 this alternative route flows into the main road. To Hafnarfjörður there is no alternative. For about 3 km the old seaway is still recognizable. All together you must drive "only" about 11 km on the road 41 with all the traffic.

To those cyclists who have remained to cycle on the main road it becomes dull on the next kilometres. Little change, a lot of traffic, from time to time a hill. 10 km to the west of Hafnarfjörður there is a at the cottagearea "Havassahraun" on the right side (also from the counterdirection accessible) a resting place.

Before you get to Hafnarfjörður you cycle along an aluminium factory. On the left side there exists a cycle path. Unfortunately the pathway leeds to the north to the suburb of Hafnarfjörður. This is a detour, and is is not signposted. The construction work were not still concluded in this area.

An alternative route begins at junction of the road to Krysuvík. A new industrial zone was installed. Along the mainroad, there exist a small bypassroad for the companies which cyclist can use.  1.5 km to the west the separate ways stopps. The main road runs freely of crossroad straight ahead. Who would like to cycle to Hafnarfjörður, turns right and untertraverses the road 41. Also who would not like to go on the autobahn to Reykjavik, leave the road 41. Hafnarfjörður already belongs to the metropolitian area of Reykjavík, however, is an independent port which lies rather nicely in a lava field. Shortly before Hafnarfjörður you must master a short gradient, unless, you would like to cycle into town, then turns right before and untertraverses the main road.

 

Hafnarfjörður (pronounce:Happnafjör-thsur) is the the town in the lava. As only ones of the suburbs of Reykjavík the visit Hafnarfjörðurs is worthwhile. From the number of the inhabitants (20.000) here is Hafnarfjör ð ur the third-biggest town of Iceland. Hafnarfjör ð ur is the headquarters of the elves. Otherwise, in Iceland nowhere live according to the Erla Stefansdóttir commissioned for elf more of the invisible beings. Even whole streets of houses are laid around the rocks of the minds. In the tourist information one gets a map with the locations of the elves.


Appdendix to route 1 - get in to downtown Reykjavik

Alternative 1: Hafnarfjörður – Reykjavík via Mainroad (14 km) [Rd. 41/40]

Alternative 2: Hafnarfjörður – Elliðavatn – Heðmörk -Reykjavík (22 km) [Rd. 410 & Veloroute]

 

Continue description route 2:  Reykjavík – Mosfellsbær

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