Destination Guide

Cycling in South Coast & Highlands Access

Iceland's South Coast: black sand beaches, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls beside the Ring Road, Þórsmörk valley, Hekla volcano approaches, and the gateway to the Landmannalaugar Highland interior.

Last updated: 15 March 2026

The South Coast section of Route 1 — the 250km stretch from Selfoss east to Kirkjubæjarklaustur — is the most visually intense cycling on the entire Ring Road. This is the corridor where the Icelandic landscape stacks its superlatives with a density found nowhere else on the circuit: Seljalandsfoss waterfall at km 120 from Reykjavík drops 60m from a cliff ledge with a path behind the falls; Skógafoss 30km further east is a 25m-wide curtain of water falling from the glacier rim above; the Reynisfjara black sand beach at Vík is the most dramatic coastal environment in Iceland, the basalt sea stacks of Reynisdrangar rising from the North Atlantic immediately offshore; and the Vatnajökull glacier cap — Europe's largest ice mass — begins to dominate the northern horizon from Kirkjubæjarklaustur eastward. The road quality is consistently good throughout, the gradients modest to gentle, and the traffic significant by Icelandic standards — the South Coast is Iceland's most visited tourist corridor and carries corresponding summer vehicle density.

Hekla, Iceland's most active volcano, dominates the interior north of Hvolsvöllur town at 1,491m, its summit cone visible on clear days from the Ring Road 40km to the south. The approach road from Hvolsvöllur via Route 26 (the eastern flank) provides the best cycling access to the volcano's lower flanks — a paved road to approximately 500m followed by the gravel F225 approach — and delivers one of the most otherworldly cycling backdrops in Iceland: a perfect shield volcano profile rising from the flat floodplain of the Þórsa river, the summit cone clear of vegetation above 200m, the most recent lava flow from 2000 still raw and unsettled on the southern slopes. The Route 26 east side climb is paved to the highland fringe and rideable on any road bike, making the Hekla approach one of the most accessible highland cycling objectives on the South Coast.

Þórsmörk — the wooded valley at the junction of three glaciers, accessible from the south via the F249 Þórsmörkvegur and F210 Mælifellssandur tracks — is Iceland's most loved multi-day hiking destination and an increasingly popular cycling objective for adventure cyclists with the appropriate bike setup. The F249 from the Markarfljót river bridge has a paved section of approximately 7.8km that provides the most achievable approach on a touring or gravel bike before the road transitions to the unbridged river crossings that make the upper valley strictly fat bike and four-wheel-drive territory. The paved lower section to the Þórsmörk campsite boundary is described in full as a climb in this guide — for cyclists wanting to experience the valley character without committing to the technical upper F-road, this 7.8km segment delivers enough: birch scrub forest, volcanic moraine walls on both sides, and the first views of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier above Skógar visible at the valley head.

The Kjölur Highland route (F35) — the northern of Iceland's two main Highland F-road crossings, running 170km between the Hvítá river in the south and Blönduós on the northern Ring Road — is included in this area as the principal gravel cycling highland access route accessible from the South Coast. The southern approach via Gullfoss and the Hveravellir geothermal area provides the most compelling cycling introduction to the Icelandic interior: the Hveravellir oasis, where hot springs and a geothermal hut sit at 640m in the middle of the volcanic highland desert, is one of the most dramatic rest stops in adventure cycling anywhere on the planet. The Kjölur approach climb from the Hvítá valley is described as a climb in this guide (Kjölur F-Road Climb to Hveravellir approach). It requires a gravel or adventure bike with 40mm minimum tyres, sufficient food and water carry for 80km between Gullfoss and Hveravellir, and a route contingency plan — mobile coverage drops to zero approximately 20km north of Gullfoss.

Terrain: Road, Gravel, Touring, adventure, Climbing
Difficulty: Moderate — Expert
Road Quality: Good
Cycling Culture: Developing
Pro Team Presence: No professional cycling presence on the South Coast. The Íslenski Krossinn — a long-distance cycling challenge covering sections of the Ring Road — attracts the domestic long-distance cycling community in August. The Landmannalaugar Trail Marathon draws international participants to the highland interior in late July and raises the accommodation pressure in the southern Highland gateway villages.
Traffic: Moderate

Best Time to Cycle in South Coast & Highlands Access

Jan

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Nov

Dec

Best Shoulder Avoid

The South Coast is the most wind-affected section of the Ring Road for cycling. The prevailing south and southwest Atlantic weather systems funnel across the exposed coastal plain between the glacier outwash plains (sandur) and the sea, producing headwinds on the eastbound Ring Road — the direction of conventional Ring Road circuit travel — of 30–50km/h on a regular basis in June and July. This is not a disqualifying factor but a defining one: eastbound South Coast cycling should be planned with wind-assist expectations on good days and survival-pace expectations on bad ones. The Þórsmörk F249 lower section and the Route 26 Hekla approach are both inland routes sheltered from the direct South Coast wind exposure. The Highland F-road accesses (F225 to Landmannalaugar, F35 Kjölur) are open from approximately late June to early September — check road.is daily for current status, which changes with snowmelt in June and early autumn precipitation in August. The Kjölur route typically opens in late June and closes in mid to late September; the Landmannalaugar F225 opens slightly later and closes earlier due to its higher elevation. July is the peak month for South Coast Ring Road cycling: conditions are warmest (10–14°C), the days are at maximum length, and the Highland routes are fully open. The Vík area and the black sand beaches carry maximum tourist vehicle traffic in July — start riding by 07:00 to complete the Reynisfjara coastal section before the bus and car convoy builds. August is the finest month for the inland approaches: the Þórsmörk valley is accessible on the paved F249 section throughout August, the Hekla Route 26 climb is warm enough for sustained effort, and the Kjölur F35 carries adventurous cyclists in both directions through its peak season. Late August brings the first hint of autumn to the high Icelandic interior — the mosses and heathers turning from summer green to burnt sienna — and the Þórsmörk valley in late August light is worth planning around specifically. September is viable for the Ring Road sections and the lower inland approaches, but the Highland F-roads should be treated as potentially closed from the second week: do not plan F-road rides in September without same-day road.is confirmation.

Temperature: -18°C (winter) to 14°C (summer)

Insider Tips

Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls beside the Ring Road are the most photographed sites on the South Coast and attract the densest tourist bus concentration from 10:00 to 16:00. Cycling past both falls in the early morning window — 06:00 to 08:00 — means having the waterfalls essentially to yourself, the morning light from the northeast falling directly on the water face rather than backlighting it. The path behind Seljalandsfoss (which allows you to walk behind the falling curtain) is free to access and rideable on foot in summer; leave the bike at the base and take the 5-minute walk — it is the finest waterfall experience in Iceland.
The Eyjafjallajökull eruption of 2010 — the one that grounded European aviation for six days — is visible in the Þórsmörk valley as a 10cm ash layer exposed in the moraine walls above the F249 lower road. The Þórsmörk campsite shop and information hut documents the eruption with photographs and ash samples, and the landscape effects are still visible on the valley walls. For cyclists reaching the Þórsmörk campsite on the paved F249 section, this is one of the most directly experienced geological events in modern European history — the evidence is fresh, raw, and on the scale you are riding through.
Vík village is the logical overnight stop for Ring Road cyclists on the South Coast and its Icewear clothing shop (on the main street) stocks high-quality Icelandic wool base layers that are the most practical cycling warmth layer for unpredictable Icelandic summer conditions — warmer than most synthetic alternatives, moisture-wicking, and available at prices lower than in Reykjavík. The N1 fuel station in Vík sells hot soup, sandwiches, and coffee and is the primary refuelling point for cyclists between Hvolsvöllur and Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

How to Get to South Coast & Highlands Access for Cycling

Nearest Airports

Keflavík International Airport(KEF)

Transfer: 90 minutes to Selfoss or Hvolsvöllur by hire car or bus

All South Coast cycling begins with a Keflavík arrival. Hire car from KEF to Selfoss (the eastern entry point of the South Coast section, 65km from the airport) takes approximately 55 minutes on Route 1; to Vík (the central South Coast town, 180km) takes 2 hours. The Strætó bus services from Reykjavík to Vík (route 51) run twice daily in summer and accept bikes subject to space; a direct bus transfer from Keflavík to Vík is possible via Reykjavík BSÍ with a connection time of approximately 30 minutes. Hvolsvöllur, the base town for Hekla and Þórsmörk access, is 115km east of Keflavík — 85 minutes by hire car. For cyclists planning to ride the South Coast section of the Ring Road self-supported from west to east, a KEF car drop-off at Selfoss with a cycle start east allows the best use of the typical westerly tailwind on the outbound leg.

Getting around: Car Recommended — A hire car is strongly recommended for South Coast cycling beyond the Ring Road corridor. The Þórsmörk valley access requires either a purpose-built highland vehicle (for the full F249) or a standard car to the parking area at the lower paved section end (7.8km up the F249). The Route 26 Hekla approach is accessible by standard hire car. The Kjölur F35 requires a 4WD vehicle for the supporting car if any — standard 2WD cars are not permitted on F-roads and rental agreements void on F-road use. For cyclists riding only the Ring Road section, a support car provides the critical weather flexibility: the South Coast Ring Road has limited accommodation options between Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur (approximately 70km), and a bad weather day can leave unsupported Ring Road cyclists exposed on the most wind-vulnerable section of the entire circuit. Selfoss, Hvolsvöllur, and Vík are the accommodation hubs; book July accommodation months in advance.