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.
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.
Last updated: 15 Mar 2026
- Terrain
- Road, Gravel, Touring, adventure, Climbing
- Difficulty
- Moderate — Expert
- Road Quality
- Good
- Cycling Culture
- Developing
- Traffic
- Moderate
Pro Cycling Connection
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 communit...
Best Time to Cycle in South Coast & Highlands Access
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 hea...
Temperature: -18°C (winter) to 14°C (summer)
Best Cycling Climbs in South Coast & Highlands Access
Hekla Approach — Route 26 East
10.4km · 390m · 3.8% · CAT3
The Hekla approach on Route 26's eastern flank is the most accessible cycling route toward Iceland's most active volcano — a 10.4km Category 3 ascent at 3.8% average gradient on a paved road that rises from the Þórsa river floodplain at 10m to the highland fringe at 400m, the Hekla summit cone (1,491m) filling the western horizon throughout the climb in clear conditions. Route 26 is a secondary paved road in good condition, maintained for farm and highland access from Hvolsvöllur north through the Rangárvellir farmland district toward the Veiðivötn highland lakes. The lower section from the Ring Road junction at Hvolsvöllur crosses the Þórsa river — Iceland's second-longest river — on a bridge before climbing the eastern volcanic flank on a gradient that is gentle for the first 4km through the agricultural lowlands. Above 150m, the road enters the volcanic highland fringe where lava fields from Hekla's most recent eruptions (1991 and 2000) are visible on the western slope: raw black pahoehoe lava flows still largely unvegetated after 25 years, the scale and recency of the volcanic activity evident in a way that no amount of geological description can substitute for. The 8% maximum gradient appears in two sections between km 6 and km 9 as the road climbs the steeper highland fringe before levelling onto the upper plateau approach at 400m. The summit of the rideable paved section at 400m delivers the most direct upward view of Hekla's perfect shield cone available from a road — the remaining 1,091m of vertical rise visible in a single sight line directly above, the summit crater 20km horizontal distance away across the lava field.
Kjölur F-Road — Hveravellir Approach
22km · 460m · 2.1% · CAT3
The Kjölur F-Road approach to Hveravellir is the most accessible highland interior cycling route in Iceland — a 22km gravel traverse at 2.1% average gradient along the F35 Kjalvegur Highland route from the Hvítá river crossing at 180m to the Hveravellir geothermal oasis at 640m, through a volcanic desert landscape of otherworldly flatness and remoteness that represents Iceland's highland interior at its most characteristically desolate and beautiful. The Kjölur route has been a historic crossing of the Icelandic interior since the Saga Age — medieval Icelanders used it as the safest highland pass between north and south when the coastal routes were too exposed — and the modern F35 gravel road follows the same approximate line through the desert between the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glacier systems. The 22km section described here begins at the Hvítá crossing (the ford bridge accessible to standard vehicles, 10km north of Gullfoss waterfall) at 180m and follows the F35 gravel track north across the volcanic highland toward Hveravellir. The gradient is consistently gentle — 2.1% average over the full distance, with a maximum of 7% on brief ridge crossings — but the surface is compacted volcanic gravel with sections of larger scoria aggregate that demand a minimum 40mm tyre on any bike intended to be ridden rather than walked. The landscape for the full 22km is Highland desert: black and grey volcanic gravel plains, the white ice domes of Langjökull to the west and Hofsjökull to the east, no vegetation above ankle height, and a sky whose scale is comprehensible only at latitude 64°N with no terrain interruption in any direction. Hveravellir at 640m is the destination: a geothermal oasis where hot springs, fumaroles, and a natural bathing pool at 38°C are located at the F35 highland hut complex — the most welcome rest stop in Icelandic adventure cycling, the bathing pool providing the only guaranteed warm-up opportunity on the entire Kjölur highland section.
Þórsmörk Valley (F249 Paved Section)
7.8km · 350m · 4.5% · CAT3
The Þórsmörk Valley lower climb follows the paved section of the F249 Þórsmörkvegur from the Markarfljót ring road junction to the Þórsmörk campsite boundary — 7.8km, 350m of gain, the maximum achievable penetration into Iceland's most celebrated valley system on a road bike or loaded touring bike before the F-road river crossings require a vehicle with highland clearance. The F249 begins on Route 1 approximately 15km east of Hvolsvöllur, the road heading north across the Markarfljót flood plain before beginning a gradual climb into the valley. The lower 3km on the flood plain are near-flat, the road surface transitioning from asphalt to compacted gravel at the valley entrance; above 3km the road enters the lower Þórsmörk valley proper and the gradient increases to the sustained 5–7% of the middle section. The birch scrub forest that gives Þórsmörk ('Thor's Forest') its name covers the valley slopes from 100m to 300m — one of the only birch wood areas in Iceland, sheltered from the prevailing wind by the surrounding glacier-capped mountains. The 9% maximum appears on the switchback above the first major moraine wall, where the road crests onto the upper valley floor with the first full view of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier head at the valley head above Skógar. The Þórsmörk campsite boundary at 350m marks the practical turnaround for the non-highland vehicle approach: above this point, the F249 becomes an unbridged river crossing (Þröngá river) that is impassable on a standard bike. The valley character at the turnaround point is extraordinary — the moraine walls on both sides recording the glacial history in exposed strata, the ash layer from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption clearly visible as a grey band in the valley wall sections, and the birch scrub forest providing a degree of shelter from the wind that makes this one of the more protected riding environments on Iceland's south coast.
Vestmannaeyjar Coastal Road
6km · 280m · 4.7% · CAT3
The Vestmannaeyjar coastal road is the only significant cycling climb in the Westman Islands — a volcanic archipelago 10km off Iceland's south coast that sits on one of the most active volcanic systems in the northern hemisphere and contains the youngest land surface in Europe. The climb begins at the Herjólfsdalur valley floor on the western edge of Heimaey (the only inhabited island in the archipelago) at approximately 5m elevation, following the coastal ridge road north and east along the cliff top above the Surtsey-facing ocean before looping back across the central ridge at 280m. The 6km total distance accumulates 280m of gain in a pattern that is characteristically volcanic: the lower approach is gradual (2–3% for the first 1.5km through the agricultural valley floor), the gradient builds sharply as the road cuts directly up the volcanic basalt cliff face (8–11% sustained between km 1.5 and km 4), and the upper section levels onto the ridge crest at 280m for the final 2km. The 11% maximum gradient appears on the steepest ramp of the cliff-face section — a direct cut up columnar basalt that provides no natural shelter from the southwest Atlantic wind and fully exposes the rider to the oceanic environment in a way that no mainland Iceland climb replicates. The ridge crest at 280m delivers a 360-degree panorama that is among the most geologically dramatic in the North Atlantic: the southern ocean horizon uninterrupted to Antarctica, Surtsey island (created 1963–1967 by volcanic eruption and still growing) visible 20km to the southwest, and the intact cone of the Eldfell volcano directly to the east — Eldfell being the 1973 eruption that buried a third of Heimaey town and has not erupted since, its red scoria slopes still largely unvegetated fifty years later. The road surface is well-maintained tarmac throughout; Vestmannaeyjar municipality maintains the island roads to a high standard given their role in the fishing industry infrastructure. Traffic is minimal — the island's 4,500 residents generate perhaps 20–30 vehicles per hour on the coastal road in peak tourist season.
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 16:0...
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 ab...
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 layer...
How to Get to South Coast & Highlands Access for Cycling
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...