Cycling: Iceland Ring Road Day 8: Fossardalur to Höfn

on cycling

Day 8 of my Iceland cycling trip. A day of coastal cycling, a welcome change to the cycling landscape.

Monday, 31st of July, 2023

I slowly packed up on this day. It was cold with the coastal winds and the elevation of the campsite. I absorbed in the sight of the stone walls lingering overhead and visited the waterfall before I cycled down and left Fossardular campsite behind.

I made a quick 20km cycle to Djúpivogur to re-supply before continuing on my way. Now that I was on the south coast, I had replaced the empty greenery and the fjords with beautiful sea vistas and black sand beaches. I stopped for lunch on the black sand beach near Hvalnes Lighthouse and spent it gazing at the glaciers in the distance further down the coast.

The day was relatively easy but the road was very hilly. The cycling was different here compared to the north side of the Island. Here the climbs were short (but steep) and they were constant. With the cold winds from the coast and the good road conditions, it was like cycling now in a completely new place.

I cycled through my first tunnel on this stretch and I have to say you definitely need to pack bike lights and high-visibility clothing. The tunnel was poorly lit at certain points and there was a constant anxiety in my body going through it.

stefansbud

That evening I reached Höfn and camped the night at Camping Höfn. There were some nice views of the coast and the cliffsides from this campsite.

GPX Files

Photos

More

This recap is broken down into multiple posts. Follow the links below to read through the series.