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| 8 days of
moderate-distance cycling on paved and
smooth gravel roads, with options to hike,
ride horses, explore Þórsmörk by 4WD, or take
a short flight to the Westmann Islands. In
June and July the sun never sets, and hotpot
soaks are nightly rituals Day 1:
Early afternoon pickup in Reykjavik/Hotel
Loftleider, for transfer to your guesthouse in
Hveragerdi. Owned by Knütur Bruun - a patron
of Icelandic art, and the chairman of the
National Gallery - your guesthouse is well
appointed and decorated. Outdoors, you will
enjoy the hot swimming pool and “hotpot”
beside the river. Indoors, you will enjoy a
geothermal sauna and the art Gnutur has
collected. You will test your bikes, and
depart early for dinner in a nearby coastal
village, after exploring the greenhouse
community, where tropical plants grow at the
Arctic Circle, thanks to the unlimited hot
water just beneath the earth’s surface here.
Dinner included on guided trips.
Lodging: Guesthouse Frost og Funi (Frost &
Fire), Hveragerði.
Day 2: Ride on quiet gravel and
paved roads around the shore of Þingvallvatn,
to the site of the worlds oldest surviving
parliament at Þingvellir. There you can stand
on the edge of the Mid-Atlantic ridge, and
enjoy gazing into the depths of the clear
glacial water of the lake, at the divergence
zone of tectonic plates. The afternoon will
finish with a pleasant, quiet, and fairly
level ride around the lake and back to your
inn. Lunch and dinner are included on guided
trips.
Lodging: Hotel Nesbud, Nesbud.
Day 3: Ride on paved and gravel roads
to the namesake of all geysers, at Geysir.
Visit the magnificent waterfall of Gullfoss
before relaxing at your hotel. Guided trips
include dinner.
Lodging: Hotel Geysir, Geysir.
Day 4: A downstream ride along the
banks of the Hvita River. Afternoon optional
ride to Skalholt, a church with stained glass
mosaics on the site of the first Christian
bishopric in Iceland. This spiritual centre
has been a theological powerhouse since
1000A.D. In 1953 foundations were laid for the
new church. During excavation, the remains of
a 1309 cathedral were found, including the
carved coffin of Pall Jonsson, a hard-as-nails
bishop whose death in 1211, according to Pals
Saga, was greeted with an earth tremor and
deluge. When excavators opened the coffin in
’53, there was a downpour again – the biggest
in many years. Dinner is included on guided
trips.
Lodging: Hotel Hekla, Selfoss or, Hotel
Fludir, Fludir.
Day 5: Afternoon hiking option. Today’s
long ride takes you up the banks of the Pjorsa
River, by the newly constructed hydroelectric
facility at Stöng, and downstream to a
uniquely Scandinavian retreat in the middle of
the volcano Hekla’s lava fields. Along the
way, you will visit a homestead which was
abandoned in 1104, during an eruption of
Hekla. You will have the choice between a
4-hour hike to Iceland’s second highest
waterfall - Háifoss, or simply riding another
50km downstream in the shadow of the
snow-capped Mt. Hekla volcano. Guided trips
include all meals.
Lodging: Leirubakki Guest House, Landsveit.
Day 6: Following mountain roads through
lava fields, farmlands, and around the volcano
range of Hraun, you will ride to Hvollsvöllur,
near the valley of Þórsmörk. Stop on the way
to visit Keldur, a prime example of later
homesteading featured in Njal’s Sagas. When
you arrive in Hvollsvöllur, you can visit the
Njal’s Saga museum for enlightenment about
this integral part of Icelandic culture. All
meals are included on guided trips.
Lodging: Hotel Hvolsvollur, Hvollsvollur or
Hotel Ranga, Sudurlandsvegur.
Day 7: Follow the coast under the
Glacier Mýrdalsjökull. The wind blows here,
and we adjust the days plan to take advantage
of a tailwind. The ride is flat except for a
couple of good climbs near Vik. You will
gather for a picnic lunch beneath the
waterfall Skogafoss, where distractions
include a very interesting folk museum.
Additional options include visiting the
glacier and seeing the puffin colony at
Dyrholaey. All meals are included on guided
trips.
Lodging: Hotel Hvolsvollur, Hvollsvollur or
Hotel Ranga, Sudurlandsvegur.
Day 8: A morning of exploration by 4WD
and on foot up the Þvera valley to Þorsmörk.
Enjoy uncountable waterfalls as they cascade
off the volcanic plateau. Cross the river to
two spectacular waterfalls in your 4WD
transport to the hidden paradise of Þorsmörk
(“Thor’s Forest”) nature reserve – one of
Iceland’s most spectacular but inaccessible
wildernesses. Sealed off by three glaciers,
two rivers, and a string of mountains, it
reveals glaciers, wildflowers, and bird-filled
willow woods. Van transfer at day’s end, back
to Reykjavik by 17:00. Lunch is included on
guided trips. |
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