ATV tours in South Iceland
Whether you’re keen to try an ATV tour for the first time or you’re already an avid enthusiast, you’ll be pleased to know that the south of Iceland is a great place to book a tour. Let’s find out what makes this region so suitable for this activity and take a look at a handful of places where you can ride.
What makes South Iceland a great destination for an ATV tour?
ATV tours are best when there’s a mix of environments and plenty of open land to ride through. But you can’t just take an ATV anywhere: off-roading is illegal in Iceland because of the fragile landscape and vegetation. Stray off marked trails and the resultant on the spot fines can be terrifyingly huge, which is guaranteed to instantly ruin any vacation.
Opting for a tour with a reputable provider gives you the confidence that you won’t fall foul of the rules, leaving you free just to have fun and enjoy yourself. For example, the varied terrain of South Iceland, known for its wide black sand beaches and volcanic plains, forms an irresistible playground for ATV riders.
Together with the Reykjanes peninsula, South Iceland is probably the top region in the country for this adventurous activity. With the ongoing volcanic eruption affecting a small area of Reykjanes near Grindavik, you might prefer to find an area where volcanic activity has been on pause for decades. Heimaey in the Westman Islands is one such place.
ATV tours in South Iceland
- Our Volcano ATV tour of Heimaey
An ATV tour could be the highlight of a Westman Islands trip. Easily accessible from the mainland, the ferry journey from Landeyjahöfn takes less than an hour. As Heimaey is quite a small island, you’d be kitted out in overalls, gloves and helmet in next to no time. Tours encompass some of the island’s most famous locations, including a volcanic cone called Eldfell that was created during the 1973 eruption; Prestvik Beach, which was where the fishing ship Pegasus ran aground; and the place where Guðlaugur Friðþórsson ended his epic swim to shore, as featured in the 2012 movie The Deep. Our ATV tour on Heimaey is ideally suited to families, groups and beginners. The basic one hour ride can be customised as a private excursion or you can add puffin-spotting to your tour in spring and summer. Whichever you choose, with its unique mix of nature, dramatic landscapes and cultural gems, riding an ATV on Heimaey is an enticing prospect.
Two mainland tours that you might wish to book as well
- ATV tour around Hengill’s hot springs
In the Hengill area, hot springs and plumes of steam rising from the ground are a very clear reminder that this is a geothermally active area. Trails for ATV riders lead through the lava field and offer views of the geothermal power plant too. On this tour, you’ll ride across Stangarhóll and take in the views, which on a clear day open up panoramas of the coastal beaches and Eyjafjallajökull glacier as well as Hengill volcanic area. It’s a longer ride, taking around three hours, but ideal for experiencing Icelandic landscapes and nature.
- ATV ride to Sólheimasandur
If you’re planning to travel a little further around Iceland then you might consider an ATV tour that takes in one of the mainland’s most unusual sights. In 1973, a US navy cargo plane crashed in a remote location on the south coast. No one was killed, but the wrecked DC3 was never removed and has sat in the black sand at Sólheimasandur ever since. ATV trips which include the site in their itinerary typically depart from close to Mýrdalsjökull, a glacier near Vik. Riders will also have the opportunity to ride on some of the area’s famous black sand beaches and admire the dramatic coastal scenery. Water crossings in the verdant canyon cut by the Jökulsá River round out the adventure.
