Self Drive: Mount Esja Reykjavik Hike

Description

The iconic Esja has a special place in the heart of every Reykjavik resident as it stands it's guard across the water from downtown Reykjavik. The subject of countless poetry and pop culture art Mount Esja has always been an inspiration to Reykvíkingar (the Icelandic word for residents of Reykjavik) from when Iceland was first settled in the end of the 9th century. The most popular day hiking area for locals, Mount Esja has plenty of great hiking trails and while steep at times the view over Reykjavik and the bay make it all worth it.  On clear days you can see as far as the Reykjanes peninsula and over to Snæfellsnes peninsula with it's impressive glacier volcano Snaefellsjokull.  The hike up Mount Esja is best done at a leisurely pace to enjoy it fully and we like to stop along the crystal clear mountain streams and fill our water bottles along the way.