Fossvogsdalur Valley Reseguide

Pond and trees in Fossvogsdalur. Photo: Axel Kristinsson, CC BY 2.0

Fossvogsdalur is a green valley park running east-west along the boundary between Reykjavík and Kópavogur, just inland from the bay Fossvogur.

About 2.5 km long, from the Fossvogur mudflats in the west to Blesugróf in the east, it is one of the capital area's main outdoor corridors, with lit walking and cycling paths, a stream and ponds, an arboretum of more than 1,000 tree and shrub species and cultivars, a disc golf course and plenty of open grass.

The name means "valley of Fossvogur", and the bay in turn was named for a waterfall called Hangandi ("hanging") where the stream Fossvogslækur fell into the sea. The waterfall has long since eroded away and only low rapids remain, but the name stuck.

Key Takeaways About Fossvogsdalur

• 2.5 km green valley park on the Reykjavík-Kópavogur boundary, inland from Fossvogur bay
• Paved, lit walking and cycling path linking Nauthólsvík beach with Elliðaárdalur
• Meltunga arboretum at the east end holds more than 1,000 tree and shrub species and cultivars
• Free, open all year; buses 4, 11, 13, 35 and 36 stop nearby
• A full loop is about 6 km: around 30 minutes by bike or 1-2 hours on foot

Why visit Fossvogsdalur

Fossvogsdalur is where Reykjavík and Kópavogur residents walk the dog, cycle to work, sledge in winter and picnic in summer. Its appeal is the mix of easy, flat paths and unusually rich greenery for a city at 64° north.

• Trees and gardens. Iceland's state forestry service ran a nursery at the western end of the valley from 1933, founded by Hákon Bjarnason, and a mature stand called Svartiskógur ("black forest") still grows there. At the eastern end, in Meltunga, an arboretum begun in the late 1990s covers about 8 hectares and holds more than 1,000 species and cultivars of trees and shrubs, with a rose garden of about 190 varieties, the Yndisgarður display garden of garden shrubs, and community allotments. Along the route you pass named groves such as Hermannsskógur, Norræni vinalundurinn (the Nordic friendship grove) and Álfaskógur.
• Water and birds. Fossvogslækur runs through the middle of the valley, partly in a straightened ditch and partly through ponds, and birdlife is active year-round.
• Play and sport. The valley has a popular beach volleyball court, the Fagrilundur sports complex of the HK club, a free disc golf course, football and basketball courts, playgrounds, outdoor exercise equipment, a barbecue area and benches, all free to use.
• A link in the city's path network. The valley path connects west to Nauthólsvík geothermal beach and Öskjuhlíð hill, and east to Elliðaárdalur, the salmon-river valley, so it is a natural leg of any Reykjavík walk or bike ride.

Fossvogsdalur was farmland and wet meadow until the 20th century; after 1930 the farmland of Kópavogur and Digranes was split into the smallholdings (nýbýli) from which the town of Kópavogur grew, some of them on the valley's southern slopes along what became Nýbýlavegur.

Both municipalities now manage it as protected open space and have plans to free the stream from its ditch and add ponds and more planting.

Meltunga arboretum sign, Fossvogsdalur. Photo: Berserkur, CC0 1.0

How to get to Fossvogsdalur

Fossvogsdalur lies about 5 km south-east of central Reykjavík.

• By bike or on foot: from downtown follow the coastal path south past the domestic airport to Nauthólsvík, then east along the Fossvogur shore into the valley; about 6 km from Hallgrímskirkja. From the east, the path from Elliðaárdalur enters the valley at Blesugróf.
• By car: take Kringlumýrarbraut or Reykjanesbraut south and turn off at Fossvogur or Smiðjuvegur. Free parking at Fagrilundur sports complex (Furugrund, Kópavogur), at Meltunga arboretum and in the residential streets on either side.
• By bus: Strætó routes 35 and 36 stop at Furugrund on the Kópavogur side, route 13 at Landspítali Fossvogi, route 4 at the Fossvogur stop on Hafnarfjarðarvegur and routes 3, 11, 12 and 17 at Elliðaárdalur, each a few minutes' walk from the paths.

The main path is paved, lit and open year-round. A typical loop of the valley is about 6 km and takes around 30 minutes by bike or 1-2 hours on foot, with no significant climbs.

Best time to visit

Fossvogsdalur works in every season. May to September gives long days, leaves on the trees and the allotments in flower; July and August are best for the rose garden, which flowers from early July. Autumn colours peak in late September and early October.

In winter the lit paths are kept clear, the sledging slope is busy after snow and the valley is a popular cross-country skiing spot when conditions allow. Early mornings and weekday evenings are quietest.

Flowering rowan in Fossvogsdalur. Photo: Berserkur, CC0 1.0

Safety and practical tips

• Free and always open. There is no fee and no gate; the paths are lit through the winter.
• Share the path. The main route is busy with fast cyclists, runners and dog walkers; keep right and listen for bells.
• Toilets, drinking water and bins are at the Fagrilundur sports hall. There is no café in the valley itself; shops and cafés are a short walk away in Kópavogur and Fossvogur.
• Ice. Paths can be icy in winter despite clearing; spikes help.
• Dogs are allowed on a lead. Keep them away from nesting birds by the stream in spring.
• Accessibility. The main path is flat and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs; some side trails are gravel or grass.