Aegisida Coastal Path Travel Guide

Fishermen's huts at Grímsstaðavör. Photo: Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ægisíða is a seafront street and walking and cycling path on the shore of Skerjafjörður in Vesturbær, the west end of Reykjavík. Locals come here for walks, runs and sunsets. Along the way you pass the preserved fishermen's huts at Grímsstaðavör and a sculpture by Ásmundur Sveinsson, with views across the water to Bessastaðir.

Key Takeaways About Ægisíða

• Wide, flat, paved and lit seafront path in Vesturbær, west Reykjavík
• Preserved lumpfish fishermen's huts at the old Grímsstaðavör boat landing
• Sculpture "Rescue from Sea Peril" by Ásmundur Sveinsson beside the path
• A 3 km return walk from Vesturbæjarlaug pool, or continue along the shore to Nauthólsvík
• One of Reykjavík's favourite spots for sunsets, with views to Bessastaðir

Why visit Ægisíða

Ægisíða is a seafront street and coastal path in Vesturbær, the west side of Reykjavík. It runs along Skerjafjörður, an arm of Faxaflói bay, and it's where many locals go for an evening walk, a run or a bike ride by the sea.

The path is wide, flat, paved and lit, with benches along the way and views across the water to Bessastaðir, the president's residence on the Álftanes peninsula. It shows a quieter, residential side of the capital, only a few minutes from the city centre.

Three things make it worth the trip:

• The old fishermen's huts: a cluster of small sheds at Grímsstaðavör, an old boat landing, recalls the lumpfish (grásleppa) fishing that went on here.
• Public art: Ásmundur Sveinsson's sculpture "Rescue from Sea Peril" (Björgun úr sjávarháska) stands on an open grassy area by the path.
• Sunsets: the shore faces southwest over the bay, and Ægisíða is often named one of the best places in Reykjavík to watch the sun go down.

The fishermen's huts at Grímsstaðavör

Grímsstaðavör is a natural landing on the Ægisíða shore where small boats were pulled up. The wooden and corrugated-iron sheds beside it were used by fishermen who set nets for lumpfish, and racks and old slipway rails are still there.

Old slipway rails at Grímsstaðavör. Photo: Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0

In 2006 Reykjavík City decided to preserve the cultural remains at Grímsstaðavör, including the huts. The Reykjavík City Museum has been responsible for them since 2018, and one hut was restored in 2020 to 2021. The city has also put up information signs, improved access and carried out an archaeological investigation at the site.

Walking the path

The Icelandic Tourist Board describes a 3 km return walk along Ægisíða. It starts and ends at the car park of Vesturbæjarlaug swimming pool: walk down Hofsvallagata to the sea, follow Ægisíða towards Skerjafjörður, and come back the same way. The path suits walkers, strollers and bikes, and there are toilets and bins along the route.

You don't have to turn back. The path along Ægisíða is part of one of the city's main walking and cycling routes, which continues along the shore through Fossvogur, past Nauthólsvík geothermal beach, and on into the Elliðaárdalur valley. Heading the other way, you can walk on towards Seltjarnarnes and Grótta lighthouse.

Looking across Skerjafjörður from Ægisíða. Photo: AwOiSoAk KaOsIoWa (Panoramio), CC BY-SA 3.0

Finish with a soak at Vesturbæjarlaug, a neighbourhood geothermal pool with a café at the start of the route. Our guide to the best swimming pools in Reykjavík has its opening hours.

How to get to Ægisíða

Ægisíða is in Reykjavík itself, about 1.7 km by road from central Reykjavík (measured from City Hall), or a 5-minute drive west along Túngata and Hofsvallagata. On foot it's about 2 km (roughly 30 minutes) from Lækjartorg in the centre.

• By car: park at Vesturbæjarlaug pool on Hofsvallagata, where the Tourist Board's route begins.
• On foot or by bike: walk west through the old Vesturbær neighbourhood, or follow the shore path from Nauthólsvík.

When to visit

The path is lit, so you can walk it all year. Summer evenings are the most popular time, when the sun sets late over the bay; in winter, sunset comes early in the afternoon. It's an exposed shore, so dress warmly even on a sunny day.

Tips for visiting

• Cyclists and runners use the same path, so keep an eye out when you stop for photos.
• The huts are protected cultural remains. Look, but don't go inside or climb on them.
• Bring a swimsuit if you want to end with a swim at Vesturbæjarlaug.