The theme of this year's Hafnarfjörður Orienteering Event is national roads, streets and paths.

27 geocaching markers can be found throughout the town, which participants have all summer to find.

The Hafnarfjörður Scavenger Hunt is enjoying ever-growing popularity, as it is a fantastic game that draws people from far and wide across the town's countryside, and even further afield, where various gems, signs of past human habitation and natural wonders can be found. This year, the theme of the game is old traditional routes, streets and paths. All over the town's countryside, you can find traces of journeys made by inhabitants of bygone eras, who left their mark on the landscape on their way to, for example, the nearest fishing station or a seasonal settlement.

All information about the game can be found at ratleikur.fjardarfrettir.is and on the Facebook page Hafnarfjörður Treasure Hunt

The mother and daughter, Bára and Sóley Harpa, received the first cards of the summer of 2022. 

The geocache began on Friday, 3rd June when mother and daughter Bára Hálfdánardóttir and Sóley Harpa Aronsdóttir were handed the first maps, but Sóley is only 2 years old and first took part in the game in her mother's womb. Bára has taken part in the game for about seven years and is in a good group that calls itself the Impulsive Walking Group, which she says often sets off with more optimism than foresight. For the past two years, Sóley has gone along to the game and enjoyed being outdoors.

A fun game for everyone 

The game is suitable for almost everyone, and people have the choice to look for some of the signs or all 27 of them and compete to become the Riddle King of the Year. If people find 18 badges and submit their solutions, they could be nominated as Hiking Hero of the Year, and those who find 9 badges can receive the title of Lightfoot of the Year. Generous prizes have been provided by companies, and there are also prize draws for those who attend the harvest festival in the autumn. However, the game runs until 26th September.

Free outdoor recreation map

A high-quality outdoor map is available free of charge from various locations around the town, including at swimming pools, the Library, Fjarðarkaup and elsewhere. The game is published by Hönnunarhúsið ehf. in collaboration with the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður, and this year's main sponsor is Rio Tinto in Iceland. Guðni Gíslason designed the game for the 15th time, while Ómar Smári Ármannsson has provided invaluable assistance; he runs the information website ferlir.is, which contains a wealth of information about the Reykjanes Peninsula.

What do the participants say?

Participants are of all ages, but the game is a popular family game. People often share photos and stories on social media, and here are a few examples:

„Trolls and monsters are distracting me from the search for sign no. 8, I've already had two attempts. The flowers and natural beauty are also distracting my concentration!“

„This is one of the best signs of spring, I'm really looking forward to it.“

„Now I understand the traffic jam at Fjarðarkaup.“ (when the first cards were distributed)

„So, the first caches of the year have been found. The joy of finding a geocache is always just as great!“

„My husband calls this geocaching community a „cult“, which couldn't be further from the truth!! He did, however, come with me to eight geocaching sites, and as it happened we were searching at the Viðistaðakirkja on our wedding anniversary, the 19th of June, exactly 28 years after we got married there. What won't a man do for his woman?“