The Pearl, Reykjavik. You might need longer than a week or two to explore Iceland from coast to coast, but if Reykjavík is your oyster for just a day, I think The Pearl is one of the best places to sample as much as possible. LOCATION: Overlooking central Reykjavík on one side and out to [...]
REYKJANES: 2nd STOP, GUNNUHVER GEOTHERMAL FIELD You need to tread carefully when wandering around the striking mud pools and fumaroles of Gunnuhver, close to the Reykjanes town of Grindavík. And if you have a child with you, don’t let go of their hand! Mine stopped complaining after watching in awe as the first wave of steam [...]
August weekends in Reykjavík—mostly! Is it just me, or are there more weekend festivities in Reykjavík’s August than other months? The following is a quick guide to some of the things happening in Iceland’s capital this August (well mostly the capital, but I was up north for the first weekend). Not an exhaustive list, but [...]
On a recent trip to Reykjavik I joined a friend and his young children, aged six and eight, on a spelunking excursion. We drove to Heidmork, a recreational area about a ten minute drive away from the city center and popular for walking, picnicking and cycling. Our destination? Mariuhellar, a group of small caves perfect [...]
REYKJANES: 1st STOP, THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE CONTINENTS I remember looking down at the lava-covered ground as the plane came in to land the first time I visited Iceland. I saw little lakes and puffs of steam here and there, and understood how the land’s first settlers could have mistaken this for smoke, thus naming [...]
You may have noticed that ‘warm’ in Iceland is a relative term—it never fails to charm me when, every year on the first really sunny day of late Spring, hundreds of t-shirted Icelanders bask in the sunlight downtown, with cafes quick to maximize their outdoor seating. It’s usually a balmy 7°C at that point. I [...]
As Icelandic As It Gets The Reykjavík Pool Experience First, a note on the Blue Lagoon Given you’re reading this blog, I’m willing to bet you’ve heard about the Blue Lagoon. But still, before I move on to the public pool experience, I just can’t stop myself from adding to the plethora of Blue Lagoon [...]
Harpa concert hall My ears won’t be testing the acoustics of Reykjavík’s new concert hall Harpa until next month, but my eyes have already had a feast. Here are a few perspectives to give you a taste. Looking up… …towards the stairs… …colourful shadows… …the beehive glass… …harbour view… …the shadow-patterned floor… …and finally one [...]
In a land of 10,000 waterfalls, you would think the highest of them all would have a huge ego bolstered by decades of hundreds and thousands of tourists’ admiring glances. But in the case of Glymur, this couldn’t be further from the truth. This delicate waterfall is an introvert and truly one of Iceland’s hidden [...]
