Reykjavík
Reykjavík means smoky bay, for the steam the first settler saw rising from geothermal vents around 874, and the city now heats almost every building from that water through a district system — which is why one of the world's cleanest capitals sits in a country with no fossil fuels of its own. The neighbourhood pools, open all year at thirty-eight degrees, are where the city socialises.
Why go
The northernmost capital — 140,000 people, and two-thirds of Iceland lives in the area. Geothermal everything — the city is heated by hot water pumped from the ground, and swims in it daily. A music scene out of proportion — Björk, Sigur Rós and a live circuit for a town this size. The gateway to the island — the Golden Circle, the south coast and the highlands all start here.
The character
Reykjavík means smoky bay, for the steam that Ingólfr Arnarson saw when he settled here around 874 — geothermal vents, which the city now uses to heat almost every building through a district system that made Reykjavík one of the cleanest capitals in the world. The neighbourhood pools, open year-round and heated to thirty-eight degrees, are where the city socialises: hot tubs, gossip and a strict shower protocol.
The country's small population produces disproportionate culture. Iceland publishes more books per head than almost anywhere, the music scene has exported Björk, Sigur Rós and Of Monsters and Men, and the Airwaves festival in November fills every venue in town. Tourism transformed the economy after the 2008 banking collapse — from half a million visitors to over two million a year — and Reykjavík has absorbed that with visible strain and considerable skill. It remains a small, walkable, colourful town on a peninsula with mountains across the bay and weather that changes every twenty minutes.
Places of character
Hallgrímskirkja — the basalt-column church tower, with a lift and the best view of the coloured roofs. Sundhöllin or Vesturbæjarlaug — neighbourhood geothermal pools; go as a local rather than to the Blue Lagoon. Harpa — the concert hall with a facade of glass quasi-crystals by Ólafur Elíasson. Reykjavík Art Museum, Hafnarhús — with the Erró collection and serious contemporary shows. Grótta lighthouse — the peninsula's tip, for aurora within the city limits on a dark night. Golden Circle and the south coast — Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss; and the black beaches beyond.
The way to do it
Swim in a neighbourhood pool in place of the Blue Lagoon, which is forty minutes away and four times the price. Hire a car for the country and keep the city on foot. Check road and weather conditions daily in winter — Icelanders do, and it is not a formality. And go out at night: the bar scene starts at midnight and the walk between venues is short.
One perfect day
Pool at seven with the regulars, hot tub and cold plunge in the dark. Coffee and a pastry, then Hallgrímskirkja's tower for the coloured roofs and the bay. Late morning at Hafnarhús for Erró's collage and whatever is on. Lunch of fish stew. Afternoon out of town: Þingvellir where the continental plates pull apart and the parliament met from 930, then Gullfoss in spray. Back by seven. Dinner late, then a bar crawl that starts at eleven and, if it is winter, a walk out to Grótta at two to see whether the sky is doing anything.
Grand hotels
Hotel Borg — a 1930 Art Deco hotel on Austurvöllur square, the city's traditional address. The Retreat at Blue Lagoon — forty minutes out, built into a lava field with its own lagoon.
When to go
Best expression: September and October — aurora season starting, roads still open, prices falling. Consider: June for the midnight sun and the highlands opening. Avoid if possible: December to February for driving, unless you are comfortable with Arctic conditions.
The frame
Ideal stay 3 nights in the city, plus country time · Minimum 2 nights · Best arrival by air; Keflavík is the hub · Airport KEF, 50 km · Walkability excellent · Best without a car in town yes, for the island no