Travel Monday – Reykjavik
Line BreakAuthor: Kathryn Frengs (290 Articles)
Travelfusion's Social Media Officer, I manage all of our online marketing and presence on Twitter, Facebook, our blog and more. I love my job!
Our featured destination is high on my list of places to go next. Reykjavik, Iceland, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is our Travel Monday pick of the week.
The capital and largest city of the tiny island nation of Iceland, Reykjavik is the northernmost capital of any sovereign state. While the metropolitan area has a population of only over 200,000 inhabitants, considerably smaller than most other European capitals, Reykjavik still has quite a bit to offer to visitors and a variety of activities that are worth trying.
Photo credit: Diego Cupolo
With a breathtaking natural landscape and unique architecture, first-time visitors to Reykjavik may wish to join one of the city’s many bicycle tours to enjoy the scenery intimately. Many of these tours leave daily from downtown Reykjavik and offer a first-hand view of the gorgeous natural side to this remote island. After your ride, treat yourself to a visit to the Blue Lagoon, a unique and famous thermal spa that is one of the most visited sites in the country. Take a dip into these naturally warm waters that are thought to have healing properties to truly appreciate this Icelandic mainstay.
Photo credit: Stig Nygaard
Due to the city’s northern location, Reykjavik’s summers include some of the longest days in the world, with nightfall only lasting a few hours each day. Enjoy sunsets at midnight as the photo above shows or take to the bars and restaurants like the locals and enjoy the late-night daylight as much as you can! Known as “the nightlife capital of the north,” Reykjavik has a host of late-night options that stay open after-hours and generally don’t fill up until after midnight.
Inversely, winter days are very short with only a few hours of sunlight. If you visit Reykjavik in the wintertime, take the opportunity to explore Icelandic cuisine, which is unlike any cuisine on earth. With its origins in the traditions of Scandinavian cuisine, Icelandic cuisine quite often includes local, fresh ingredients that are readily available in the area – a function of life on a remote island. Fresh fish is enjoyed year-round, as is domestic mutton, seabirds and other local livestock.
The truly brave may wish to sample Iceland’s traditional Hákarl, or fermented shark meat. With an ammonia-rich scent and overly fishy taste, many Iceland natives do not even eat this dish, but it is readily available any time and can be eaten in all seasons. First-time eaters may wish to hold their noses when sampling this dish as the smell can be overpowering, but any adventurous traveller may want to give this a try on their visit to Reykjavik.
Photo credit: Bjørn Giesenbauer
Currently, flights from London to Reykjavik are only £194 return on Iceland Air in May. Take this opportunity to explore this unique and beautiful city and appreciate all that Iceland has to offer!
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Kathryn Frengs
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Becky Padmore
