Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.06.2007, Blaðsíða 26

34_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 09_007_DESTINATIONS
two ca. 50 km three ca. 170 km four ca. 480 km five ca. 460 km
This charming community in East Iceland is
renowned for its natural beauty and artistic
creativity. The tiny village of 700 inhabitants is
located by the end of the Seyðisfjörður fjord
and surrounded by steep mountains on three
sides. Small and colourful wooden houses
and an old harbour characterise the town,
which is an extremely attractive and lively
holiday spot. During the summer months,
artists from all around the country flock to
town to throw exhibitions or take part in
culture festivals. The summer highlight is the
annual L.ung.A art and music festival, taking
place on July 15 to 22 this year.
six ca. 680 km
Seyðisfjörður
Located on the northern part of the Reyk-
janes peninsula, the small community Garður
is only a ten-minute drive from the Keflavík
international airport. The town’s trademark is
the two old lighthouses down by the coast
which offers a great panoramic view over the
Faxaflói bay. The coastline also happens to be
an excellent bird-watching spot. As Garður is
an old fishing village, a museum dedicated
to fish processing, The Garður Folk Museum,
was established in 1995 and features a col-
lection of old boat engines, fishing gear and
other historical items.
seven ca. 50 km
Garður
A trip to the capital of the Westfjords,
Ísafjörður, is a worthwhile journey as the
town and its surroundings offer plenty of ac-
tivities for travellers. The town is renowned
for being a mix of a thriving fishing and mu-
sic community and is for example home to
the annual music festival Aldrei fór ég suður,
growing in size and popularity every year. The
nearby mountains and valleys boast many
scenic hiking trips, after which you can relax
at a downtown café with a drink in hand and
chat with friendly locals.
eight ca. 450 km
Ísafjörður
The small coastal village Vík í Mýrdal is the
southernmost town in the country and con-
tains many interesting sights to explore. The
town’s natural surroundings offer attractions
such as green meadows, expansive sand des-
erts, glaciers and glacial rivers and only min-
utes away from town is Dyrhólaey, a long pre-
served promontory stretching from the coast
and out into the ocean. The area is rich with
birdlife and picturesque views and while hik-
ing down to the town’s beautiful black sand
beach you can view the large Reynisdrangar
rock pillars in the near distance.
nine ca. 190 km
Vík
Located on the shore of the majestic Ey-
jafjörður fjord on the north coast, Akureyri
is the second largest town in the country
and a popular weekend getaway. Activi-
ties for travellers are multiple as the town is
rich with culture, history and a diverse mu-
sic scene. The town centre boasts numerous
bars, restaurants, cafés, art museums, galler-
ies and fashion shops and during weekends
the whole area turns into a vibrant nightlife
destination for those in the mood to party.
Options for visitors looking for a more re-
laxed recreation are multiple as well, and a
stroll around the Kjarnaskógur wood, an
800-hectare preserved outdoor area south of
Akureyri, comes highly recommended. An-
other possibility is a ferry trip to Hrísey, the
second largest island off the coast of Iceland,
which will only take about 15 minutes. With
a population of only 200 people, the island
is extremely beautiful and rich with birdlife.
Afterwards it’s ideal to go for a swim in the
Akureyri swimming pool.
one *ca. 390 km
Akureyri1
2
3
4
9
8
7
6
5
*distance from Reykjavík in kilometres.
A town of 6,000 people, Akranes is only a
35-minute drive from the capital.
Two Irish brothers settled the town in 880
and today the townspeople celebrate the
settlement annually with a family festival
called the Irish Days, taking place on July 6 to
8 this year. Activities for visitors are varied and
range from exploring interesting museum ex-
hibitions in the Garðar area, sunbathing on
the town’s famous sand beach Langisandur
or relaxing in the public park Garðalundur,
a spacious area with lakes, trees and a large
playground for the children.
Akranes
The small village of Stykkishólmur is consid-
ered one of the more magical municipalities
in the country. Surrounded by historical sites
and natural beauty, the town is located on
the north shore of the Snæfellsnes penin-
sula. The small and colourful houses are built
around the harbour where fishing boats are
docked alongside cruise ships and ferries. The
town is the gateway to the Breiðarfjörður is-
lands and several companies organise daily
sight-seeing trips among the thousands of
small islands where one can spot wild birds
flying around the boat while tasting freshly
caught scallops.
Stykkishólmur
The fishing town Húsavík, which sits at the
shore of Skjálfandi bay, has been experi-
encing a great increase in tourism in recent
years. The biggest draw for travellers is the
fact that the Skjálfandi bay is known for be-
ing an excellent whale-watching spot and
many companies offer daily whale-watching
excursions from the harbour. Visitors should
also check out the Whale Museum, located
by the harbour. The museum was founded in
1997 and provides information on cetaceans
and Iceland’s whaling history. The Húsavík
church, which is one of the oldest wooden
churches in Iceland, is also worth a look.
Húsavík
The small coastal tow Höfn in southeast Ice-
land is surrounded by natural beauty. Various
fascinating trips can be organized from Höfn,
including sailing around the ice blocks on the
Jökulsárlón lagoon, taking a bus trip to the
Nature Reserve of Lónsöræfi and drive up the
giant Vatnajökull glacier in a superjeep. For
those fascinated with the nearby ice cap, a
new museum featuring an impressive glacier
exhibition focusing on glaciology, nature con-
servation, national parks and researches done
in Vatnajökull is open daily all year round.
Höfn í Hornafirði
Photos by Thorsten Henn and others.
What´s on? www.getrvk.com
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