Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.05.2018, Side 6

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Iceland 2018
6 In this issue
+ The Reykjavík-adjacent wonders of Reykjanes P10
+ Countryside luxury at the ION Adventure Hotel P14
+ A day on the majestic Snæfellsnes Peninsula P26
+ The best of the wild Westfjords P32
+ Farm life and hiking at the Grásteinn Guesthouse P36
+ Must-see spots in the north P42
+ The far-flung outpost of Borgarfjörður Eystri P46
+ Best road trips in the east P52
South 10
West & Westfjords 24
North 38
East 44
It’s a common joke to say that Iceland
only has two seasons: a long winter,
followed by a fleeting glimpse of sum-
mer. It’s slightly ironic, then, that
you’re holding the Spring edition of
our Best of Iceland 2018—because
the Spring season barely exists in Ice-
land. Just as the first daffodil opens,
we might wake up to find a blanket
of late snow on the ground. Up in the
Highlands, the whiteout continues
as late as June or July, when the roads
open once again for curious travellers
to go out and explore the central wil-
derness.
And exploration is what this mag-
azine is all about. After a series of
panel debates with experts and lo-
cals from all over Iceland, we whittle
down the tips to a final few that we
think represent the best hikes, hotels,
restaurants, tours, pools, and must-
see spots in Iceland. The results are
always eye-opening—even the born-
and-bred Icelanders amongst our staff
will discover some obscure museums,
new cafés, and faint hiking routes that
we didn’t know existed.
So go forth and discover. You’ll find
a grid reference next to each winner to
get a rough idea of where things are. It’s
worth going online or phoning ahead to
check opening hours and make book-
ings; if it’s a particularly far-flung spot,
you can check road.is and weather.is to
make sure the way ahead is clear.
You can also check out our sister
publications The Reykjavík Grapevine
for the latest news, culture, resturant
reviews and event listings, and Best of
Reykjavík to find out what’s good in
the capital.
Have fun out there, and we hope this
magazine offers some inspiration for
making the most of your time in this
wild and beautiful country.
John Rogers, Best Of Iceland Editor
THE THEORETICAL
SPRING
AN INTRODUCTION:
BEST OF
ICELAND 2018
Spring 2018 Edition by
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
Printed by Ísafold
in 25,000 copies.
Member of the Icelandic
Travel Industry Association
www.saf.is
PUBLISHER
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson
hilmar@grapevine.is
+354 540 3601
publisher@grapevine.is
BEST OF EDITOR
John Rogers
john@grapevine.is
GRAPEVINE EDITOR
IN CHIEF
Valur Grettisson
valur@grapevine.is
ART DIRECTOR
Sveinbjörn Pálsson
sveinbjorn@grapevine.is
PHOTO EDITOR
Art Bicnick
art@grapevine.is
BEST OF THE NORTH
COMPILED BY
Alice Demurtas
BEST OF THE SOUTH
COMPILED BY
Rex Beckett
BEST OF THE EAST
COMPILED BY
John Rogers
BEST OF THE WEST
COMPILED BY
Hannah Jane Cohen
BEST OF THE WESTFJORDS
COMPILED BY
Grayson Del Faro
PROOFREADING
Paul Fontaine
Helgi Þór Harðarson
Natalie Ouellette
EDITORIAL
+354 540 3600
editor@grapevine.is
ADVERTISING
+354 540 3604
+354 540 3610
ads@grapevine.is
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Hannah Jane Cohen
Alice Demurtas
Mark Asch
CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Art Bicnick
Axel Sig
John Rogers
Timothée Lambrecq
Nanna Dís
Larissa Kyzer

MAPS SUPPLIED BY
Borgarmynd
www.borgarmynd.com
BEST OF ICELAND 2018 PANELS
SOUTH
Benjamin Hardman
Timothée Lambrecq
John Rogers
WEST
Alexander Jean Edvard Le
Sage De Fontenay
Elín Elísabet
Rósa Gréta Ívarsdóttir
WESTFJORDS
Midge Midgley
Heimir Hansson
Isobel Grad
Emilie Dalum
Örn Elías Guðmundsson
aka Mugison
NORTH
KT Browne
Rögnvaldur Már Helgason
Sæmundur Þór
Sigurðsson
Hjalti Páll Þórarinsson
EAST
Stefán Bogi Sveinsson
Tinna Guðmundsdóttir
Vinny Vamos
SALES DIRECTORS
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson
adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Helgi Þór Harðarson
helgi@grapevine.is
DISTRIBUTION
distribution@grapevine.is
Best of Iceland by The
Reykjavík Grapevine is
published by Fröken ltd.
Nothing in this magazine
may be reproduced in
whole or in part without
the written permission of
the publishers. The Best
of Iceland is distributed
around Reykjavík.
No articles in the
Reykjavík Grapevine are
paid-for articles. The
opinions expressed are
the writers’ own, not the
advertisers’.
BEST OF ICELAND EMBLEM
Siggi Odds
siggiodds.com
COVER PHOTO
Art Bicnick
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