Iceland review - 2007, Page 95

Pure energy 93
cruises, cargo and cod
at Reykjavík HaRboR, assoCiated iCelandiC ports
The number of cruise visitors to Reykjavík has increased fourfold over
the last ten years. For these visitors, the first glimpse of the city comes at
Reykjavík Harbor (either the Midbakki or Sundahöfn stations).
The harbor is a focal point for any city that has developed mainly from
strong ties to the sea and Reykjavík is no exception. Situated right downtown,
the harbor remains linked to the daily goings-on of the city in many ways.
cruises
You already know that the harbor is an arrival point for many visitors to Iceland.
But whether the visit is a short or a long one, the harbor is a great starting
place. Whale-watching and fishing tours depart from the harbor every day
during the peak tourist season, and there is also a Maritime Museum nearby.
Visitors from cruise ships can also arrange day tours outside of Reykjavík, or
even one-day flights to Greenland!
cargo
Situated at a central point in the North Atlantic, the Reykjavík Harbor is a
major transportation hub for goods traveling by sea. It is also an important
point for sea-to-sea bunkers (the delivery of bunker fuel at sea).
While cargo will always remain an integral component of the harbor’s
functions, in the future many of these facilities will move to other locations in
Iceland to make room for other developments.
cod
It’s one of the things Iceland is probably most famous for, and the fishing
industry still generates about 50 percent of the nation’s visible export
earnings. Reykjavík Harbor is an important landing point for the trawlers
catching cod and many other types of fish in the waters of the North Atlantic.
A major component of this is sea-frozen fish, which is then shipped directly
to other countries by the major Icelandic logistics companies, Eimskip and
Samskip.
For landlubbers, Reykjavík Harbor is also a place for many events. The
Festival of the Sea is held here annually during the first weekend in June. It
commemorates the ocean and those who work in the fishing industry. Local
restaurants also serve special fish dishes at this time and daily concerts are
held where traditional and new sea shanties are performed.
With the planned development of a new music hall and conference
center in the harbor and the growing number of cruise ships visiting, the old
harbor in Reykjavík will continue to be that vital link between land and sea
for years to come.
The Reykjavík Harbor is one of the Associated Icelandic Ports.
Tel. +354.525.8900
faxaports.is (click on Reykjavíkurhafnir)