Iceland review - 2013, Qupperneq 79

ICELAND REVIEW 77
sPECIAL PROmOTION
For a town of 18,000
inhabitants, Akureyri
has a surprising
number of museums,
galleries, shops,
restaurants, cafés,
clubs and
concert venues.
BY Eygló Svala arnarSdóTTir
PHOTOS BY PÁll STEfÁnSSon
If you’re in akureyri for the first time, you
might be surprised at the heart-shaped red
traffic lights and red plastic hearts glued
onto walls and windows all over town. after
the collapse of the Icelandic banks in 2008, the
people of akureyri decided to spread the love.
dEligHTful in SuMMEr and WinTEr
akureyri is known for its friendly atmosphere,
good weather and many tall trees. the
Botanical Garden is the green heart of town
and forested areas lie on its outskirts, with
Kjarnaskógur, situated near the akureyri golf
course, being a local favorite for outdoor
recreation. Golfers should not miss the annual
arctic open, when golf is played under the
midnight sun.
In mid-summer the sun hardly sets and one
can enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. the
long and picturesque eyjafjörður fjord offers
prime conditions for sea angling and whale
watching and the steep mountains surrounding
it are perfect for adventurous hikes, wind
gliding and heliskiing. not as action-packed but
equally enjoyable is a stroll through Innbærinn,
the oldest part of town, where colorful timber
houses line the strip of land between the shore
and a steep hillside. exploring the town is easy
as bus travel is free. Visitors can also book a
variety of tours from akureyri, by bus, jeep,
boat, air, horse, or on foot.
In winter, akureyri looks more pristine still
with a carpet of powder snow covering the
landscape. It only takes about ten minutes to
get to the ski lifts in Mt. hlíðarfjall, one of the
biggest ski resorts in the country. on clear
winter days after darkness falls, the northern
lights often come out, dancing across the
sky in striking green, purple and even red,
a major attraction among visitors to north
Iceland. taking a dip in the akureyri geothermal
swimming pool is even more relaxing in winter
than summer.
iSlandS ExTraordinairE
two inhabited islands—hrísey (almost 40
kilometers away by air) and Grímsey (at a
distance of more than 100 kilometers)—are part
of the akureyri municipality.
hrísey can be reached by only a 15-minute
ferry ride from árskógssandur (a half-an-hour’s
drive from akureyri). this ‘pearl of eyjafjörður’
has been a nature reserve since 1977, famous
for its varied birdlife and vegetation, and in
recent years, delicious blue mussels that
grow off its shores. Visitors can ride on a hay
wagon pulled by a tractor—the main means of
transport on hrísey—through the idyllic little
village. the island is said to ooze a special kind
of energy, the source of which can be found on
its eastern part.
Grímsey, Iceland’s northernmost inhabited
island, can be reached by ferry from Dalvík (a
bit further than árskógssandur), or by air from
akureyri. also a paradise for bird lovers, its sea
cliffs are filled with nesting puffins, guillemots
and other seabirds in the summer. For visitors
to Grímsey, walking across the arctic Circle is
a must. the summer solstice, when the sun
doesn’t set at all, is celebrated on the island in
late june.
livEly CulTurE WiTHin rEaCH
nature needs no promotion, but there are many
more reasons for visiting akureyri. the local art
and music scene is bustling and the town is
home to the country’s only professional theater
outside the capital region. the distinct culture
center hof, which opened at the harbor in 2010,
has a varied program and also hosts the official
tourist information office for north Iceland.
although akureyri is on the opposite side
of the country from the capital, it’s easily
accessible. the drive from reykjavík takes
approximately four and a half hours by car or
six hours with scheduled buses up to twice a
day. By plane, it’s a 45-minute flight. there are
scheduled flights to akureyri from reykjavík
several times a day year round, and in the
summer, akureyri is a destination for direct
international flights with a stopover at Keflavík
International airport. the trip is definitely worth
it. visitakureyri.is 
Charming Town wiTh a Big hearT