Iceland review - 2013, Page 105

ICELAND REVIEW 103
travel
Being the largest municipality in Iceland outside the capital re-
gion with 18,000 inhabitants, Akureyri is, in essence, a small town
with a big city atmosphere. Boasting a number of museums, gal-
leries, shops, restaurants, cafés, clubs and concert venues, the
local art and music scene is bustling and the town is home to the
country’s only professional theater outside Reykjavík. The culture
center Hof at the harbor has a varied program and also facilitates
the North Iceland tourist information office.
On warm summer days—of which there have been plenty this
year—there are few things more enjoyable than having a cold
drink in the sun at one of the cafés or eateries in the heart of
town, or taking a stroll with an ice cream in hand. The tiny ice
summer BlIss And
WInter delIghts
The ‘Capital of the North’ welcomes visitors in all seasons. akureyri
has a lively culture scene and activities are abundant.
cream parlor Brynja in Innbærinn, the oldest part of town, is a
local favorite. Locals also frequent the Botanical Garden in good
weather, go cycling, walking or playing with their kids in the forest
Kjarnaskógur outside town, or sunbathe at the swimming pool.
Golfing and hiking are also popular choices for outdoor recre-
ation. Visitors can choose between a variety of tours on foot, by
bus, jeep, boat, horse, sea or air, go sea angling or whale watch-
ing. In winter, the landscape transforms with a cover of powder
snow. Locals and visitors crowd the ski resort Hlíðarfjall—it only
takes about ten minutes to reach the lifts. After darkness falls, the
northern lights often come out, a major attraction among visitors
to North Iceland.
Two inhabited islands are part of the Akureyri municipality.
Dubbed the ‘Pearl of Eyjafjörður,’ Hrísey has been a nature re-
serve since 1977, famous for its varied birdlife and vegetation. It
takes 15 minutes to reach the island from Árskógssandur (a half-
an-hour’s drive from Akureyri) by ferry. Grímsey, Iceland’s north-
ernmost inhabited island, which lies on the Arctic Circle, can be
reached by a three-hour ferry ride from Dalvík (a little 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.
www.visitakureyri.is/en
The hottest
spot in
Akureyri
downtown Akureyri.
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