Iceland review - 2016, Page 114

112 ICELAND REVIEW
Reykjanes, the region most travelers to Iceland first set
foot on, is often overlooked. For no good reason.
discover
something
new
SPECIAL PROMOTION
REYKJANES
When driving from Keflavík International Airport to
Reykjavík, try averting your eyes from the view for just
a second and observe your fellow passengers on the
airport shuttle. They probably have their faces glued to the win-
dows. The landscape is quite extraordinary: moss or snow-cov-
ered lava fields (season-depending) as far as the eye can see,
apart from a few mountains in the distance, and steam rising
from the ground. It seems otherworldly—it’s easy to see how
people would think they’ve landed on another planet.
NATURE AND CULTURE
Keflavík Airport is located on Reykjanes peninsula, the ‘foot’ of
Iceland, the southwestern corner. It’s home to seven towns and
villages, scattered along the coastline, the largest of which
are the adjacent Keflavík and Njarðvík. The others are: Garður,
Sandgerði, Hafnir, Grindavík and Vogar. The student and
business community at Ásbrú, the former NATO base, is also
growing. (Keflavík, Njarðvík, Hafnir and Ásbrú are part of
Reykjanesbær municipality.)
In terms of culture, the towns in the region have much to
offer—including Viking World in Njarðvík and the Icelandic
Museum of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Keflavík. Companies in the region
make sure to keep visitors busy with exciting tours and com-
fortable with accommodation ranging from B&Bs to luxurious
hotels.
Reykjanes peninsula lies on top of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and
given that it has several high-temperature geothermal areas, the
peninsula has its own geopark, 825 square km2 (319 sq mi) in
size.
DIVERSE ATTRACTIONS
The top attraction in Reykjanes is so famous that it hardly needs
mentioning: the Blue Lagoon. Another frequented stop is Seltún
geothermal area in Krýsuvík, which is like an abstract painting
with an array of colors, bubbling mud pools and seething hot
springs. Nearby, in a black lava landscape, is the eerie Kleifar-
vatn lake (the ‘draining lake’ from Arnaldur Indriðason’s epony-
mous crime novel).
Don’t miss Gunnuhver; a collective of steam vents and mud
pools where a new geyser formed in 2014, shooting piping hot
clay many meters into the sky. Its formation was certainly a re-
minder of how the landscape is constantly transforming.
With that in mind, you can visit Reykjanes again and again,
and always discover something new.

SUPPLEMENT COMPILED BY EYGLÓ SVALA ARNARSDÓTTIR, JENNA GOTTLIEB, LARISSA KYZER AND VALA HAFSTAÐ.
INTRODUCTION BY EYGLÓ SVALA ARNARSDÓTTIR. COVER PHOTO AND ON THIS PAGE BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.