Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.09.2023, Page 36

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2023
36
Best Place to Watch the Sunset
Grótta Lighthouse
Seltjarnarnes
Seeking sunlight in Iceland is a bit like being married to a fisherman — you
either get none at all or you get all of it at once. But we have earned it, damnit,
so we’re going to sit here at Gróttuviti and watch it go down. And it’s going to
be romantic, Pétur, and then you’re heading back out because all you do is
shout at the handball and eat kótilettur. When the conditions are just right,
there really is no better place to catch Iceland’s magical summer skies.
Runner-up
Viðey Ferry Terminal
By the big rock there’s a tiny yellow
beach, which (until now) has
been a well-kept secret spot for
sunset watching. In fact the whole
Laugarnestangi area and the area
around the Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum
is one of the best spots you’ll find
in Reykjavík. And since the view is
not blocked in any direction, you
can walk along the path and get a
full widescreen vista of the summer
solstice fireworks for the whole
duration.
Perlan
For those looking to see the skyline
of Reykjavík as the sun sets, Perlan
is the place to be. With a huge wrap-
around balcony, as well as fancy
scopes to zoom in, it’s a fantastic
locale to see the orange sun shine off
the houses of Reykjavík. Here for New
Years? Get a spot here to watch some
mad fireworks in all their glory.
Previous Winners
Renewed category
Best Place to See
Northern Lights
In your backyard
Iceland
Now this may seem like a cop-out,
but bear with us. It’s probably due to
something terrible like the impending
climate catastrophe, but the view
from the average Reykjavík backyard
has been ludicrously good over the
past couple of years. Of course it’s
always better to escape the light
pollution and venture beyond the city
limits, but given what a crapshoot
these northern lights tours can be,
it’s worth recommending just looking
up regularly between 9 and midnight
on a winter’s eve — your odds aren’t
bad these days.
Runners-Up
Lake Hvaleyrarvatn
Hafnarfjörður
A few minutes outside the town of
Hafnarfjörður, past the horse stables,
you can make a sharp right turn that
will take you to a popular hiking route
for the strange clan of people called
“Hafnfirðingar.” If the stars align just
right, you can catch a green ribbon
of northern lights reflected in the
frozen lake surrounded by snowy hills
and a small pine forest. It’s enough
to knock the breath out of you in tiny
puffs of water vapour.
Grótta
At the end of the Seltjarnarnes
peninsula, not far from the centre
of Reykjavík, there’s a lonely,
windblown, red-topped lighthouse,
with a walkable causeway that’s
only accessible at certain times,
depending on the tide. There’s a
black beach, a miniature hot pot,
and a nature reserve. Now, to find
the Northern Lights, it’s rather
complicated. Basically, you stand on
this picturesque beach, open your
eyes and look up. There you go. Pure
happiness.
Previous Winners
Renewed category
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