As mentioned in the introduction, the towns and cities of Iceland are concentrated on or close to the coast. It was formed when three towns; Keflavík, Njarðvík, and Hafnir, merged into one. The road passes through the largest urban areas and so you can’t get lost if you keep following it. It’s a steep climb in places but flattens out as you enter the canyon. 10 Best Places to Visit in Iceland - Travel Video - YouTube If you have time, though, check out nearby activities: rock-climbing, rafting and soaking in geo-pools, plus visiting a hydropower museum, fishing and exploring a 6500-year-old explosion crater. Visit the black sands at Djúpalón Beach, where a series of rocky sea stacks emerge from the ocean. Highlands excursions generally incorporate river crossings, impossibly vast lava fields, regal mountain vistas and outlaw hideouts – and possibly a naked soak in geothermal waters. Hornstrandir Nature Reserve is one of Europe's last true wilderness areas. The center of the country, In my opinion, this is one of the best cities in Iceland. Húsavík, Iceland’s whale-watching capital, has become a firm favorite on travelers’ itineraries – and with its colorful houses, unique museums and stunning snow-capped peaks across the bay, it's easily the northeast's prettiest fishing town. Jules Verne was definitely onto something when he used Snæfellsjökull's icy crown as his magical doorway in Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The capital city is full of universities, museums, galleries, cinemas, and other showcases of the country’s creative output. It's conveniently close to Keflavík airport, making it the perfect send-off before flying home. The Blue Lagoon is the big cheese: in a magnificent black-lava field, the cyan Blue Lagoon spa is fed water from the futuristic Svartsengi geothermal plant; with its silver towers, roiling clouds of steam, and people daubed in white silica mud, it's an otherworldly place. You'll find "hot-pots" everywhere, from downtown Reykjavík to the isolated peninsular tips of the Westfjords. Europe’s largest national park – created by the combination of two previously-established national parks: Skaftafell in southeast Iceland and Jökulsárgljúfur in the northeast – covers around 14% of Iceland and safeguards mighty Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap outside the poles (it's three times the size of Luxembourg). Most of the 4000+ inhabitants live in the island’s main town, Vestmannaeyjabær. Other city draws are Hallgrímskirkja, the white concrete church with a viewing deck in the 74m-high tower, and the Icelandic Phallological Museum, with its huge collection of penises. An offshore archipelago of craggy peaks, Vestmannaeyjar is a mere 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland, but feels miles away in sentiment. Inside Belarus' nature reserve in the shadow of Chernobyl, These US national parks require reservations this summer. Be sure to book well in advance; up to two million tourists visit Iceland every year. It’s home to the Viking World Museum and the Iceland Museum of Rock and Roll. Reykjavík, for example, means ‘smoky bay’ named after the steam that the first settlers saw coming out of the ground. Accommodation, petrol, and supplies can be found in every town, but the towns themselves may be few and far between. © 2021 Lonely Planet. The center of the country, the highlands, is almost completely uninhabited for most of the year. Together they have around 19,000 people, making Reykjanesbær the second-largest urban area in Iceland. The fishing industry had declined there, but in its place is a prominent music scene and a growing tourism industry. The city grew up around a busy fishing industry and there are several fascinating museums relaying its important history. There are a lot of populated areas that deserve a visit. A ghostly procession of luminous-blue icebergs drifts serenely through the ten-sq-mile (25-sq-km) Jökulsárlón lagoon before floating out to sea. It is, however, Iceland’s third-largest urban area outside of the capital region. Both fjords have natural splendor and bumper hiking trails in spades, and many people can’t help but love ’em equally. It’s near to one of Iceland’s best ski hills, Hlíðarfjall, and since it’s on the north coast, snowfall is high. It was formed when three towns; Keflavík, Njarðvík, and Hafnir, merged into one. Together they have around 19,000 people, making Reykjanesbær the second-largest urban area in Iceland. It’s a fantastic destination for hiking, with challenging terrain and excellent opportunities for spotting Arctic foxes, seals, whales and teeming bird life. While you're in the area, head just south of Askja for Iceland's freshest lava field at Holuhraun. https://www.where2travel.com/europe/iceland-travel-guide/what-to-do-in-iceland With a population of only about 18,000, many would consider this a small town. Accessible for only a few months each year, storied Askja is a mammoth caldera ringed by mountains and enclosing a sapphire-blue lake known as Víti crater. Reykjavik, on the southwest coast of Iceland, is one of the best places to visit, as it is a charming and walkable city. Touring Tröllaskagi, or Troll Peninsula, is a joy, especially now that road tunnels link the spectacularly-sited townships of Siglufjörður and Ólafsfjörður, once end-of-the-road settlements. Crossing the bridge across Lagarfljót on Rte 931, you’ll reach the parking area for lovely Hengifoss, Iceland’s second-highest waterfall. The fishing industry had declined there, but in its place is a prominent music scene and a growing tourism industry. The falls plummet 128m into a photogenic brown-and-red-striped boulder-strewn gorge. Fjarðabyggð is not far from Iceland’s largest forest, Hallormsstaður, which covers 740 hectares. Beautiful Borgarfjörður Eystri, on the other hand, is 43 miles (70km) from the Ring Road, and much of that stretch is bumpy and unsealed. Since Iceland has one of the lowest population densities in the world, it may not have what you consider ‘cities’. These days Reykjavik is one of the favourite Scandinavian cities to visit. Yet, the vast majority of those exploring the best places to visit in Iceland only give themselves between 3 and 5 days to explore the country. There are many features that make. Though it is the largest city in Iceland, with a population of barely over 200,000 people, it is still relatively small when you think of capital cities. Fjarðabyggð means ‘the people of the fjords’ and Reykjanesbær means ‘smoky field town’. The islands can be easily reached via ferry from Landeyjahöfn, and you can bring your rental car along. There is also a huge population of puffins that make the Westman Islands their home from May to August. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Halfway to Hengifoss is a noteworthy smaller waterfall, Litlanesfoss, surrounded by vertical basalt columns in a honeycomb formation. The town is in a beautiful bay, and due to its location is difficult to access in the winter months. A 45-minute journey from the city center is Keflavík International Airport, where your plane to Iceland will fly into. It is indeed a spectacular time, with pleasant temper (Read More) atures and prolonged daylight hours that enable you to see as much as you can. Additionally, the only way to fly internationally is to pass by the capital. Petite Reykjavík boasts all the treats you’d expect of a European capital – such as excellent museums and great shopping – but the city’s ratio of coffee houses to citizens is nothing short of staggering. Therefore, most of the business, trading, and creation is conducted in this region, the south-west of the island. As mentioned in the introduction, the towns and cities of Iceland are concentrated on or close to the coast. There are a lot of populated areas that deserve a visit. Iceland’s biggest music festival, Þjóðhátíð, is hosted here every August and is attended by locals and foreigners alike. You’ll notice that the red traffic lights are in the shape of hearts; many want to roll this out nationwide. With glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, wildlife-watching opportunities and the midnight sun, it's no surprise this astonishing place is near the top of so many people's bucket lists. 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