World Traveller October 2019

ICELAND
on’t be fooled by the
name. Iceland may
be a wild, glaciercrowned
island, but
it’s far from frigid
or inhospitable. Wry
locals are as warm as
their woollen jumpers and the landscape
steams with geysers and hot springs. Its
capital, Reykjavík, is a high-energy hub
of creativity, and the country’s food scene
is blossoming. As well as the infamous
fermented shark (hákarl), which is
best ignored entirely, you’ll find a new
generation of young chefs is putting a
sophisticated spin on local ingredients
in restaurants that rival Scandinavia’s
best. If you know where to look, you’ll
find a nature documentary’s worth of
wildlife, from mink to minke whales.
There’s also blood-chilling Viking history,
spooky Norse mythology and plenty of
geothermal activity — which means
exploding geysers, outdoor hot pools
and steamy, super-luxe spas. There are
any number of ways you can tackle a trip
here, but the big question is: ‘How long
have you got?’ If it’s just a few days, you’ll
want our ‘Reykjavík and the Golden Circle’
tour for a slice of city action and a taste
of Iceland’s wild, weird landscape over a
long weekend. And if you’ve got longer,
try our Route 1 road trip, which will take
you around the whole island ticking off
its most spectacular sights. Either way,
strike now while the island’s hot...
Reykjavík and the
golden circle
First visit? This three-night trip
combines the capital with a selfdrive
tour of handy geological
treats, says Alex Allen
DAYS 1-2
Raw nature: Blue Lagoon
& Golden Circle
Black waves lashing at a basalt-peppered
beach; a lone church looking out over a
landscape of volcanic rubble — and that’s
just what you’ll see from the plane window
as you descend into Iceland’s Keflavík
airport. For the full ‘moon landing’
experience, rather than heading straight
into the urbanity of Reykjavík, rent a car
and speed half an hour south to the Blue
Lagoon. Approaching along a road rolled
‘
AT GEYSIR,
FUMAROLES
BUBBLE AND
BILLOW LIKE
THE SET OF
A B-MOVIE
HORROR
’
flat through a moss-furred lava field,
you’ll spot clouds of steam billowing
from a cluster of silvery buildings. One of
these is the Retreat, an out-of-this-world
stunner of a hotel where you should spend
your first night. Inside you’ll find rooms
that combine stylish, Scandi minimalism
with cave-like cosiness. Access to its vast
spa — and hotel residents’ own private
section of the lagoon — is included,
too, so get up early the next morning
for a soothing soak before check-out
Day two is all about the Golden Circle —
a compact loop of three major geological
sights: Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss
waterfall and the Geysir hot springs. You
can take a basic group bus tour for about
$90pp, but being able to stop on a whim to
gawp at the landscape or follow signs for
hand-knitted souvenirs make self-driving
the best way to go. Ignore what the sat
nav will tell you, and instead of heading
north, via Reykjavík, strike out south, via
the fishing town of Grindavík. This route
is far quieter and more scenic — a rolling
backdrop of vast gravel plains, foil-sheet
lakes and stumpy peaks dip-dyed in neon
green. Things get more dramatic at your
first stop, in Thingvellir National Park,
where you’ll hit a ridge that rises out of
the landscape like the spine of a book.
This is the Almannagjá ravine, where
the Eurasian and North American plates
meet in a rocky seam. It’s also the site
of the world’s first parliament — the
Althing, founded around 930CE. Don’t
miss Oxarafoss waterfall, which roars like
the echoes of a thousand Viking voices.
By now you’ll be hankering for some
lunch, so before heading an hour east to
the Geysir Hot Springs — the second stop
on your Golden Circle itinerary — make
a pit stop at Friðheimar, a geothermally
powered indoor tomato farm and
restaurant. Watch docile bumble bees
drone past as you slurp down bowl
after bowl of delicious all-you-can-eat
tomato soup with freshly baked bread.
At Geysir, fumaroles bubble and billow
like the set of a B-movie horror. There
are several geysers here, from ones
the size of a witch’s cauldron to those
blasting tower-block-high columns of
steam into the air. But Strokkur is the
most active, going off every three to
four minutes, as if playing to
the whooping crowds.
The final stop on the tour — 10 minutes
down the road — is Gullfoss, a waterfall
of knee-buckling scale. In full flow, it
can funnel about 1,400 cubic metres of
water per second over its 200-metre-wide
crest — making it one of the largest falls,
by volume, in Europe. Warm up with a
coffee in the visitor centre before the
two-hour drive back to Reykjavík, where
you should check in at the CenterHotel
Midgardur — at the quiet end of the
central Laugavegur shopping street.
DAY 3
City scenes: ReykjavÍk
Iceland’s capital is best explored on foot.
With the playful street art, tucked-away
boutiques and offbeat museums, a crosstown
walk feels more like a treasure hunt
than a trek. But you’ll want to load up
on a good breakfast first. Brauð & Co, a
bakery just off Laugavegur street, is where
you can watch sheets of dough turn into
custard-filled buns or blueberry and
liquorice rolls in the hands of the bakers.
Fill a paper bag with a selection and head
up the road to Hallgrímskirkja, the iconic
church that looms over the city like a
concrete rocket. The lift ride to the top of
the steeple costs $9, but it’s worth it for
the sight of Reykjavík’s colourful houses
laid out like spilt Lego. From here it’s a
20-minute walk to the National Museum
of Iceland, where you’ll find the country’s
history told with brilliantly preserved
artefacts, including grisly Viking remains.
Making your way back into the centre,
don’t miss the black building that
houses Fischer, a quirky concept store
owned by artist Jónsi of the Icelandic
band Sigur Rós. You’ll find beautifully
packaged products, from perfumes
and candles to teas and tinctures.
Reykjavík’s food scene has come on
loads in the past few years. At Skál!,
for instance, chef Gísli creates pretty,
delicious and reasonably priced dishes
44 worldtravellermagazine.com