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Lonely Planet Iceland PDF

428 Pages·2017·22.92 MB·English
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P D F Iceland PDF ebook Edition 10th Edition Release Date May 2017 Pages 424 Useful Links Want more guides? Head to our shop Trouble with your PDF? Trouble shoot here Need more help? Head to our FAQs Stay in touch Contact us here © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this PDF ebook is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above – ‘Do the right thing with our content’. 4 easy-to-use How to use this book sections Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings: 1 4 Sights Sleeping r 5 Beaches Eating 2 6 PLAN YOUR TRIP Activities Drinking C 3 Courses Entertainment Your planning tool kit T 7 Photos & suggestions to help Tours Shopping you create the perfect trip. z Festivals 8 Information & Events & Transport All reviews are ordered in our writers’ preference, starting with their most preferred option. Additionally: Eating and Sleeping reviews are ordered by price range (budget, midrange, top end) and, within these ranges, by writer preference. ON THE ROAD Your complete guide Expert reviews, easy-to-use maps & insider tips. These symbols and abbreviations give vital information for each listing: Must-visit recommendation Sustainable or green recommendation No payment required % Telephone number f Ferry UNDERSTAND h Opening hours j Tram p Parking d Train Get more from your trip n Nonsmoking a pt apartments Learn about the big picture, to a Air-conditioning d double rooms make sense of what you see. i Internet access d m dorm beds W Wi-fi access q quad rooms s Swimming pool r rooms v Vegetarian selection s single rooms E English-language menu ste suites c Family-friendly tr triple rooms # Pet-friendly tw twin rooms g Bus SURVIVAL GUIDE Your at-a-glance reference For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend. Vital practical information for a smooth trip. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Iceland The Westfjords p196 North Iceland p221 East West Iceland Iceland The Highlands p285 p170 p338 Reykjavík p52 Southwest Iceland Southeast & the Golden Circle Iceland p100 p311 THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Carolyn Bain, Alexis Averbuck P LAN ON THE ROAD YOUR TRIP Welcome to Iceland . . . . . 4 REYKJAVÍK . . . . . . . . 52 Upper Borgarfjörður . . . . 178 Iceland Map . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Greater Reykjavík . . . . . . 98 Snæfellsnes Peninsula . . . 181 Stykkishólmur . . . . . . . . . 181 Iceland’s Top 14 . . . . . . . . .8 SOUTHWEST ICELAND Grundarfjörður . . . . . . . . . 186 Need to Know . . . . . . . . . .18 & THE GOLDEN Ólafsvík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . 20 CIRCLE . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Rif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Reykjanes Peninsula . . . 101 Hellissandur . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Blue Lagoon . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Snæfellsjökull National Month by Month . . . . . . . 24 Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Keflavík & Njarðvík Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 (Reykjanesbær) . . . . . . . . 105 Southern Snæfellsnes . . . 191 Grindavík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Dalir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Ring Road Planner . . . . . 36 Reykjanesfólkvangur Eiríksstaðir . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Outdoor Adventures . . . . 38 National Park . . . . . . . . . . 110 Búðardalur . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Regions at a Glance . . . . 48 The Golden Circle . . . . . . 111 Hjarðarholt & Around . . . 195 Þingvellir National Park . . 111 Laugar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Laugarvatn . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Geysir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 THE WESTFJORDS . . . 196 Gullfoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 South Coast . . . . . . . . . 197 MARION FARIA PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IM THÞESFSylohetvóorrleeafalkro áhrkaSskbrsgosesaee . hupkyr .öptkðr .hfiiui . . . n r & . . . . . . . . . . . .A . . . . . .r . . . . . .o . . . . . .u . . . . . .n . . . . . . . . . . .d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111111122222220046335 RFBSLPTáláaoeróljttyukákrrktnaneahhabklsuwóflsjæajnleföarjdsökrgr .tuð ur .ðPru Pr . . . u ere . . . . rnn . . . . . ii . . . . .nn . . . . .ss . . . . .uu . . . . .lla . . . . .a . . . . . . s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222221100009900003771 AGES © Western Þjórsárdalur . . . . 128 Bíldudalur . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Eastern Þjórsárdalur . . . . 134 Central Peninsulas . . . . 204 HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA P59 Hella & Around . . . . . . . . . 136 Þingeyri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Hvolsvöllur & Around . . . . 138 Dýrafjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Skógar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Önundarfjörður . . . . . . . . . 205 Landmannalaugar . . . . . . 146 Flateyri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 JAKKREETHAMPITAKKULL/GETTY IM LÞVVHWaóeíekEusri . msgtS .mma .aTv .öea e .yrIng . .kC n . . .u Ea . . .ri . . .eLn . . .yAn . . .j a . . .NH . . .riD . . . k . . . . .e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111111766465003832 SBÍÍHSssuotoaarðlffruajjnuöannrsrrgdeððtayiraurrarrr vind . .C í . .kjdoú . . . iapr . . .s . . . . .t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222222001111462771 AGES © Hvalfjörður . . . . . . . . . . .171 Hólmavík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Drangsnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Akranes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Bjarnarfjörður . . . . . . . . . . 219 Borgarbyggð . . . . . . . . . .171 JÖKULSÁRLÓN P327 Reykjarfjörður . . . . . . . . . . 219 Borgarnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Norðurfjörður . . . . . . . . . . 220 Contents UNDERSTAND NORTH ICELAND . . . 221 Langanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Iceland Today . . . . . . . .352 Eastern Húnaflói . . . . . . 224 Vopnafjörður & Around . . 283 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 Hrútafjörður . . . . . . . . . . . 224 EAST ICELAND . . . . 285 Natural Wonders . . . . . . 364 Hvammstangi . . . . . . . . . . 224 Vatnsnes Peninsula . . . . . 225 Inland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 Icelandic Culture . . . . . .371 Blönduós . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Egilsstaðir . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 Icelandic Attitudes . . . . . 377 Lagarfljót . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 Western Skagafjörður . . 226 Icelandic Cuisine . . . . .382 Varmahlíð . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Eastern Highlands . . . . . . 294 Öxnadalur . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 The Eastfjords . . . . . . . . 295 Sauðárkrókur . . . . . . . . . . 228 Borgarfjörður Eystri . . . . . 295 SURVIVAL Seyðisfjörður . . . . . . . . . . . 297 GUIDE Tröllaskagi . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Hólar í Hjaltadalur . . . . . . 231 Mjóifjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 Hofsós . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Reyðarfjörður . . . . . . . . . . 302 Directory A–Z . . . . . . . .388 Siglufjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Eskifjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 Ólafsfjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Neskaupstaður . . . . . . . . . 304 Dalvík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 Fáskrúðsfjörður . . . . . . . . 306 Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 Akureyri . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 Stöðvarfjörður . . . . . . . . . 306 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 Goðafoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 The Ring Road: Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 423 Breiðdalsheiði to Mývatn Region . . . . . . .259 Djúpivogur . . . . . . . . . . . 307 Reykjahlíð . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Breiðdalur . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 Eastern Mývatn . . . . . . . . 265 Breiðdalsvík . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 Southern Mývatn . . . . . . . 266 Berufjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 Western Mývatn . . . . . . . . 267 Djúpivogur . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 Northern Mývatn . . . . . . . 268 Krafla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 SOUTHEAST Mývatn to Egilsstaðir ICELAND . . . . . . . . . . 311 (Ring Road) . . . . . . . . . .270 Kirkjubæjarklaustur . . . . . 314 Möðrudalur & Around . . . 270 Lakagígar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 Húsavík . . . . . . . . . . . . .270 The Sandar . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Húsavík to Ásbyrgi . . . . . . 276 Skaftafell (Vatnajökull Jökulsárgljúfur National Park – South) . . 319 (Vatnajökull National Jökulsárlón . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 SPECIAL FEATURES Park – North) . . . . . . . .276 Höfn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 Ring Road Planner . . . . . 36 Ásbyrgi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 Vesturdalur . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 Höfn to Djúpivogur . . . . . 336 Wildlife Watching . . . . . 130 Dettifoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 The Northern Lights . . 156 THE HIGHLANDS . . 338 Northeast Circuit . . . . . 280 Kjölur Route . . . . . . . . . . . 339 Winter Travel . . . . . . . . . 234 Kópasker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 Sprengisandur Route . . . 344 Hot-Pot Hop Itinerary . . . 236 Raufarhöfn . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 Askja Route . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 Rauðanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Fire & Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Kverkfjöll Route . . . . . . . . 349 Þórshöfn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 4 Welcome to Iceland Hitting headlines, topping bucket lists, wooing nature lovers and dazzling increasing numbers of visitors – there seems no end to the talents of this breathtaking northern destination. A Symphony of Elements A Personal Experience Iceland is, literally, a country in the making. The warmth of Icelanders is disarming, as It’s a vast volcanic laboratory where mighty is their industriousness – they’ve worked forces shape the earth: geysers gush, mud- hard to recover from financial upheaval, pots gloop, ice-covered volcanoes rumble and to transform Iceland into a destination and glaciers cut great pathways through that, thanks to its popularity with visitors, the mountains. Its supercharged splendour can host five times its population each year. seems designed to remind visitors of their Pause and consider a medium-sized city in utter insignificance in the greater scheme your country – then give it far-flung univer- of things. And it works a treat: some crisp sities, airports and hospitals to administer, clean air, an eyeful of the cinematic land- 30-odd active volcanoes to monitor, and scapes, and everyone is transfixed. hundreds of hotels to run. How might they cope? Could they manage as well as the The Power of Nature Icelanders – and still have time left over to create spine-tingling music and natty It’s the power of Icelandic nature to turn knitwear? the prosaic into the extraordinary. A dip in a pool becomes a soak in a geothermal Nordic Nirvana lagoon; a casual stroll can transform into a trek across a glittering glacier; and a quiet Don’t for a minute think it’s all about the night of camping may mean front-row seats great outdoors. The counterpoint to so to the aurora borealis’ curtains of fire, or much natural beauty is found in Iceland’s the soft, pinkish hue of the midnight sun. cultural life, which celebrates a literary Iceland has a transformative effect on legacy that stretches from medieval sagas people, too – its sagas turned brutes into to contemporary thrillers by way of Nobel poets, and its stories of huldufólk (hidden Prize winners. Live music is everywhere, people) may make believers out of sceptics. as is visual art, handicrafts and locavore Here you’ll find some of the world’s high- cuisine. The world’s most northerly capital est concentrations of dreamers, authors, is home to the kind of egalitarianism, green artists and musicians, all fuelled by their thinking and effortless style that its Nordic surroundings. brethren are famous for – all of which is wrapped in Iceland’s assured individuality. 5 NATAPONG SUPALERTSOPHON/ GETTY IM AGES © Why I Love Iceland By Carolyn Bain, Writer As I flew north to begin my third circuit of Iceland in four years, I was slightly anxious. The number of visitors to Iceland has doubled in that period, and I feared this might mean a little less magic to go around. At the end of this trip, 6000km later, I’m thrilled to report that the magic levels remain high. It’s found in glorious football victories and Viking chants, kayaking among icebergs, sitting with puffins under the midnight sun and crunching across brand- new lava fields. The locals’ resourcefulness, quirkiness, interconnectedness and warmth is undiminished. My smitten state continues. For more about our writers, see p424 Above: Northern Lights over Jökulsárlón (p327) Iceland Arctic Circle Denmark Strait Tröllaskagi Hornstrandir Ring Road detour with viewpoints galore (p231) Bolungarvík Suðureyri Drangajökull Siglufjörður Ísafjörður Norðurfjörður Skagafjörður Þingeyri Húnaflói Drangey Skagaströnd Bíldudalur Sauðárkrókur Hólmavík Blönduós Patreksfjörður Brjánslækur Hóp Varmahlíð Breiðafjörður Flatey Hvammstangi The Westfjords Majestic stone towers and silent fjords (p196) Búðardalur Stykkishólmur Hellissandur-Rif Grundarfjörður ÓlafsvíkSnæfellsnes Eiriksjökull Hofsjökull (1675m) Langjökull Snæfellsnes Peninsula A microcosm of Iceland's Borgarnes natural highlights (p181) Faxaflói ÞINGVELLIR Akranes NAPTAIORNKAL Geysir Gullfoss Reykjavík Iceland’s unrivalled nightlife REYKJAVÍK headquarters (p86) Fimmvörðuháls Kópavogur Þingvallavatn Gushing waterfalls and a Keflavík steaming eruption site (p144) Hveragerði Njarðvík Hafnarfjörður Selfoss Landmannalaugar Hella Grindavík Þorlákshöfn Selvogsgrunn Blue Lagoon Eyrarbakkabugur Hvolsvöllur Steaming silica cauldron full Mýrdalsjökull of relaxed bathers (p101) Vestmannaeyjar Eyjafjallajökull(1450m) Craggy archipelago and roaring birdlife (p163) N O R T H Skógar A T L A N T I C Heimaey O C E A N VESTMANNAEYJAR Vík Surtsey 0 100 km 0 50 miles Arctic Circle Grímsey Raufarhöfn Húsavík Whale-watching heartland Þistilfjörður and gateway to the unspoilt northeast (p270) Öxarfjörður Þórshöfn Borgarfjörður Eystri Hidden haven for Flatey Bakkaflói puffins and elves (p295) Ólafsfjörður Húsavík Bakkafjörður DalvíkEyjafjörður (VAJTÖNPKAAUJRÖLKKSÁ U–R LNGLOL NRJDATÚeHTFttI)UiOfRoNssAL Vopnafjörður Vopnafjörður Akureyri Reykjahlíð Mývatn Seyðisfjörður Cascades ring the fjord basin of this arty township (p297) Askja Storied volcanic crater, Egilsstaðir Seyðisfjörður part of a remote geological wonderland (p348) Neskaupstaður Eskifjörður Reyðarfjörður Askja Fáskrúðsfjörður Stöðvarfjörður Breiðdalsvík Bárðarbunga (2009m) Djúpivogur Kverkfjöll Grimsvötn (1860m) (1719m) Vatnajökull Stafafell SKAFTAFELL (VATNAJÖKULL NATIONAL PARK – SOUTH) Höfn Hvannadalshnúkur Vatnajökull National Park (2110m) A mammoth ice cap headlines this outstanding Skaftafell national park (p326) Kirkjubæjarklaustur Jökulsárlón ELEVATION Ghost-blue icebergs set adrift in an ethereal lagoon (p327) 1500m 1000m 500m 200m 0 Glacier ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 8 Iceland’s Top 14

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Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.