Lonely Planet Iceland PDF
Preview Lonely Planet Iceland
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 PDF PDF © 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’. These symbols and abbreviations give vital information for each listing: Must-visit recommendation Sustainable or green recommendation No payment required 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. % Telephone number h Opening hours p Parking n Nonsmoking a Air-conditioning i Internet access W Wi-fi access s Swimming pool v Vegetarian selection E English-language menu c Family-friendly # Pet-friendly g Bus f Ferry j Tram d Train apt apartments d double rooms dm dorm beds q quad rooms r rooms s single rooms ste suites tr triple rooms tw twin rooms For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend. Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings: How to use this book 1 Sights r Beaches 2 Activities C Courses T Tours z Festivals & Events 4 Sleeping 5 Eating 6 Drinking 3 Entertainment 7 Shopping 8 Information & Transport 4 easy-to-use sections PLAN YOUR TRIP Your planning tool kit Photos & suggestions to help you create the perfect trip. ON THE ROAD Your complete guide Expert reviews, easy-to-use maps & insider tips. UNDERSTAND Get more from your trip Learn about the big picture, to make sense of what you see. SURVIVAL GUIDE Your at-a-glance reference Vital practical information for a smooth trip. THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Carolyn Bain, Alexis Averbuck Iceland The Westfjords p196 Iceland West p170 Reykjavík p52 & the Golden Circle Southwest Iceland p100 Iceland Southeast p311 Iceland East p285 The Highlands p338 North Iceland p221 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Welcome to Iceland . . . . . 4 Iceland Map . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Iceland’s Top 14 . . . . . . . . .8 Need to Know . . . . . . . . . .18 What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . 20 If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Month by Month . . . . . . . 24 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Ring Road Planner . . . . . 36 Outdoor Adventures . . . . 38 Regions at a Glance . . . . 48 REYKJAVÍK . . . . . . . . 52 Greater Reykjavík . . . . . . 98 SOUTHWEST ICELAND & THE GOLDEN CIRCLE . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Reykjanes Peninsula . . . 101 Blue Lagoon . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Keflavík & Njarðvík (Reykjanesbær) . . . . . . . . 105 Grindavík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Reykjanesfólkvangur National Park . . . . . . . . . . 110 The Golden Circle . . . . . . 111 Þingvellir National Park . .111 Laugarvatn . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Geysir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Gullfoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 The South . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Hveragerði & Around . . . . 120 Þorlákshöfn . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Eyrarbakki . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Stokkseyri . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Flóahreppur . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Selfoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Western Þjórsárdalur . . . . 128 Eastern Þjórsárdalur . . . . 134 Hella & Around . . . . . . . . . 136 Hvolsvöllur & Around . . . . 138 Skógar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Landmannalaugar . . . . . . 146 Laugavegurinn Hike . . . . 148 Þórsmörk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Vík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Vestmannaeyjar . . . . . . 163 Heimaey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 WEST ICELAND . . . . 170 Hvalfjörður . . . . . . . . . . .171 Akranes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Borgarbyggð . . . . . . . . . .171 Borgarnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Upper Borgarfjörður . . . . 178 Snæfellsnes Peninsula . . .181 Stykkishólmur . . . . . . . . . 181 Grundarfjörður . . . . . . . . . 186 Ólafsvík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Rif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Hellissandur . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Snæfellsjökull National Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Southern Snæfellsnes . . . 191 Dalir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Eiríksstaðir . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Búðardalur . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Hjarðarholt & Around . . . 195 Laugar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 THE WESTFJORDS . . . 196 South Coast . . . . . . . . . 197 Reykhólar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Flókalundur . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Brjánslækur . . . . . . . . . . . .200 Southwest Peninsulas . .200 Látrabjarg Peninsula . . . .200 Patreksfjörður . . . . . . . . . . 201 Tálknafjörður . . . . . . . . . . .203 Bíldudalur . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 Central Peninsulas . . . . 204 Þingeyri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Dýrafjörður . . . . . . . . . . . .205 Önundarfjörður . . . . . . . . .205 Flateyri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 Suðureyri . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 Ísafjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 Bolungarvík . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Ísafjarðardjúp . . . . . . . . . . 212 Hornstrandir . . . . . . . . . 214 Strandir Coast . . . . . . . 217 Hólmavík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Drangsnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Bjarnarfjörður . . . . . . . . . . 219 Reykjarfjörður . . . . . . . . . . 219 Norðurfjörður . . . . . . . . . .220 PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD MARION FARIA PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES © HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA P59 JAKKREETHAMPITAKKULL/GETTY IMAGES © JÖKULSÁRLÓN P327 Contents NORTH ICELAND . . . 221 Eastern Húnaflói . . . . . . 224 Hrútafjörður . . . . . . . . . . .224 Hvammstangi . . . . . . . . . .224 Vatnsnes Peninsula . . . . .225 Blönduós . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Western Skagafjörður . . 226 Varmahlíð . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Öxnadalur . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 Sauðárkrókur . . . . . . . . . .228 Tröllaskagi . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Hólar í Hjaltadalur . . . . . . 231 Hofsós . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Siglufjörður . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Ólafsfjörður . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Dalvík . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Akureyri . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Goðafoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258 Mývatn Region . . . . . . . 259 Reykjahlíð . . . . . . . . . . . . .263 Eastern Mývatn . . . . . . . .265 Southern Mývatn . . . . . . .266 Western Mývatn . . . . . . . . 267 Northern Mývatn . . . . . . .268 Krafla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269 Mývatn to Egilsstaðir (Ring Road) . . . . . . . . . . 270 Möðrudalur & Around . . . 270 Húsavík . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 Húsavík to Ásbyrgi . . . . . . 276 Jökulsárgljúfur (Vatnajökull National Park – North) . . . . . . . . 276 Ásbyrgi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 Vesturdalur . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 Dettifoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280 Northeast Circuit . . . . . 280 Kópasker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 Raufarhöfn . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 Rauðanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282 Þórshöfn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282 Langanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283 Vopnafjörður & Around . .283 EAST ICELAND . . . . 285 Inland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 Egilsstaðir . . . . . . . . . . . . .288 Lagarfljót . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 Eastern Highlands . . . . . .294 The Eastfjords . . . . . . . . 295 Borgarfjörður Eystri . . . . .295 Seyðisfjörður . . . . . . . . . . . 297 Mjóifjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . .302 Reyðarfjörður . . . . . . . . . .302 Eskifjörður . . . . . . . . . . . . .303 Neskaupstaður . . . . . . . . .304 Fáskrúðsfjörður . . . . . . . .306 Stöðvarfjörður . . . . . . . . .306 The Ring Road: Breiðdalsheiði to Djúpivogur . . . . . . . . . . . 307 Breiðdalur . . . . . . . . . . . . .307 Breiðdalsvík . . . . . . . . . . . .308 Berufjörður . . . . . . . . . . . .308 Djúpivogur . . . . . . . . . . . . .309 SOUTHEAST ICELAND . . . . . . . . . .311 Kirkjubæjarklaustur . . . . . 314 Lakagígar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 The Sandar . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Skaftafell (Vatnajökull National Park – South) . . 319 Jökulsárlón . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 Höfn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333 Höfn to Djúpivogur . . . . .336 THE HIGHLANDS . . 338 Kjölur Route . . . . . . . . . . .339 Sprengisandur Route . . .344 Askja Route . . . . . . . . . . . .346 Kverkfjöll Route . . . . . . . .349 Iceland Today . . . . . . . . 352 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 Natural Wonders . . . . . . 364 Icelandic Culture . . . . . .371 Icelandic Attitudes . . . . .377 Icelandic Cuisine . . . . . 382 SURVIVAL GUIDE Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . 388 Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 423 UNDERSTAND SPECIAL FEATURES Ring Road Planner . . . . . 36 Wildlife Watching . . . . . 130 The Northern Lights . . 156 Winter Travel . . . . . . . . . 234 Hot-Pot Hop Itinerary . . .236 Fire & Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 A Symphony of Elements Iceland is, literally, a country in the making. It’s a vast volcanic laboratory where mighty forces shape the earth: geysers gush, mud- pots gloop, ice-covered volcanoes rumble and glaciers cut great pathways through the mountains. Its supercharged splendour seems designed to remind visitors of their utter insignificance in the greater scheme of things. And it works a treat: some crisp clean air, an eyeful of the cinematic land- scapes, and everyone is transfixed. The Power of Nature It’s the power of Icelandic nature to turn the prosaic into the extraordinary. A dip in a pool becomes a soak in a geothermal lagoon; a casual stroll can transform into a trek across a glittering glacier; and a quiet night of camping may mean front-row seats to the aurora borealis’ curtains of fire, or the soft, pinkish hue of the midnight sun. Iceland has a transformative effect on people, too – its sagas turned brutes into poets, and its stories of huldufólk (hidden people) may make believers out of sceptics. Here you’ll find some of the world’s high- est concentrations of dreamers, authors, artists and musicians, all fuelled by their surroundings. A Personal Experience The warmth of Icelanders is disarming, as is their industriousness – they’ve worked hard to recover from financial upheaval, and to transform Iceland into a destination that, thanks to its popularity with visitors, can host five times its population each year. Pause and consider a medium-sized city in your country – then give it far-flung univer- sities, airports and hospitals to administer, 30-odd active volcanoes to monitor, and hundreds of hotels to run. How might they cope? Could they manage as well as the Icelanders – and still have time left over to create spine-tingling music and natty knitwear? Nordic Nirvana Don’t for a minute think it’s all about the great outdoors. The counterpoint to so much natural beauty is found in Iceland’s cultural life, which celebrates a literary legacy that stretches from medieval sagas to contemporary thrillers by way of Nobel Prize winners. Live music is everywhere, as is visual art, handicrafts and locavore cuisine. The world’s most northerly capital is home to the kind of egalitarianism, green thinking and effortless style that its Nordic brethren are famous for – all of which is wrapped in Iceland’s assured individuality. 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. 4 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd NATAPONG SUPALERTSOPHON/ GETTY IMAGES © 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 5 Above: Northern Lights over Jökulsárlón (p327) Skagafjörður Húnaflói Breiðafjörður Faxaflói Selvogsgrunn N O R T H A T L A N T I C O C E A N Eyrarbakkabugur Denmark Strait Sauðárkrókur Blönduós Skagaströnd Norðurfjörður Suðureyri Þingeyri Ísafjörður Brjánslækur Hólmavík Bolungarvík Siglufjörður Hvammstangi Búðardalur Stykkishólmur Grundarfjörður Geysir Landmannalaugar Hella Selfoss Hveragerði Borgarnes Akranes Kópavogur REYKJAVÍK Hafnarfjörður Keflavík Njarðvík Hvolsvöllur Vík Heimaey Skógar Þorlákshöfn Grindavík Ólafsvík Hellissandur-Rif Bíldudalur Patreksfjörður Varmahlíð PARK ÞINGVELLIR NATIONAL Arctic Circle Hóp Þingvallavatn Drangey Surtsey VESTMANNAEYJAR Flatey Hornstrandir Drangajökull Snæfellsnes Langjökull Hofsjökull Eyjafjallajökull Mýrdalsjökull Gullfoss Eiriksjökull (1675m) (1450m) Blue Lagoon Steaming silica cauldron full of relaxed bathers (p101) Iceland Tröllaskagi Ring Road detour with viewpoints galore (p231) Vestmannaeyjar Craggy archipelago and roaring birdlife (p163) Reykjavík Iceland’s unrivalled nightlife headquarters (p86) Snæfellsnes Peninsula A microcosm of Iceland's natural highlights (p181) The Westfjords Majestic stone towers and silent fjords (p196) Fimmvörðuháls Gushing waterfalls and a steaming eruption site (p144) Þistilfjörður Öxarfjörður Bakkaflói Vopnafjörður Eyjafjörður Raufarhöfn Bakkafjörður Húsavík Reykjahlíð Vopnafjörður Þórshöfn Eskifjörður Egilsstaðir Reyðarfjörður Seyðisfjörður Neskaupstaður Stöðvarfjörður Breiðdalsvík Fáskrúðsfjörður Djúpivogur Höfn Stafafell Skaftafell Ólafsfjörður Dalvík Akureyri Kirkjubæjarklaustur PARK – NORTH) (VATNAJÖKULL NATIONAL JÖKULSÁRGLJÚFUR SKAFTAFELL PARK – SOUTH) (VATNAJÖKULL NATIONAL Arctic Circle Mývatn Grímsey Flatey Askja Vatnajökull (1860m) (1719m) Grimsvötn (2009m) Bárðarbunga Kverkfjöll (2110m) Hvannadalshnúkur Dettifoss Borgarfjörður Eystri Hidden haven for puffins and elves (p295) Vatnajökull National Park A mammoth ice cap headlines this outstanding national park (p326) Jökulsárlón Ghost-blue icebergs set adrift in an ethereal lagoon (p327) Seyðisfjörður Cascades ring the fjord basin of this arty township (p297) Askja Storied volcanic crater, part of a remote geological wonderland (p348) Húsavík Whale-watching heartland and gateway to the unspoilt northeast (p270) 200m 500m 1000m 1500m 0 ELEVATION Glacier 100 km 50 miles 0 0 Iceland’s Top 14 8 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Getting into Hot Water 1 Iceland’s unofficial pastime is splash- ing around in its surplus of geothermal water. You’ll find ‘hot-pots’ everywhere, from downtown Reykjavík to the isolated peninsular tips of the Westfjords. Not only are they incredibly relaxing, they’re the perfect antidote to a hangover and a great way to meet the locals (this is their social hub, the equivalent of the local pub or town square). The Blue Lagoon (p101) is the big cheese: its steaming lagoon full of silica deposits sits conveniently close to Keflavík airport, making it the perfect send-off before flying home. Below left: Blue Lagoon Northern Lights 2 Everyone longs to glimpse the Northern Lights (p156), the celestial kaleidoscope known for transforming long winter nights into natural lava lamps. The lights, also known as aurora borealis, form when solar flares are drawn by the earth’s magnetic field towards the North Pole. What results are ethereal veils of green, white, violet or red light, shimmering and dancing in a display not unlike silent fireworks. A good deal of luck is involved in seeing them, but look for the lights in clear, dark skies anytime between mid- September and mid-April. NATTHAWAT/GETTY IMAGES © SERGEY DIDENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK © 9 JOHNATHAN AMPERSAND ESPER/GETTY IMAGES © NICK TSIATINIS/GETTY IMAGES © 3 4 10 PLAN YOUR TRIP ICEL AND’S TOP 14 Westfjords 3 Iceland’s sweeping spectrum of super- lative nature comes to a dramatic climax in the Westfjords (p196) – the island’s off-the-beaten-path adventure par excellence. Broad, multi-hued beaches flank the southern coast, roaring bird colonies abound, fjordheads tower above and then plunge into the deep, and a network of ruddy roads twists through- out, adding an extra edge of adventure. The region’s uppermost peninsula, Hornstrandir, is the final frontier; its sea cliffs are perilous, the Arctic foxes are foxier, and hiking trails amble through pristine patches of wilderness that practically kiss the Arctic Circle. Top left: Hornbjarg sea cliffs (p216) Jökulsárlón 4 A ghostly procession of luminous-blue icebergs drifts serenely through the 25-sq-km Jökulsárlón (p327) lagoon before floating out to sea. This surreal scene (handily, right next to the Ring Road) is a natural film set: in fact, you might have seen it in Batman Begins and the James Bond film Die Another Day. The ice calves come from Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, an offshoot of the mighty Vatnajökull ice cap. Boat trips among the bergs are popular, or you can simply wander the lakeshore, scout for seals and exhaust your cam- era’s memory card. Driving the Ring Road 5 There’s no better way to explore Ice- land than to hire a set of wheels and road-trip Rte 1, affectionately known as the Ring Road (p36). This 1330km tarmac trail loops around the island, pass- ing through verdant dales decked with waterfalls, glacier tongues dripping from ice caps like frosting from a cake, desert-like plains of grey outwash sands, and velvety, moss- covered lava fields. It’s supremely spectacular – but don’t forget to detour. Use the Ring Road as your main artery and follow the veins as they splinter off into the wilderness. Above: Ring Road passing through Skaftafell (p319) PETER DUCHEK/500PX © 5 11 PLAN YOUR TRIP ICEL AND’S TOP 14 Tröllaskagi Peninsula 6 Touring Tröllaskagi (p231) is a joy, especially now that road tunnels link the spectacularly sited townships of Siglufjörður and Ólafsfjörður, once end-of- the-road settlements. Pit stops with pulling power include Hofsós’ perfect fjordside swimming pool, Lónkot’s fine local produce and Siglufjörður’s outstanding herring museum. You’ll find glorious panoramas, quality hiking, ski fields (including a growing trade in heliskiing), microbreweries, whale- watching tours, and ferries to offshore islands Grímsey and Hrísey. Below left: Swimming pool at Hofsós (p232) Snæfellsnes Peninsula 7 With its cache of wild beaches, bird sanctuaries, horse farms and lava fields, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula (p181) is one of Iceland’s best escapes – either as a day trip from the capital or as a relaxing long weekend. It’s little wonder it’s called ‘Iceland in miniature’ – it even hosts a national park and glacier-topped strato- volcano. Jules Verne was definitely onto something when he used Snæfellsjökull’s icy crown as his magical doorway to the centre of the earth. Below right: Icelandic horse SANTIAGO URQUIJO/GETTY IMAGES © 7 HORSTGERLACH/GETTY IMAGES © 6 12 PLAN YOUR TRIP ICEL AND’S TOP 14 Reykjavík’s Cafe Culture & Beer Bars 8 Petite Reykjavík boasts all the treats you’d expect of a European capital – excellent museums and shopping – but the city’s ratio of coffeehouses to citizens is staggering. In fact, the local social culture is built around such low-key hang-outs that crank up the intensity after hours, when tea is swapped for tipples and the dance moves are broken out. Handcrafted caffeine hits and designer microbrews are prepared with the utmost seriousness for accidental hipsters sporting well-worn lopapeysur (Icelandic woollen sweaters). Vatnajökull National Park 9 Europe’s largest national park covers nearly 14% of Iceland and safeguards mighty Vatnajökull (p326), the largest ice cap outside the poles (it’s three times the size of Luxembourg). Scores of outlet gla- ciers flow down from its frosty bulk, while underneath it are active volcanoes and mountain peaks. Yes, this is ground zero for those ‘fire and ice’ clichés. You’ll be spell- bound by the diversity of landscapes, walk- ing trails and activities inside this super sized park. Given its dimensions, access points are numerous – start at Skaftafell in the south or Ásbyrgi in the north. Above: Fjallsárlón (p327) MICHAEL ZYSMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK © CHRIS MELLOR/GETTY IMAGES © 8 9 13 PLAN YOUR TRIP ICEL AND’S TOP 14
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