For an Iceland city that was just a quiet village at the turn of the century, Reykjavík has all the trappings of a modern European metropolis: an award-winning symphony orchestra, an opera company, a national ballet, shopping malls, a slew of great restaurants, and a number of art galleries. Still, with a population of only 170,000, this capital city is dwarfed by many U.S. suburbs. But that's just fine with Icelanders; although Reykjavík has its feet firmly planted in the 21st century, its residents haven't lost their cozy seaside village mentality.

Reykjavík is a strolling city. All city center attractions are within walking distance from each other, making for a relaxed tour at your own pace. Start with the Old Town, with its grassy plaza surrounded by outdoor cafes, brightly colored houses, and whitewashed buildings. From there, walk to the Tjörn, a peaceful lake that's still a breeding habitat for 40 species of birds. If you have an interest in Viking relics, explore the nearby National Museum. Its exhibits include a 13th-century wooden church door carved to depict the story of a knight who slays a dragon.

A tour of Reykjavík is not complete without a visit to two of its most controversial structures: Hallgrímskirkja and Perlan. Completed in 1974, the imposing Hallgrímskirkja church dominates the city with its tower designed to resemble a column of lava. Comments on this bizarre structure range from "breathtaking" to "evil-looking," but the view from the top of the 246-foot tower is unequivocally lovely.

South of Hallgrímskirkja and set atop a hill, glass-domed Perlan ("the pearl") would send alternate-life-form believers into a tizzy at first glance. This spacecraft-like building is actually a revolving restaurant, and below it are huge silver hot water tanks, which supply half the city's water. And for a little kitsch, a nearby fountain "erupts" every five minutes. You know, like a geyser.

Reykjavík has a number of geothermally heated swimming pools in the city proper, but a quick jaunt west to the world-famous Blue Lagoon is well worth the effort. The Blue Lagoon thankfully has nothing to do with that regrettable Brooke Shields movie of the same name. Rather, it's a man-made reservoir of milky-blue water that has recently become known as a health spa. The nearby Svartsengi power plant pumps mineral-rich water from a mile below ground level to provide electricity and heat to residents, and the pollution-free run-off is captured in the lagoon. It makes for a striking scene: Black volcanic rock rings the steaming, light-blue lagoon dotted with Icelanders wearing floaties and lounging on rafts, while an industrial power plant drones on nearby.

Reykjavík is the world's northernmost capital

The idea is to wade into the soothing 104° water, scoop up the creamy white silica mud from the bottom, and smear it all over your face and hands. Yes, you'll look silly, but so will everyone else, and you'll never have softer skin. More impressive is the lagoon's reputation as a treatment for eczema, psoriasis, and arthritis, which attracts hopeful sufferers from around the world. To accommodate the influx of visitors, the Blue Lagoon has seen recent developments: There are changing rooms, a treatment center, and a guesthouse, and floating tables serve cocktails and dinner that you can eat with your pruned fingers.

Iceland boasts many waterfalls, but somehow you never stop gasping at the sight of yet another one. Gullfoss ("golden falls"), in south central Iceland, is particularly enchanting. The River Hvítá drops over a cliff, changes direction, and plunges over another into a 1.5-mile ravine, for a total drop of 105 feet. Two-tiered Gullfoss produces a drenching spray, so be sure to wear a raincoat as you're scrambling along the hiking trails surrounding the falls. And if the sun's shining, the spray becomes a canvas for a rainbow.

A dirt road surrounding the lake leads you to the bubbling, steaming, and starkly beautiful landscapes you'd expect of a volcanically active region. Eldhraun ("fire lava") is the barren, lifeless aftermath of a volcanic eruption in the 1720s. So lunaresque is its topography that NASA sent its Apollo 11 crew there for moonwalk training in the late '60s. Dimmuborgir, on the east side of the lake, is a sprawling 2,000-year-old field of black volcanic pillars, some as high as 65 feet. You can explore the caves and arches of this perfect science-fiction movie set, including an inexplicable 16-foot-wide hole in the middle of a lava formation.

Farther north, columns of steam rise from Hverarönd's famous boiling and bubbling mud pits, making for a truly infernal scene. Víti ("hell"), a nearby hot spring that popped up in 1,050-foot-wide explosion crater, is a much cooler bathing alternative at a comfortable 72°.

Some of the best hiking in Iceland can be found in the remote Jökulsÿrgljúfur National Park. The park's 58 square miles are replete with hiking trails, small waterfalls, campsites, and surprisingly lush greenery. Vikings believed that Ásbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped canyon, was formed by the powerful stomp of Sleipnir, the god Odin's flying horse. Conventional wisdom attests that a glacial flow from an eruption under an icecap created the canyon.

From the canyon, it's a two-day hike south along the Jökulsÿ ÿ Fjöllum River to Dettifoss, Europes' most powerful waterfall. Along the way, there are tasty wildberries to pick, and stone forests, green valleys, and barren desert to explore. Dettifoss' spray is visible from more than a mile away, and its thunderous roar is audible soon after. A scramble over lava rock brings the awesome falls into view, which spill nearly 132,000 gallons of water every second.

Horseback Riding

Icelandic horses are a national passion. When the Vikings came over from Norway in the 9th century, they brought with them a group of short, stocky, thick-maned horses and soon banned further horse importation. More than one thousand years later, the breed seen running wild in the countryside is still pure. Riding these horses is particularly kind on the rear end: Icelandic horses have a unique gait called a tölt that's much smoother than the usual bumpy trot. Sure-footed and handsome, Icelandic horses have been the preferred mode of transportation for centuries.

In the cold, clear waters of the North Atlantic, a successful whale-watching expedition is almost guaranteed. Orcas (killer whales), minkes, and humpbacks congregate in the shallow waters off Iceland's shores, most notably near Húsavík, a tiny northern fishing town. Although the town is well known for its excellent whale watching, it hasn't become an overly touristed area. Only four small boats are reserved for whale-watching expeditions.

Birders flock to Iceland for its prolific array of seabirds. Best viewed by boat, cacophonous colonies of puffins, razorbills, arctic terns, and gannets, squawk endlessly on sea cliffs. Puffins, Iceland's national bird, breed on the sea cliffs of the Westmann Islands in southern Iceland. Their endearingly clown-like beaks and their awkward, stumpy wings make them a favorite with birders. But that doesn't stop Icelanders from eating the ungainly birds: Puffin is a popular dish in the country's gourmet restaurants.

Introduction


• Iceland: Where to Go
  
  
• Iceland: Culture & Cuisine
  
  
• Featured Trips to Iceland