REYKJAVIK – I found Iceland’s capital to be clean and compact. There’s a quaint, charming feel one gets when wandering about that creates an instant good mood. We found the architecture to be modern and colorful, with some historical pieces contrasting nicely throughout the town.
Hallgrimskirkja church is one of those pieces.
Known for having one of the best aerial views of Reykjavik, we couldn’t resist stopping by for a photoshoot before the sun went down. No disappointments here! I love how the sunlight tints the mountains into a blush pink. This was a common occurrence we witnessed throughout Iceland and I was blown away every time.
Having read about the magnificent firework display Reykjavik puts on, we decided to spend New Year’s Eve in this adorable city. The hardest part was deciding where to “camp out” for the evening. We selected The Pearl as our home base, a circular, upscale restaurant that doubles as a great firework watching spot due to the epic 360 city views. Man, were the fireworks booming. As we made our rounds along The Pearl perimeter, fireworks could be seen blasting into the sky from every direction. They were nonstop, going on for hours. We arrived around 9 pm and stayed until 12:30 am. The only time there was even the slightest lull was from about 11 to 11:30, as this is when the annual New Year’s Eve show, Áramótaskaupið, airs on every Icelandic television.
We made our return to Reykjavik on the evening of January 2nd. On New Year’s Eve we stayed at an AirBnB in the downtown area, but this time we opted for a lovely place about 10 minutes further out. Our plan was to check-in and then head to one of the neighboring “swimming pools” for a dip in a hot spring or two. We chose Árbæjarlaug due to the superb online reviews, the variety of hot springs, and the convenient location. Don’t let the “swimming pool” name fool you! Yes, there is a lap pool and a water slide, but the main draws are the five, OUTDOOR hot springs one can enjoy in a range of temperatures (from warm to boiling). There’s nothing like the crisp, chill air sweeping across your face while submerging the rest of your body in pure warmth! I can honestly say that this was the most authentic thing we did throughout our trip. As we tub hopped, it was obvious this was THE place where natives go to relax. Not a tourist spot, just a local hangout. We were surrounded by friendly Icelandic chatter, with families and singles alike indulging in the soothing mineral waters. We left Árbæjarlaug pruned, relaxed, and happy.
Our last taste of Reykjavik consisted of strolling around downtown in the gorgeous daylight the following morning. It wasn’t too windy, so Nick could get some focused, unrushed drone footage alongside the river. We then proceeded to simply soak in the scenery and revisit a bird fiesta that we had driven by a few days prior. The feathered, feisty group made for great photography and film subjects!
The birds were headquartered on a frozen lake, so after they got dull, we went for a walk around to engorge on more picturesque views.
We concluded our daytime exploration by hitting up a place on my “must eat” list. Baejarins Beztu Pylsur is the most popular hot dog joint in town. It’s an old food cart (about ¼ the size of a food truck) with two guys squeezed inside. One’s cooking the dogs, the other’s taking your money. From a décor standpoint, well Baejarins Beztu Pylsur have much. In fact, Baejarins Beztu is located on the only ugly corner of downtown that we witnessed. (Although in all fairness, there was construction going on). But all appearances aside, as soon as you taste their hot dogs, you’ll immediately understand why the line is so long. We each had “the works,” basically the Icelandic classic (ketchup, sweet mustard, fried onion, raw onion, and remoulade) and our only regret was that we didn’t each get two! At only 3.50 Krona per dog, they’re delicious AND a bargain.
Beautiful, compact, and clean, with great eats and friendly vibes, don’t pass up an opportunity to explore Reykjavik. One or two days is all you really need to fall for this cute capital city. My truest Reykjavik thoughts… What’s not to love?
When You Wander 