About Reykjavik

The name means ‘Smoky (or Steamy) Bay’ but these days the Icelandic capital Reykjavik is even hotter than that. Its reputation now as a truly cultural, cosmopolitan city, with great restaurants and lively nightlife, has made it a hugely popular destination.

Another big attraction is the opportunity to swim in open-air pools heated by the very geothermal springs that inspired Reykjavik’s name.

Not that Reykjavik - or most of Iceland for that matter - is actually icy at all. It may be the most northerly capital in the world and in the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’, but if you want ice, you have to travel away from the capital on one of the exciting glacier safari tours. But the most popular destination remains the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, where minerals bubble up from 5,000ft below the earth’s surface.