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[title]What makes a city a city? Or at least, what makes a city a good option for a city break? Good food, an arts and culture scene, vibrant bars, beautiful green spaces, walkable areas – I’m willing to bet these criteria would be on just about anyone’s list.
As my plane descended past snow-shrouded mountains on its approach to Akureyri International Airport, I knew I’d spend the next few days exploring the area’s otherworldly landscapes: thundering waterfalls, crater-filled lava fields, hot springs and steep-sided fjords. What I didn’t expect was that in Akureyri, our base for the trip, I would find a city that, despite its small size, checked off everything on my city break list.
City life
After dropping our bags at the stylish and comfortable Hotel Akureyri, we headed out to explore the city. Located at the bottom of the Eyjafjörðurfjord fjord and known as the capital of North Iceland, it’s home to around 20,000 inhabitants, making it the country’s largest municipality outside of the Reykjavík area.
The city is home to several arts and culture venues, including a concert hall, cinema, bars and the Akureyri Art Museum. When we visited, this surprisingly large gallery space was showing exhibitions from Icelandic and international artists, as well as from local art students. I had to wonder what town of this size in the UK could provide such an opportunity for its emerging artists.
The area had seen a large dump of snow in the days before we arrived and more continued to fall throughout our stay, so I was surprised to see that on Akureyri’s main roads, the pavements were perfectly clear. Round-the-clock gritters, I assumed, but no: the pavements are actually heated via a system that harnesses the country’s plentiful geothermal power, so snow and ice melt on contact. Clever.
A short drive from the city centre took us to the Forest Lagoon, a sleek geothermal spa complete with a Finnish sauna, two outdoor pools (heated to 37C and 40C), a cold plunge pool, and even a swim-up bar. Taking in the views across the fjord whilst luxuriating in the hot pool, piña colada in hand, all while falling snowflakes froze in my hair is an experience not many cities can offer – and not one I’ll soon forget.
Good eats (and great coffee)
On a previous trip to Iceland around ten years ago, I fell in love with pretty much everything the country had to offer, with one notable exception: the food. Blame bad planning or tight budgets, but my culinary experience was unremarkable at best (apart from the night I tried hákarl, or fermented shark, which was memorable for all the wrong reasons).
This trip was the total opposite. On the first night, we ate at the hotel’s restaurant, North. Chef Gunnar Karl Gislason, who won Iceland’s first Michelin star for his Reykjavík restaurant Dill back in 2009, is at the helm here, crafting dishes inspired by the landscape and making the most of local ingredients, with an emphasis on foraging and sustainability. In a restaurant of this pedigree, I expected local ingredients like Arctic char and Icelandic lamb (which had a uniquely gamey flavour, setting it apart from other varieties) to be delicious, but I’ll admit I had my doubts about a dish of tomatoes, ricotta, onion and tarragon. Can you really enjoy flavourful tomatoes this far north in November? Turns out you can, thanks to Iceland’s impressive greenhouse farming, and I was consistently impressed by the quality of fruit and vegetables throughout my stay.
Other culinary highlights included lunch at Vogafjós Restaurant, around an hour’s drive from Akureyri, where we enjoyed a stonking lamb shank as well as geothermal baked rye bread (a little sweeter than the rye bread I’m used to, making it the perfect counterpoint to the smoked trout, char and lamb it was served with). Back in Akureyri, Rub 23 made the most of Iceland’s fresh fish to make exceptional sushi. If you visit, try the sushi pizza; it’s delicious and not nearly as weird as it sounds.
Despite its size, Akureyri had almost all I was looking for in a city break
By my last afternoon, I was convinced that despite its size, Akureyri had almost all I was looking for in a city break. The only thing missing? A really good cup of coffee. A quick Google search led me to Lyst, a café in the botanic gardens. Surrounded by the snow-covered park and accessed via tree-lined paths decorated with glowing festoon lights, this minimalist cabin looked like an illustration on a Christmas card sent by your chicest friend – and I’m happy to report the coffee tasted as good as the space looked.
Further afield
As much as I enjoyed getting to know Akureyri, the real strength of this city is its location, which makes it the perfect jumping-off point to visit some of North Iceland’s most spectacular landscapes. On our first morning, we headed to the Goðafoss waterfall. Almost 30m wide and with a drop of 12m, this otherworldly site certainly lived up to its name, which translates as the ‘Waterfall of the Gods’. Visit later in winter for the chance to see the waterfall ringed with stalactites, the water freezing as it passes over the edge.
An hour outside of Akureyri lies Lake Mývatn, which spans some 14 square miles and was created around 2,300 years ago as a result of a volcanic eruption. Although frozen over during my visit, most of the year the area teems with wildlife of all kinds (it’s particularly popular with birdwatchers, who can expect to see a wide variety of species). Volcanic activity has left its spectacular mark on this area: one side of Lake Myvatn is pockmarked by pseudocraters, caused by gas explosions which ignited when boiling lava flowed over the wetlands after a volcanic eruption; and at the nearby Dimmuborgir lava field, towering pillars of black lava look like the ruins of some ill-fated ancient city.
On our last full day, we set out on a whale watching cruise from Hauganes, a little further up the fjord from Akureyri. Summer is the ideal time to see whales in the area, as many migrate here to feed in the sheltered, nutrient-rich waters, but that didn’t stop us from spotting three humpbacks, who put on a playful display just metres from our boat. When the captain played Celine Dion over the tannoy the whales emerged one last time, apparently called back to the surface by the siren song of ‘My Heart Will Go On’ – a hallucinatory highlight of my time exploring this surreal and beautiful part of the world.
Can you see the northern lights from Akureyri?
Yes, you can see the northern lights from Akureyri, but your chances of seeing some truly spectacular colours increase if you head out of town, since light pollution can affect the visibility of the lights. There are a number of tour operators that run Northern Lights tours from Akureyri and the surrounding area.
What is the best time of year to visit Akureyri?
Visit in winter for the best chances of catching the northern lights, as well as for winter activities including snowshoeing and snowmobiling. Skiers can get their fix just ten minutes from the centre of Akureyri at Hlíðarfjall ski area, with extensive cross-country tracks and views across Eyjafjörðurfjord.
In the summer you can enjoy an incredible 23 hours of sunlight a day, giving you all the more time to enjoy the cycling, hiking, whale watching, horseriding and river rafting on offer in the area.
Olivia Simpson travelled to Akureyri with Visit North Iceland and flew from London Gatwick with easyJet. Our reviews and recommendations have been editorially independent since 1968. For more, see our editorial guidelines.
Flights run from London Gatwick to Akureyri up to two days a week, with fares from £37.17* per person (one-way, including taxes). easyJet flies from Manchester to Akureyri throughout the winter, with fares starting from £28.17 per person.
*Price valid on 22/11/2024 for travel dates from 01/03/25 – 29/03-25