At first glance, the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik is not exactly the world’s most interesting port of call. But The Luxury Cruise Company’s Jacqui Ridler, our guest writer, has just come back from a cruise there and had a fantastic time.
Here are her Top Ten things to do.
Visit the Geysir “Strokkur” (or “the churn”). It erupts about every six minutes. You can see it filling up and bubbling, then it erupts – reaching heights of up to 60 feet
See the Gullfoss Waterfall. Very spectacular; some say as good as Niagara Falls. You can walk so close to the edge you can feel the mist of the glacial water
Nesjavvellir is a high temperature, geothermal, area with amazing views of the scenic landscape of Lake Pingvalavatn. They send boiling hot water from here back into the Reykjavik to provide heating.
Pingvellir National Park. This is where the Icelandic parliament was founded in 930 AD. Geologically remarkable because of the two tectonic plate boundaries.
Take the “Golden Circle” tour, on which you will see all the above in an 8-hour trip.
Spend some time at the famous Blue Lagoon, a unique geothermal spa in the youngest lava field in West Iceland. You can bathe in the milky blue water or get massage and spa treatments.
Go midnight whale watching. Great if you are in port overnight during June as it never gets dark (there are also day trips). You can see minke and humpback whales, harbor porpoises and dolphins, all in their native environment. Bird watchers can also see puffin, Arctic tern and puffins.
Journey to the South East and visit the largest glacier in Europe at Vatnajokull National Park.
See a Volcano up close: you can go inside the dormant Prihnukagigur volcano or hike across Fimmvorouhals (5-6 hours). Here you can travel between two glaciers and experience warm lava from 2010
Visit the town centre and experience the local history. Reykjavik also has a lively nightlife if you are in port overnight (check what time the last shuttle goes back to the ship)
If you fancy a cruise to Iceland, contact www.theluxurycruisecompany.com. Meanwhile, we look forward to Jacqui’s next journey.
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