Travel Guide: Iceland

Iceland has been on my list of places I’d like to go for a few years now (it’s so trendy, y’all), so I jumped at the opportunity to stop there for a day on the way back from London over the weekend. I quickly realized that as a not particularly outdoorsy person, I wouldn’t need much more than a day in Iceland.

If I had been there a second day, I would have liked to do a trek out to the glaciers that are about 3 hours from Reykjavik, but in just about 24 hours I got to take a dip in the Blue Lagoon, strolled around artsy and quirky Reykjavik, saw vistas that looked straight out of outer space, drove part of the picturesque Golden Circle, and stood at the division of the European and North American tectonic plates.

We stayed at the Rey Apartments which had a perfectly clean lined and contemporary aesthetic. Exactly what one would expect in Iceland. Reykjavik is a much smaller city than I anticipated, so everything was
in walking distance of the apartments. Restaurants, coffee shops, and shopping dot the city’s landscape and street art appears at every turn.

The only sit down meal I had in Iceland was at a restaurant, Fish Market, which had been recommended by a friend, and while it wasn’t traditional Icelandic food—no fermented shark for me—it had wonderfully cozy ambiance and was a great find in a city not known for catering to foodies. I heard tell of the partying scene in Reykjavik, but had no concept of what that really meant. However, the idea of an after dinner drink quickly dissolved when my friend and I walked past a seemingly normal man in a blazer…drinking
straight out of a bottle of Captain Morgan’s (really, bro?) and stumbling down the street. We were just not going to get on that level, especially with my plan to go out and take pictures early the next morning before setting out to explore the areas outside the city and find those adorable Icelandic horses—which we did, quite successfully.

My tips for a trip to Iceland? Definitely rent a car and be prepared for a lot of driving. Eat an Icelandic hot dog, even if it’s just in the airport rather than as a traditional late night dish. Pay a few more dollars for the Blue Lagoon package that includes the robe and towel. And, if you’re a type A person, be prepared to slow down a bit.