Surviving Iceland

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland with about 120.000 inhabitants (200.000 in the greater Reykjavik area). Anything you need can be found in this tiny "big city" so it should suit just about anybody really. A lot of museums can be found in the city centre, swimming pools and even a white sandy beach with warm water pumping into the cold sea constantly! Whale- and puffinwatching can be done from the city harbour and all major sight seeing tours go from the main bus terminal, most of them during the course of a half to a full day. The main shopping street in the City centre, Laugavegur, is a must to visit when in Reykjavik; with its quaint little shops, cafés, restaurants and colourful night life. Just taking a seat on a bench on laugavegur or one of the down town squares can be quite the experience; Children, business men, tourists, trendy hipsters and bumbs all come together in peace and harmony in Austurvöllur park on a sunny day, one of the few places in Reykjavik where you can keep a hat on without having to worry about it getting blown away by the persistant icelandic wind.

If you really want to get to know the locals, get to the heart of the Reykjavik, we stronly suggest the Reykjavik night life. Icelandic people tend to loosen up when they've had a few drinks in them and the locals in Reykjavik are no exception. Browse through the bar section of Surviving Iceland and find places that you think would be to your liking. Go there around 11 pm and just start chatting with someone. Have fun :)

Places of interest in the greater Reykjavik area: