Hotels Reykjavik
Geography of Reykjavik
    
Reykjavik, the world's northernmost capital, lies on a small peninsula on the
southwest coast of Iceland, off a sizeable bay called Faxaflói. This
city is where the vast majority of the country's population huddles together,
as only one-fifth of this ice cap, lava field and desert plateau-covered island
is considered inhabitable.
Reykjavik's old town is situated between its harbour and a large lake called
Tjörn to the southwest, with the encircling newer bits of the city lumped
together under the title New Reykjavik. The city centre's main landmarks are
the lofty heights of the 75m high tower of Hallgrímskirkja Church and
the flatland of Austurvöllur, the old town square.
The official Icelandic tourist season is a summer-long affair, lasting from
June until the end of August - a period when the region's midnight sun keeps
full darkness away. Fans of sunlight would do well to remember that by the end
of December the polar night is well and truly in control, and Reykjavik experiences
a mere two hours of sunlight or twilight each day.
In terms of climate, the good news is that, unlike the country's interior,
coastal areas are saved from unrelenting sub-zero temperatures, thanks to the
warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The bad news is that Gulf Stream warmth, when
combined with polar seas and neighbouring mountains, makes for lots of grey
skies and rain. Adding to the climatic misery are frequent storms, fog and drizzle,
plus an almost constant wind that underlines the year-round chill factor. Reykjavik's
average daily midsummer temperature is 10C; midwinter sees a daily average of
around -1C.
Selection of hotels in this region:
Fosshotel Baron | | Radisson SAS Island Hotel | | Radisson SAS Saga Hotel | | Fosshotel Lind | |
Click below for a
full list of hotels and online booking
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