Reykjavik Regional Overview

Reykjavik is located in southwestern Iceland. It‘s population is around 120.000, and over 200.000 in the greater Reykjavik area. Reykjavik is the heart and soul of Iceland. For those who‘d like to know a little bit about the history of this vibrant city, it is believed that Iceland was found by Ingolfur Arnarson in the year 873, and that his first permanent settlement was in fact Reykjavik. According to the book of settlement, he cast his high seat pillars into the ocean when he saw the coastline, and settled where the pillars came to shore. The name "Reykjavik" loosely translates to "Smoke Cove". One of the first things Ingolfur is said to have noticed when he settled in Reykjavik was steam from the hot springs in the region, which inspired the name.

Contrary to popular belief, Reykjavik is not the coldest city in Scandinavia. Temperatures very rarely drop below -15°C in the winter, thanks to the Gulf Stream. However, the city is prone to wind and gales are not uncommon in the winter. That is why Icelanders really come to life in the summer. When the sun greets the people of Reykjavik in spring, they welcome it with open arms and enjoy summer to the fullest. It may also have something to do with the midnight sun, which is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months north of the Artic Circle and south of the Antartic Circle. During that period of time, the sun never fully sets and remains visible 24 hours a day. In winter time it is completely different. Winter solstice usually occurs on December 22nd. On that shortest day of the year the sun begins to rise around 11:30, and sets around 15:30. After that, the days slowly become longer with time. This may be somewhat confusing for those who are not used to it, but citizens of Reykjavik have learned to love it. The sun is variable but one of the qualities of the Icelandic summer is that it never get´s too hot. The highest temperature ever recorded in Reykjavik city was 26.2°C. It tends to get higher outside of the city though.

The mayor of Reykjavik is Jon Gnarr, a comedian, actor, writer and now politician. He used to play bass in the punk rock band Nefrennsli (Runny Nose), and drive a taxi. After many years of being a successful comedian, he formed The Best Party with a number of people who had no backround in politics. The Best Party was a satirical political party that parodied Icelandic politics, and promised more fun to citizens, in the form of free towels in all swimming pools, a polar bear for the Reykjavik Zoo, all kinds of things for weaklings, Disneyland, a drug free parliament by 2020, sustainable transparency and many other things. One might not think that would be enough to rake in the votes, but The Best Party ended up gaining 34.7% of the vote, and 6 out of 15 seats on the Reykjavik City Council. Jon Gnarr has been mayor since June 15th 2010 and has brought a lot of life and laughter into the city, by doing things such as dressing up in drag at two Gay Pride parades, and wearing a Darth Vader mask and Santa Claus cap in a public holiday greeting video.

Reykjavik is by far the largest and most populous settlement in Iceland. It‘s a modern city with an old-fahsioned twist. You won‘t find tall buildings and skyscrapers in this city. What you will find are colorful 19th century buildings mixed with new ones, spirited and joyful people, cozy cafés, beautifully designed geothermal pools, music everywhere, world-class desig n, crazy weekend nightlife and unspoiled nature right at your doorstep. Traveling around Iceland and exploring Reykjavik is a true adventure, and spending time in untouched nature is an experience like no other. There are numerous excursion and activity companies in Reykjavik that you can look to for whatever adventure you have in mind. You could also rent a car and explore on your own. However you choose to spend your time in Iceland, we‘re sure that you will fall helplessly in love with Reykjavik, and you‘ll probably never want to leave.