Reykjavík travel info

Stand outside Hallgrímskirkja at the top of the hill and the whole of Reykjavík spreads out below you. Red, yellow and sky-blue tin roofs step down to the sea, and across the bay snowy Mount Esja fills the horizon. The church tower is built to look like basalt columns shooting upward, and when the wind comes off the Atlantic you can barely stand still beneath it.

The city is small. Walk down the rainbow-painted Skólavörðustígur, past the shops and bars of Laugavegur, and fifteen minutes later you're at the Old Harbour with the whale-watching boats. Harpa, the concert hall wrapped in glass honeycomb, sits on the waterfront, and the hot dog stand nearby has a queue even in the rain. After work, locals sink into the outdoor hot tubs at the public pools and talk about the weather through the steam.

Mostly, though, Reykjavík is a launch pad. Each morning coaches and rental cars head out for the geysers of the Golden Circle and the waterfalls of the South Coast, and from September to April, when the nights stretch out, people refresh cloud maps waiting for the northern lights. The weather turns several times a day, so keep a waterproof jacket within reach.

Keflavík International Airport (KEF)