Facilities at Akureyri Airport
Akureyri Airport is the third largest airport in Iceland, after Keflavík and Reykjavík. Unlike many others dotted around the country, it has facilities such as a bistro and a duty-free shopping area. Though largely a domestic airport connected to Reykjavík and other local ports, there are seasonal international flights connecting to Greenland, Britain, and the Netherlands.
Even so, it is still very small, with just a single runway.
As its name suggests, Akureyri Airport is located in Akureyri, the capital of north Iceland and the most populated town outside of the Reykjavík Greater Area. Though there are no buses connecting the port with the center, there is a taxi rank and four options for car rentals; otherwise, they are just over half an hour’s walk apart.
Use of Akureyri Airport
Considering the importance of Akureyri as a commercial, residential, and tourist center, the airport is vital for Iceland’s economy. Many visitors who do not drive, or who are very limited on time, find flights a convenient alternative. The airport is also used by those embarking on a half-circle self-drive tour or package around Iceland, after exploring the country’s south, east, and north.
The reason that so many wish to travel to Akureyri is because north Iceland has a vast range of natural and cultural attractions. The most famous of these is the Mývatn area, a wonderland of lakes, geothermal areas, and diverse flora and fauna. The region’s waterfalls are also well renowned, which include Goðafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, and Dettifoss, the most powerful falls in Europe. These sites are all visited on the popular Diamond Circle sightseeing route.
Other slightly less known - but still beautiful - attractions near Akureyri include the horseshoe-shaped canyon Ásbyrgi, the elephant-shaped monolith Hvítserkur, and a range of smaller towns including ‘the whale-watching capital of Europe’, Husavík.
Akureyri itself has everything a traveler needs. There are a range of options for accommodation, many shops, a wealth of restaurants and bars, and plenty of cultural attractions such as a Botanical Gardens and Christmas House. It is also home to many tour companies which pick up guests from hotels in the area.
