With a population of 120,000, Reykjavík is not a whirlwind metropolis. Few skyscrapers grace the skyline, traffic jams are rare and faces are familiar.
Reykjavík is truly the gateway to Iceland, and many day trips can be taken from the city to the surrounding mountains, glaciers, volcanos and hotsprings. Day-excursions from Reykjavík include horseback riding, glacier climbing, river rafting, caving, whale watching, and more. Meanwhile, downtown, in the city's museums, galleries, theatres, cafés, and swimming pools, busy locals bustle about with a seemingly inexhaustible energy. At the restaurants downtown, local ingredients are served fresh with delicious lamb, seafood or wild game.
Reykjavík is a city of bold contrasts: it is both cosmopolitan and small-town; vibrant and sophisticated; young-at-heart and yet full of history. Many monuments, new and old, are also worth a peek, including the newly built oceanfront music and conference centre, Harpa. Luckily, everything in Reykjavík is close by, and the city is perhaps best explored by foot or bike.
