• Your Guide To

Set near the bottom of the long fjord of Eyjafjörður, among a vista of scenic mountains, is Akureyri, capital of the North. Akureyri is an important center of services, culture and commerce. The town has around 17.000 residents, enough to sustain an interesting choice of good restaurants from the "a la carte" range to what suits the more budget conscious.

In the middle of town is Kaupvangsstræti, the center of the town's cultural life, nicknamed Artists' Alley. The Art Museum is located there, offering some of the most interesting exhibits in the country. Close by is the two-towered Akureyri Church. Other museums worth noting are Nonnahús and Sigurhæðir which retain the memory of well known writers from Akureyri's past. The Industry and Flight museums should also be noted, as well as the thriving Akureyri Theatre and the North Icelandic Symphonic Orchestra.

For those more inclined towards sports and outdoor activities, Mt. Hlíðarfjall, above the town, has some of the best skiing slopes in Iceland. The popular swimming pool is a must to visit and Jaðarvöllur, the town's 18-hole golf course, gives the opportunity for an unforgettable round of golf in the midnight sun - for those visiting at the end of June.

An hour's drive to the east is Húsavík, a center of whale watching with very high rates of sighting a whale. South of Húsavík is the lake Mývatn with its rich birdlife, lava sculptures and geothermal fields with a bathing lagoon. Nearby, Europe's most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss, falls over a cliff at the entrance to the huge Vatnajökull Glacier National Park.

Getting there:
Air Iceland has scheduled flights many times a day from Reykjavík (see www.airiceland.is) and Nordurleid buses operate on the route between Akureyri and Reykjavík.

Buses and guided tours leave from Akureyri year-round to nearby places.

For more information on Akureyri and North Iceland, see www.akureyri.is and www.nordurland.is.

See more photos from Akureyri and Northern Iceland in our photogalleries.

© NETIÐ markaðs- og rekstrarráðgjöf | All rights reserved