Akureyri

North

The heart-shaped red traffic lights at Akureyri's intersections arrived after Iceland's 2008 financial crisis as part of a community campaign to lift spirits, and they've become one of the country's most photographed oddities. Akureyri sits at the head of Eyjafjörður, Iceland's longest fjord, about 100 km south of the Arctic Circle, and with roughly 20,000 residents it is Iceland's second-largest urban area. The town has an unusually warm microclimate that supports a botanical garden and a ski resort (Hlíðarfjall, just west of town). The Akureyrarkirkja church dominates the skyline from its hillside above the compact harbor center. Flights from Reykjavík take around 45 minutes, and the town serves as the main hub for the north, with Mývatn, Húsavík, and Goðafoss all within a day's reach. Plan a full day here before or after heading into the wider region. The geothermal pool is worth a stop, the restaurant scene punches above the town's size, and in summer the festival calendar fills quickly. In winter the northern lights draw visitors and the ski slopes see steady local use.

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