Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [174]
Around the gardens are several interesting sculptures, including statues of poet Matthías Jochumsson and Margrethe Schiöth, who voluntarily managed the gardens for 30 years.
Kjarnaskógur
About 3km south of town is Iceland’s most visited ‘forest’, the Kjarnaskógur woods (off Map Click here). This bushland area has a 2km-long athletic course, walking tracks, picnic tables, an amusing children’s playground and some novel fitness-testing devices. Check out the amusing log sundial designed by Icelandic Scouts.
Return to beginning of chapter
ACTIVITIES
After church ogling, Akureyri has plenty of options to keep the blood flowing. In winter, skiing is the biggest draw, while summertime activities include golf, horse riding and hiking. For an experience you won’t soon forgot, there’s world-class diving in Akureyri’s fjord, Eyjafjörður – Click here for details.
Swimming
The superb swimming pool (Sundlaug Akureyrar; Map Click here; 461 4455; Þingvallastræti 21; adult/6-15yr Ik410/150, sauna Ikr500; 7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6.30pm Sat & Sun), near the campsite, is one of Iceland’s finest. It has three heated pools, hot pots, water slides, saunas, pummelling water jets and a solarium – perfect for a relaxing afternoon. If you’re keen to hang with the locals rather than test out the water slides, there’s an indoor swimming pool (Glerárlaug; 462 1539; HöfðahlíÐ; admission Ikr200) near the university campus.
Horse Riding
Horse tours and hire are available from a range of outlying farms; ask at the tourist office for a full list. Pólar Hestar offers by-the-hour trots and week-long wilderness trips in the surrounding mountains and valleys. Norðanhestar (off Map Click here; 865 9165; nordanhestar@nordanhestar.is; Hamraborg; 2hr tour Ikr5000; May-Sep), located just beyond the campsite site at Hamrar, offers scenic riding trips, horse-wagon tours and short sightseeing excursions in Akureyri’s old town district.
Boat Tours
Haffari (Map Click here; 860 3890; www.haffari.is; Jun–mid-Sep) offers sightseeing and sea angling tours (three hours; adult/child Ikr3900/1950), departing from Akureyri’s old port. Trips depart at 3.30pm and 8pm daily. It’s also possible to take a tour on Húni II ( 848 4864; www.huni.muna.is). When the boat is docked, it turns into a museum (admission free; 1-5pm Jun-Aug); contact the Akureyri Industrial Museum for details.
Hiking
For information on hiking in the area, contact Ferðafélag Akureyrar (Map Click here; 462 2720; www.ffa.is; Strandgata 23) and check out the helpful collection of Útivist & afþreying hiking maps (there are seven in the series – #1 and #2 focus on the Eyjafjörður area).
A pleasant but demanding day-hike leads up the Glerádalur valley to the summit of Mt Súlur (1144m). The trail begins on Súluvegur, a left turn off Þingvallastræti just before the Glerá bridge. Give yourself at least seven hours to complete the return journey.
With two days, you can continue up the valley to the beautifully situated Lambi mountain hut (at N 65°34.880’, W 18°17.770’), which accommodates up to six people. Alternatively, from the Hlíðarfjall ski centre (right) there’s a challenging but beautiful day hike up to the small glacier Vindheimajökull and the 1456m peak Strýta.
Golf
For anyone who loves to play golf, there’s something strangely appealing about teeing off at midnight. At only a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle, Akureyri’s Jaðarsvöllur (Map Click here; 462 2974; gagolf@nett.is) basks in perpetual daylight from June to early August. In summer you can play golf here around the clock; just book ahead for the midnight tee-off. The par-71 course is home to the annual 36-hole Arctic Open, a golf tournament played overnight in late June. Contact the club for the latest information on green fees and club rentals.
Skiing
The Hlíðarfjall ski centre (off Map Click here; 462 2280; www.hlidarfjall.is; 3hr/1-day/3-day pass Ikr1430/2200/5940), west of town 7km up Glerárdalur, is Iceland’s premier downhill ski slope, with green and blue pistes suitable for beginner to upper-intermediate