Using precious annual leave to do anything other than lie motionless by a pool has never appealed to me. So a trip to Iceland, where winter days are long and dark, bikinis are swapped for thermals and walking boots are the only footwear necessary, was entirely outside of my comfort zone.
But my five days here were more rejuvenating than any other holiday I’ve taken. Granted, I spent the whole time in a puffer coat and balaclava, and learned more about snow tyres than I thought possible; but I also hiked up waterfalls, swam in hot springs and trekked across black sand beaches.
We stayed at the newish Edition hotel for a little slice of luxury in Reykjavik. Imposing from the outside, cosy and chic on the inside, it’s the perfect base from which to explore (and does the best apple pancakes at breakfast). If you can’t snap up a room here, still visit the Tides restaurant, serving up modern Icelandic cooking including reindeer tartare and celeriac ice cream, both more delicious than they sound.
Be warned, Reykjavik is expensive — but taking advantage of the many happy hours and knowing where the locals go makes all the difference. Try Momo, the first ramen bar in Iceland, Brauð & Co for the best cardamom bun of all time, Flatey for pizza that the whole of Iceland seems to queue for and so-bad-it’s-almost-good Lebowski Bar for raucous fun and decent prices.
By day we visited Hallgrímskirkja church, Grótta lighthouse and The National Gallery, but it was the city’s exuberant nightlife that gave us the greatest sense of place.
There’s only so long eating and drinking your way around one of the most expensive cities in the world can last, so we rented a car (with aforementioned snow tyres) and headed out into the sublime surrounding area. First, to the Sky Lagoon, a new thermal spring experience amid breathtaking scenery. Opt for the ‘Sky’ package for the full works of sauna, scrub, steam and swim — or more accurately float up to the in-pool bar to toast your new Zen personality.
The landscape of this country is like nowhere else on Earth. Stop by Thingvellir National Park, which is just as beautiful in the snow as it is in its full green glory. We devised a short road trip from the capital to Vik, a village on the south coast with black beaches, an inviting brewery and a charming converted school bus serving coffee and bagels. On route we stopped off at Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, waterfalls where — if you time it right — you can beat the tourist buses and get the entire view to yourself.
Thermals stowed away and cheeks pleasingly ruddy, we boarded the plane home, already planning a summer trip back to the Nordic wonderland. I’ve got to make use of these walking boots somehow, haven’t I?
