Five Hotel Highlights In Reykjavík

They flew us there, they flew us back, but Icelandair is far more than a shuttle service to the world's most unique island, which lured us in as the choice destination for our 2014 travel issue. Iceland's premiere airline reflects a lot of the signature aspects of the land itself: It's quirky, it's determined to merge art with nature, and it's defined by a very specific sense of escapism. Appropriately (and quite deliberately), the airline serves as your introduction to a place of beautiful juxtaposition--where volcanoes share a wilderness with glaciers--and its extra-mile amenities are designed to be, if not as unforgettable as Iceland, unforgettable nonetheless. Keep Reading →

At a remote post office in West Iceland, we're leafing through Bible-thick binders of stamps when we find one bearing the "stone harp" of artist Pall Gudmundsson, whose stomping grounds we'd toured not 24 hours earlier. There's an unmistakable interconnectedness in Iceland, particularly its western region, where fishing towns like Stykkisholmur provide refuge for those looking to branch beyond Reykjavik. Intimate and rich in crafts, the west offers one cyclical experience after another, be it tracing the path of the clay used to make your hotel's mugs, or watching how sweater-friendly wool makes its way from a sheep's back to yours. Traversing the landscape, you're bound to encounter standout curiosities. But while each stop will seem like its own event, don't be surprised that when you wrap your trip (and perhaps pull over to mail a postcard), you feel you've come full circle. Below, our highlights. Keep Reading →

Our super jeep, with tires standing shoulder high, was the massive red monster that shuttled us to the natural wonders of southern Iceland. Our guide, Addi from South Iceland Adventure (SIAdv.is), told us the first stop would be the Golden Circle, a popular sightseeing route of waterfalls and geysers, and then we'd be heading off-road. After a few days in civilized, tidy Reykjavik, we were about to get our boots muddy. Here's what we encountered.Water PowerOur first stop was Thingvellir, a recent Game of Thrones shooting location, Iceland's first national park, and a national shrine. It was here, along a crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, that the Althing, Iceland's parliament, was established in 930 a.d. The waterfalls are beautiful, but after the tremendous "golden" mists of Gullfoss, don't stop. We trekked to the hidden Nauthusagil near Thorsmork -- a gorge with a climbing rope and a big, fairytale hideaway payoff -- and Gluggafoss, the "window" waterfall with a slippery path that took us behind the rushing waters. Keep Reading →

Photo Credit: Sarah Crumb Keep Reading →

Photo Credits: Sarah Crumb (Snaps, Reykjavik Roasters). Courtesy of Kopar. Courtesy of Mar. Keep Reading →