Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Keflavík
Stretching for 5km along the seafront,
KEFLAVÍK
and its adjoining satellite
Njarðvík
form
the Reykjanes Peninsula's biggest centre, with a population of around eleven thousand.
Keflavík was a trading port as far back as the sixteenth century, but it was World War II
that really established the town, when US defence forces stationed here built an
airstrip
to the west. After Iceland joined
NATO
in 1949, the US persuaded Iceland into allowing
them to expand the airstrip as a refuelling
base
for their aircraft, and for over fifty years
Keflavík flourished alongside, a service centre for both the US base and the adjacent
international airport. But in 2006 the US government closed
the facility, removing the
helicopters and fighter jets housed here, and Keflavík lost its major employer.
Though the town is still ticking over, Keflavík remains a functional place and, given
the frequent fast shuttle buses between Reykjavík and the airport, not really a necessary
stopover. Having said this, Grófin harbour offers a child-friendly distraction, while
there's insight into daily life in Viking times - not to mention a full-sized reconstructed
longship - at the Vikingheimar museum.
2
Grófin harbour
Out at the western end of Keflavík's main street, Hafnargata, little
Grófin harbour
is a
pretty spot on a clear day, with views from the piled stone walls across Faxaflói bay towards
Reykjavík, and seabirds scudding over the blue sea. here are lots of free attractions here:
Dús Hús
(Mon-Fri noon-5pm, Sat & Sun 1-5pm) has an incredible collection of model
boats, from 1850s sailing ships to modern commercial trawlers; opposite is a one-man
glassblowing workshop
(daily 11am-6pm;
W
iceglass.is), where you can watch the entire
process and perhaps buy a souvenir. On the opposite side of the harbour, right at the end,
is
Skessuhellir cave
where, as per Herdís Egilsdottír's children's topics about the little girl
Sigga, you'll find a friendly, life-sized giantess asleep in her rocking chair, snoring loudly.
Vikingheimar
Víkingabraut 1, Njarðvík; badly signed but clearly visible about 5km east of Keflavík on the old Reykjavík road • Daily noon-5pm • 1000kr
•
W
vikingaheimar.com
Vikingheimar
(Viking World) fleshes out the stereotypical portrayal of Iceland's founders
as a simple bunch of hacking-and-slashing saga heroes. They were also expert craftsmen
and sailors, as proved by the centrepiece here, the
Íslendingur
, a full-sized replica
Viking
longship
which in 2000 crossed the Atlantic to celebrate Leifur Eiriksson's discovery of
“Vinland” (Newfoundland; see p.319) a thousand years before. You can actually climb
aboard; it's broad and surprisingly spacious, though spending months on it crossing the
rough Atlantic must have taken courage. The rest of the two-storey building houses
archeological evidence for the short-lived settlement in Vinland and locally found Viking
remains from Hafnir and Sandgerði (see p.95), plus “Fate of the Gods”, a multi-media
walk-through exhibition on
Viking myths
with some lively, brilliantly-coloured graphics.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
KEFLAVÍK
By bus
The SBK bus station (
W
sbk.is) is at Grófin harbour.
Destinations
Reykjavík (Mon-Fri 7 daily; Sat & Sun
3 daily; 1hr).
By car
The Route 41 expressway from Reykjavík divides
on the edge of town, with Njarðarbraut and then
Hafnargata running west through to Grófin harbour, and
Reykjanesbraut forking southwest for 5km to the
international airport.
INFORMATION
Tourist information
There's an o
ce (Mon-Fri 1-4pm;
T
896 5598) with piles of brochures scattered around in
the large shopping centre on Njarðarbraut as you enter
town off the highway; look for the Nettó supermarket.
Services
The main road, Hafnargata, has banks with ATMs,
the post o
ce, a Nettó supermarket (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm;
Sat noon-6pm) and
vinbúð
(Mon-Fri 1-6pm, Sat noon-
6pm). Keflavík's excellent swimming pool is a few streets
south of Hafnargata at Sunnubraut 31 (Mon-Fri
6.45am-9pm, Sat & Sun 8am-6pm), with outdoor and
indoor pools, three hot pots, a sauna and twisting water
slide. For taxis, call
T
421 4141 or
T
421 1515.
