Suðurhólar

Árbæjarsafn is an open-air museum in Reykjavík where a cluster of historic buildings has been gathered to form a small old town. Wander between wooden houses, a turf-roofed farm and a little church, with grazing animals and gardens adding to the atmosphere. Many buildings are furnished to show how people lived, worked and traded.

Sky Lagoon is a modern geothermal spa on the Kársnes shoreline in Kópavogur, built into the coastal rocks. Its infinity-edge pool looks straight out over the North Atlantic, so soaking in the warm water feels like drifting toward the horizon. There are saunas, a cold plunge and a bar within the facility.

The name means "valley of the hot springs", because natural hot water bubbled out of the ground here. Reykjavík's women once carried their laundry to the springs to wash it, and the site was an important part of daily life until the early 20th century. Today the valley is the city's main sports and leisure district.