Hotels in Reykjavík, Iceland

Reykjavik sits at about 64 degrees north, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state, and its latitude shapes daily life. Daylight swings between extremes through the year, from near-continuous light around midsummer to only four or five hours in midwinter, when the northern lights can appear on clear nights.

Geothermal energy drawn from beneath the ground heats most homes and supplies the outdoor swimming pools that function as social hubs, used year-round including in cold weather.

It is a small capital, home to around 140,000 people and easily covered on foot, with low-rise houses in painted corrugated iron, a working harbour and the sea and mountains close at hand.

A good deal of Iceland's scenery lies within a day trip of the capital. The Golden Circle is the standard loop, taking in Thingvellir, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart and where Iceland's early assembly once met, the hot springs at Geysir, which give the English word geyser its name, and the two-tier Gullfoss waterfall, all within about two hours' drive.

Closer to the city, geothermal areas with steaming vents and warm lagoons make an easy half-day, and the Reykjanes peninsula near the airport has lava fields and periodic volcanic activity.

Further out but still feasible in a day are the black-sand beaches and waterfalls of the south coast, including Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss.

Hallgrímskirkja is the tallest building in Reykjavik at around 74 metres, and the clearest landmark for orientation across the city.

Its concrete façade, designed by the state architect Gudjon Samuelsson to echo the columnar basalt rock found across Iceland, rises in stepped wings to a slender central tower and is visible from much of the centre. Construction ran from 1945 to 1986, spanning more than four decades.

The building sits at the top of a low hill where several streets converge, and most visitors come for the lift to the viewing platform near the top of the tower, which opens onto a panorama of the painted rooftops, the harbour and the mountains beyond. A statue of the explorer Leif Erikson, a gift from the United States in 1930, stands in front.

The old harbour has become one of Reykjavik's more active areas. Whale-watching and puffin-spotting boats depart from the quays between spring and autumn, and the surrounding former warehouses now hold cafés, galleries and small museums covering subjects from maritime history to contemporary art.

Fresh fish can be bought at the market, and several spots along the waterfront serve seafood soup.

A short walk inland, the old town centres on the small Tjornin lake and the streets around the parliament building and the cathedral, lined with timber houses, independent shops and bookshops. The harbour is also the departure point for the ferry to the island of Videy.

Reykjavik changes considerably with the season. Summer, from June to August, brings near-continuous daylight around the solstice, when it barely gets dark and sightseeing or hiking can continue late into the evening; it is the mildest and busiest period and the most practical for road trips around the country.

Winter is the opposite, with short days and long nights that offer the best chance of seeing the northern lights, generally visible on clear, dark evenings between September and April. Spring and autumn are quieter middle grounds, with a mix of light and dark and fewer visitors.

The weather is changeable throughout the year, with frequent wind and rain even in summer, when temperatures usually sit around 10 to 13 degrees, so waterproof layers are sensible whenever you travel.