A few days ago I went on a trip to Grímsey, a small island in the Arctic Circle that belongs to the capital of the North; Akureyri.
Air Iceland provides a day trip to the island. We flew from Reykjavík to Akureyri, and from there to Grímsey with another, smaller, plane that took about half an hour. The plane ride itself was lovely, it was a clear day so we got a good view over the landscape; Hrísey and Flatey islands in the north, as well as beautiful mountains and fantastic landscape.
Grímsey is the northernmost part of Iceland, located at 66°North, known as the “Arctic circle” meaning everything north of there is technically the Arctic. It’s about 2 km (1 mile) wide and 6 km (4 miles) long, making it the second largest island around Iceland. The birdlife is vast. About 200.000 puffins nest there over the summertime in addition to the arctic tern, which is quite noticeable since it tries to attack you if you come too close to its nest! A few tried to get me when I stumbled upon some eggs, but all went well and I kept my head …
We walked down to the foot of the island which many say is the most beautiful part and I can truly say that it was amazing. We met some sheep along the way, walked up on a hill for a spectacular view and took pictures. This took two hours and then we were back on the plane to Akureyri, after having met the lovely local Grímsey people, and getting a certification for making it to the Arctic Circle.
Before heading home, we had about two hours to look around Akureyri city. We ate lunch at Akureyri backpackers and soaked in the hot tubs after the meal in true Icelandic fashion. It was a great little stay at Akureyri as well, it’s such a lovely town and many things to see and do.
I will not forget this trip to Grímsey and now I can check the Arctic Circle off my bucket list. If you want to cross it off your bucket list too, feel free to send us an email, phone us or just show up at the office, we would be glad to help book it!
