Minus five degrees plus high winds chill factor in Reykjavik in February will kill most people´s instinct to go explore the city. It is simply too cold and too windy to bother. PIC Lars Magne Sunnanå
Team Total Iceland is guessing CNN either sent a very shy intern to Iceland for a story about its capital being one of Europe´s hottest destinations in 2013 or they didn´t send anyone at all. Just picked up some rubbish from the internet.
In any case Iceland is always worth visiting for something strange and exciting and we are not just saying this because this is our home. Ask anyone who´s been to Iceland and you will get the same recommendations and perhaps a fiery dance also if you ask nicely.
The city of Reykjavik however, hardly gets its own people to its center in wintertime so why should you bother? A number of reasons to stay away. Expensive hotels, cold, frostbite, wind, wind chill etc.
But back to the CNN crap. Let us tear it down piece by piece in a hip, smart and concise manner of a list. Since we are pretty smart you see.
The fact that it's one of the most affordable destinations in Europe aside, Iceland's capital is cool on many levels. Kissing latitude 67 degrees north, the isolated island of volcanoes and glaciers is home to equal urban drama: the Harpa Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre opened here not long ago and is now the official home of the Icelandic Opera and Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Local favorite Björk has also been known to belt out a tune or two in the shimmering glass-clad building, embedded with colored LED strips.While the glowing hall is pretty, it's hard to beat the lights in the night sky. Until April, Reykjavik and much of northern Europe are forecast to be treated to some of the best showings of the Aurora Borealis in history. The Winter Lights Festival (February 7-10) will bring music, performances and food to help you get in the mood.
- Most affordable destination is true if you knew where to shop but you don´t and all the salesmen at the famous tourist shops know damn well you think everything here is inexpensive. Thus they raise prices especially for you. Ergo: not so cheap.
- To compare a newly built music hall to some of the most visually captivating glaciers in the world and to add insult to injury, think that same friggin´ music hall is equivalent to our volcanoes is too stupid to contemplate. Thus we won´t.
- Sure enough the forecasts do project excellent solar activity for the next couple of months or so and we will likely get tremendous Aurora Borealis. However, there is this thing called clouds. The Sun could belt out its most magical symphony of light since time began but if cloudy you will never know. No guarantees.
- The Winter Lights Festival!!! Gimme a break. We even had to look up a festival by that name to find CNN is referring to The Winter Festival. Which may or may not be OK but hardly something to write home about unless you are from the Maldives. But we don´t get “to help you get in the mood” stuff? Mood for what? Sex?
- Last but not least; why on earth recommend visiting the island in the dead of winter when Iceland is never as “hot” and stunning as in the summertime. One reason could be that this is bought publicity since tourism authorities here are dying to fool more suckers into coming in the winter. But don´t.
