Keflavík Things to Do

  Atlantic studios - here films were made.
by Regina1965
 
  • Atlantic studios - here films were made.
      Atlantic studios - here films were made.
    by Regina1965
  • I and the giantess.
      I and the giantess.
    by Regina1965
  • A room full of boat models.
      A room full of boat models.
    by Regina1965
  • Lovely boat models.
      Lovely boat models.
    by Regina1965
  • A room fool of boat models.
      A room fool of boat models.
    by Regina1965
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

An evacuated Nato base.

by Regina1965

Iceland used to be defended by NATO until October 30th 2006 when the Americans decided to evacuate the base after having stayed here for 55 years. There were up to 5.000 people living at the base at some point. They had made a contract with the Icelandic nation after WW2 and were in control of the old International airport, so every time we went abroad we had to pass through their base. Now we have another, much bigger airport right next to the base "Flugstöð Leifs Eiríkssonar". The web-site for our airport is Leifsstöð. When NATO left they gave all of the block-of-flats and the buildings to the Icelandic nation and there was a big sale on all the furniture and stuff and all the cars they left behind. Now a lot of the blocks-of-flats are inhabited by students, who study at the University in Reykjavík and they get free bus rides to Reykjavík to attend the University. Around 1.800 people...

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Duushús museum - Reykjanes Heritage Museum.

by Regina1965

In Duushús museum there are several exhibition halls, one of them is The Reykjanes Heritage Museum. There is an interesting exhibition on the influence of the Nato-base on the inhabitants of Keflavík (see my tips on the Nato-base). The American Nato army defended us for 55 years when they up and left in October 2006. At the exhibition there are things on display which the Americans left in the base, amongst them some uniforms which were left in the laundry. And a special section on American food, an officer´s office, a cock-pit, different signs which greeted us when we had to go to the airport and pass by their check-points, and a lot of photos from their time at the Nato-base. For us Icelanders this is a very interesting exhibition.There is one room which is a replica of a typical home in Keflavík in the fifties/sixties. The inhabitants in Keflavík had a lot of American things which...

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Duushús museum -The Boat models by Grímur Karlsson

by Regina1965

Duushús or Duushouse is Keflavík´s Art and Cultural center. There are several exhibitions there and a concert hall. It is located in a long building with a lovely old house (1890) at the east-end which is called Bíósalurinn or The Movie hall. At the west-end there a is a good restaurant with a fantastic view of the marina. These houses are named after Hans Peter Duus who built part of these houses. My great-great grandfather lived in Keflavík and worked in the oldest of these houses, which is called Bryggjuhúsið and was built in 1877.I add here two tips on different exhibitions in Duushús. The first one is of the extraordinary boat-model exhibition of Grímur Karlsson at The Reykjanes Maritime Center. It is a big exhibition hall filled with over 100 boat-models in glass cases, quite amazing! These models were all built by a retired local skipper named Grímur Karlsson.I highly recommend...

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An evacuated Nato base - part 2.

by Regina1965

Here is a continuation of the tip above with more pictures of the evacuated NATO-base. The base is now a sort of a new "town" with more and more companies opening up their business there and now there are plans of using the hospital as a privately run hospital for foreigners (yes, and rich people here). In this area there is also a very popular detox clinic. The Americans left everything here, there is a film studio here, a disco, a church, I mentioned the hospital in my previous tip, a real ghost town ready for us Icelanders to move in. But the elecricity was not the same as ours, it was American style ;)So I would say this area is booming. But we are still without an army and NATO-nations take turns in defending us (apart from the English, the government didn't want them to defend us after Gordon Brown hit us with the terrorist law when our bank-system collapsed in October 2008. I.e....

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The Viking ship Icelander - and Stekkjarkot.

by Regina1965

These kinds of Viking ships were really popular back in 900 +/- The Icelander (ÍSLENDINGUR) Viking ship was built in 1994-1996 by Gunnar Marel Eggertsson, who built it as close to how the real Vikings built their ship as he possibly could, he even used the same tools as our ancestors used. In 1982 the Norwegians found a Viking ship in Gokstad, Norway, and The Icelanders is an exact replica of that ship, so it is pretty accurate. The Icelander is 23 metres long and 5,25 metres wide and 18 tons of wood.In 2000 Gunnar and his crew (9) sailed the Icelander to Greenland and from there to North-America, the same route as Leifur Eiríksson, the 11th century Viking (who discovered America) sailed back then. Their voyage took 110 days and they stopped at 25 ports where the ship was greated with a ceremony in each port!They have now built an exhibition building for The Viking ship and The...

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Visit the Giantess in the cave.

by Regina1965

The Black cave of the giantess was opened in Keflavík 6th of September 2008 during the festival Night of Lights. The story of the giantess is by the Icelandic author Herdís Egilsdóttir who wrote the first story of "Sigga and the giantess" in 1959 - a very popular series of children's books on the little girl Sigga and the giantess (16 in all) - I've read them all ;) The idea of building the cave in Keflavík was Herdís's idea. The last book on the giantess describes her migration to Keflavík.The giantess is 400 years' old and over 5 meters' high with eyes the size of footballs and she sits in a rocking-chair in the cave and you can see how she breathes and burps and does other stuff children find very funny ;) There is also a giant bed in the cave and kids can crawl into the lap of the giantess. There is light in the cave so you can go there and have a peek at the giantess through the...

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Víkingaheimar museum - The Viking ship Icelander

by Regina1965

The Viking ship Icelander was moved to a new location in May 2009. It is now located inside at an exhibition center called Víkingaheimar (Viking world) by the ocean right next to where Icelander was formerly situated. At the same place is The Smithsonian Viking exhibition.The opening hours are daily from 11:00-18:00 and the entrance fee is ISK 1.500. I thought it was a bit expensive so I just peeked through the windows ;) as I had already visited the Vikingship when it was located by Stekkjarkot as seen in my previous tip.See detailed information on Icelander in my previous tip.

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Bláa Lónið (Blue Lagoon)

by travelfrosch

The most famous attraction near Keflavík is the Blue Lagoon. Actually an artificial hot pool created by the nearby geothermal plant, it provides visitors with body-temperature water and lots of relaxation. The silt from the lagoon is supposed to be good for the skin (but use the silt in the dispensers provided, not from the bottom of the lagoon). Massages and other treatments are available for extra cost.As of February 2009, entry to the spa itself costs EUR 20 per adult. Towel rental costs EUR 4, and bath robe rental costs EUR 7. The water is nice and warm, and the experience is relaxing.One way to visit here is enroute from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavík. Reykjavík Excursions offers a "Relaxing Tour to Reykjavik." With this tour, you get between 2 and 4 hours at the Blue Lagoon (while you store your luggage on the tour bus) before continuing to the Reykjavík bus station. Cost of this...

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Soak in the Blue Lagoon

by melanief

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa located in Grindavik, Iceland. Probably Iceland's most unique and popular attraction. The day that I visited in April 2003, the weather was cold and windy. While relaxing in the 104F degree water, sleet, hail and rain in turn pelted my scalp. The weather finally cleared. Is was a wonderful experience that I would highly recommend to anyone.

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A Structure...

by coceng

Keflavik, pronounced as 'Keblavik' is about 48 km from Reykjavik, Iceland capital.It also where Iceland international airport is situated in. Also known as NATO base & was granted as a municipal status in 1949.The photos that I took around Keflavik were around the airport & inside the airport.This 3rd photo, walking a bit further from the parking area caught my eyes ! There would be many more nice structures in Reykjavik...So, Iceland welcomed me & Siggi was the best man that I longed for in Iceland.Reaching Iceland from Stansted Airport, London, the flight was delayed by half an hour !Little that I knew, that the flight flying back to Stansted Airport (10 days later) would be delayed for 7 miserable hours !

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Questions and Answers

KristinD03 profile photo

Q:  Hi! I'm stopping over in Iceland for 2 nights and was wondering what the best option is for transport is, and what are the must... 

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A: We had a short stay in Reykjavík at Easter a few years back. We had two full days. We spent one walking around the city and another booked on a tour to Gullfoss, the... 

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