Akureyri
Travel Advice for Seniors: Akureyri
Our second stop in Iceland was on the northern side of the island at Akureyri.
Akureyri is a city at the base of Eyjafjörður Fjord and is the second largest city in Iceland after Reykjavik with absolutely stunning views of snow-capped fjords.
There are some interesting things to do in Akureyri, including a visit to the Akureyri Church which has stained-glass windows portraying scenes from Icelandic Christian history and the Akureyri Art Museum, which features Icelandic art. The Botanical Gardens, with specimens from across Iceland is also worth a visit.
Instead of self-touring the town, we opted for a trip to Goðafoss waterfall and the Myvatin Nature Baths with its wonderful geothermic bathing pools.
First stop was Goðafoss waterfall. Legend has it that an important Icelandic law speaker decided to convert to Christianity long ago and threw his Norse statues into the waterfall to symbolize the end of paganism. The gods were not happy about this and in retaliation, split the waterfall in two. It was a nice walk out to see the waterfall, but it was a bit steep and slippery, so do have a care. There is also a nice café nearby for a coffee and sweetie if you have time.
One of the great things about living on a volcanic fault line is that there is plenty of geothermal energy and hence plenty of nice, warm bathing pools. Myvatin is one of these lovely places. The Nature Bath is a naturally heated man-made lagoon, with mineral-rich waters known for their healing properties. It was pretty chilly outside the day we were there, and steam was rolling off of the lagoon, but the water was nice and warm.
We received a ticket for a drink with our towel rental and I would recommend keeping hydrated. Also, it is nearly impossible to keep up with your towel and shoes (if you brought some outside) and sometimes people grab your dry towel and exchange it for their wet one. Don’t dismay, it’s a quick walk into the changing room! Note that lockers are provided for your dry clothes.
A word about bathing pools….make sure your ticket includes a towel. Also, Europeans are much less fussy about nudity than Americans. You are expected to shower completely and then put on your bathing suit before getting in the water and the reverse when getting out. Please don’t worry about what everyone is thinking about your body, no one really cares, a quick glance around will ensure that you are not the one with the worst figure in the shower or the pool! So, relax and enjoy the therapeutic pools.
One more perk of visiting northern Iceland…the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis can frequently be seen. Important to note: Use your cell phone camera to see all the colors and watch it change. The few times that we saw the Lights they were difficult to see with the naked eye, but behind the camera lens, you could see all of the vivid colors and movement. Spectacular!
Where we stayed: On board the Ship.
How we got there: Sailed from Isafjörður to Akureyri,. This was part of a 15-day ocean cruise tour beginning in New York City and ending in Reykjavik, with stops in Canada, Greenland and Iceland.
General Accessibility Information: Iceland is overall pretty accessible. Tour operators like Iceland Unlimited offer accessible day and multi-day tours. Sjálfsbjörg, The National Association of People with Disabilities surveys museums and public spaces for accessibility. TravAble is a free app that shows accessible places and services. FIA Guide for the Disabled Traveler is a website with information about using a disability parking permit or placard in Iceland. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements. See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance
