Reykjavik for The Slow Weekenders: a Friday-to-Monday weekend
Steam, basalt and a sky that never quite agrees.
The weekend as rest. A hotel worth staying in, a hammam or a thermal bath, one unhurried sight each day, lunches that run into the afternoon, and early nights.
Friday: Settle in
- Tjörnin
Walk the pond's edge past the ducks and City Hall; the benches face the water, and the light slows everything down.
- Sundhöllin Reykjavíkur
The 1937 pool hall's outdoor hot pots, with a sauna and a cold tub; pay once, then sit in the 40-degree water as long as you like.
- Messinn
Fish in sizzling cast-iron pans, buttery potatoes and a glass of white; simple, unfussy and quick enough for an early night.
Saturday: The lagoon
- Café Babalú
A long, late breakfast upstairs in a room of mismatched furniture, with waffles and strong coffee; read, watch the street and decide nothing.
- Sky Lagoon
A warm geothermal pool with an edge that melts into the sea, a seven-step ritual of cold plunge, sauna and steam; book an afternoon slot and stay for two hours.
- Grillmarkaðurinn
Charcoal-grilled lamb and langoustine in a calm dim room, the one splurge of the weekend; ask for a table away from the door.
Sunday: Botanics and a long lunch
- Reykjavík Botanic Garden
Five thousand plant species in a sheltered garden in the Laugardalur valley; it is free, and at its best from June to September.
- Snaps Bistro
A long lunch of French-style onion soup, fish of the day and a glass of wine in a calm room under the church; stay as long as you like.
- Laugardalslaug
Soak in the hot pots in the valley a short taxi ride away, a slow end to a slow day; shower without swimwear first.
Monday: Slow coffee
- Brauð & Co
A long breakfast of cinnamon snúður, a savoury roll and coffee at the orange-fronted bakery; the sun comes in late and nobody hurries you.
- Hallgrímskirkja tower
One sight for the day: take the lift to the top and watch the roofs, with a bench in the church below if you want to sit.