Iceland
The Otherworldly Island
Through the Eyes of Locals
Four leading Icelandic creatives—two artists, a screenwriter and a chef—open their little black books on where to host, heli-ski and hide out around their otherworldly island.
(Travel) It’s that rare, mystical place that even superlatives can’t capture. To grasp its beauty, you have to let it envelop you in the vastness of its terrain. Untether you from reality, even for a second, and take you someplace altogether otherworldly. Basalt cliffs and rumbling volcanos, crystal glaciers, plunging waterfalls and spluttering geysers. Silky black sand beaches and blazing white voids of snow. In winter, technicolor glimmers of Aurora Borealis streak the sky above.
The natural magnificence of Iceland is perhaps only matched by the profound creative output of those who live and work among its landscapes. In search of the inspiring vistas, views and experiences behind their artistry, Maison Ë turns to four Icelandic creatives at the forefront of their fields, who generously divulge their intel on the destinations bridging nature and culture across the land of fire and ice.
Elín
Hansdóttir
(Hotel)In winter, arriving at Highland Base in Kerlingarfjöll, a four-star adventure hotel in Iceland’s secluded central highlands, can involve a two-hour mission across fresh snow in a converted super jeep from Skjol Basecamp, itself a 90-minute drive from Reykjavik. On arrival, awe-filled silence at the wild beauty of the rugged natural backdrop. Conceived by the team behind the Blue Lagoon resort, the Highland Base includes private lodges and hotel suites whose thoughtful comforts make them a sanctuary in the face of the stark beauty they frame. “The highlands are my favorite area of Iceland because the intense landscape helps me visualize an entire idea rather than focussing on many small details,” Hansdóttir says, describing the off-grid adventure retreat as “spectacular for those who enjoy raw natural beauty and solitude.”
(Dining)A small island on a remote archipelago off Iceland’s southern coast sets the scene for a noteworthy culinary destination. Helmed by Icelandic chef, restaurateur, and Slow Food Chefs’ Alliance member Gísli Matthías Auðunsson, family-run Slippurinn, meaning “boat slip” in Icelandic—a nod to its location’s history as a shipyard machine workshop—is “without a doubt one of the most interesting culinary experiences I’ve had in Iceland,” Hansdóttir attests. “It emphasizes very creative combinations of local ingredients while valuing traditions and above all, sustainability.” Auðunsson’s lauded toasted fish broth with scallops and apples has become a tradition in its own right.
Artist
Born in Reykjavík, Elín Hansdóttir is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans installation, sculpture and photography. She delves into phenomenology, spatial emptiness and conceptual openness, emphasizing the relational and embodied aspects of art.
Her installations have been featured in venues like KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Marta Herford, Hamburger Bahnhof, ZKM Karlsruhe, Frieze Projects, The Marrakech Biennale, the National Gallery of Iceland and the Reykjavik Art Museum. In 2016, she received the Optimism Award for Culture and the Gudmunda S. Kristinsdottir Art Prize.
“The highlands are my favorite area of Iceland because the intense landscape helps me visualize an entire idea rather than focussing on many small details.”
(Cultural Attraction) Overlooking Eyjafjörður, one of Iceland’s longest fjords, the Forest Lagoon opened in 2022. Designed by Basalt Architects, also behind Highland Base and the Blue Lagoon, the retreat combines the holistic relaxation of forest bathing with the natural benefits of soaking in geothermal waters. At 37°C and 40°C, “the outdoor hot pools and sauna are surrounded by birch and pine trees which enrich the atmosphere with their unique fragrance,” Hansdóttir notes. Two swim-up bars, a cold plunge pool, a Finnish dry sauna and fireside dining complete the geothermal sanctuary, which Hansdóttir describes as “a wonderful place to experience traditional outdoor hot pools as well as elegant architecture that respects its surroundings.”
Karen Björg Eyfjörð
Þorsteinsdóttir
Writer
Screenwriter and occasional actress Karen Björg Eyfjörð Þorsteinsdóttir was born and raised in Grenivík, a town with a population of 300 in the north of Iceland. At 21, she moved to Reykjavík to attend the University of Iceland, where she graduated in psychology. After working in a psychiatric hospital in Reykjavík for several years, Björg Eyfjörð Þorsteinsdóttir decided to pursue a diploma in screenwriting from London in 2021. Since then, she’s written nine shows for Icelandic television. She lives in Reykjavík with her fiancé and their son and frequently returns to visit her family in the north.
(Hotel) Ever the ambassador for her birthplace, Björg Eyfjörð Þorsteinsdótti graciously opens her address book to share a preview for a forthcoming five-star adventure hotel under construction on an imposing cliffside in Grenivík. Set to open in early 2025, Höfði Lodge will offer a no-holds-barred base for unparalleled access to Iceland’s pristine north via the ultimate adrenaline-filled adventure holiday. Heli-skiing, snowmobiling, hiking and mountain biking are among the activities on offer. “Nothing like this has ever been made in my calm and stoic hometown,” she notes.
(Dining)In 2022, Gunnar Karl Gíslasson, the founding chef behind Reykjavík’s Dill, the country’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, brought his culinary artistry to a higher latitude with North, an elegantly low-key fine-dining experience in the northern port town of Akureyri. The provenance and suppliers of hyper-local ingredients are noted on the menu—smoked haddock caught by Elvar Reykjalín with green tomatoes, cream and herbs, beef from retired dairy cows from Holtsel, slow-braised with mushrooms and kohlrabi—and carefully paired with biodynamic wines or champagne, should the occasion call for it. Björg Eyfjörð Þorsteinsdótti describes North as “one of the finest restaurants I’ve ever been to. The service and the atmosphere are significant and the fact that it’s quite small and off the main street gives it a real hidden-gem vibe,” she says.
(Natural Wonder)Overlooking Grenivík with its spectacular craggy peak raised 1,173 meters above sea level, Mt. Kaldbakur is the highest mountain in the Westfjords Alps. It’s also considered to be one of Iceland’s energy centers, and whether you hike it in the summer in fine conditions or experience it on a ski tour in the winter, its energy is palpable. “When I was a kid growing up in Grenivík, all my family did in the winter was snowmobiling and skiing down Kaldbakur. My mother forfeited a new kitchen for ten years so we could renew the snowmobile lease,” Björg Eyfjörð Þorsteinsdótti shares. “Today, you can get to the top with a snow plow or better yet, a helicopter. Nothing can describe the energy you feel from the mountain.”
“Nothing can describe the energy you feel from Kaldbakur.”
Gísli Matthías Auðunsson
(Natural Wonder) Auðunsson’s archipelagic home of Vestmannaeyjar, accessible from the mainland by private boat or electric ferry, is renowned for its dramatic volcanic landscapes, rich maritime history, and vibrant birdlife. “This is the place I grew up—very calm yet stunningly beautiful,” he says. Rugged cliffs, active volcanoes and picturesque harbors conceal long-standing secrets, including the remains of ancient Norse settlements. Home to the world’s largest puffin colony and the world’s first open-water beluga whale sanctuary, Vestmannaeyjar is shedding its under-the-radar status as one of Iceland’s best-kept secrets. The local media accolade of “food capital of Iceland” is in part attributable to Auðunsson and his restaurants, Slippurinn and Næs.
(Dining)Iceland’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, Dill, is more of an institution than an insider’s secret, but Auðunsson’s endorsement validates the hype. From its first-floor location in Reykjavík’s city center, the enthusiastic team serves an “unorthodox” set menu paired with a “provocative” wine list curated by head sommelier Gísli Jensson. The menu weaves together stories of Iceland’s agricultural history, indigenous ingredients and traditional food preparation—what Auðunsson describes as “Icelandic produce treated very well by chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason.” Expect dishes like goose breast with red cabbage, bilberries and brown butter, followed by hay-smoked ice cream with dill, reindeer moss and sea salt. Book early, come hungry and prepare to be thrilled.
Chef, Restaurateur and Food Activist
Born and residing in Heimaey, the largest and only inhabited island of Vestmannaeyjar, an archipelago off Iceland’s southern coast, Gísli Matthías Auðunsson grew up in a family of fishermen and cooks. After moving to Reykjavík, he trained as a cook and, together with his family, opened Slippurinn back in Vestmannaeyjar in 2012. Gísli gained experience abroad in New York City and France before opening Matur og Drykkur in 2015. In 2017, he co-founded Skál!, a Michelin-recognised food hall. Auðunsson’s ventures include Næs, a casual dining spot that opened in 2022.
WILD SEABIRD EGG WITH LAMB X.O. AND PINECREAM. PUFFED COD SKIN WITH SMOKED COD ROE, HORSE-RADISH AND CHERVIL
PAINTING IN SLIPPIRINN
Svartaborg
(Destination Hotel)Tucked into the hillside of a remote valley in northern Iceland, Svartaborg private villas offer an ideal base for exploring the enchantment of North East Iceland. A ten-minute drive takes you to Goðafoss waterfall, 20 minutes to award-winning whale-watching spots and 40 minutes to the picturesque Lake Mývatn. If you can bring yourself to leave your villa, that is. Each features a fully equipped kitchen and a private outdoor hot tub, perfect for gazing at the Northern Lights. The villas are adorned with charming ceramics, candle holders and baskets, many designed or selected by the owners and available for purchase as souvenirs of what Auðunsson calls the “perfect getaway here in Iceland.”
“The menu of DILL weaves together stories of Iceland’s agricultural history, indigenous ingredients and traditional food preparation.”
WESTMAN ISLANDS
RÚRí
Artist
Rúrí is an artist educated in Iceland and the Netherlands whose practice encompasses a wide range of media, including performance, happenings, sculpture, installations, large-scale environmental works, photography, video, film and poetry.
Her work has consistently centered on ontological investigations into what it means to be human and the complex relationships humans have with the natural world. She represented Iceland at the Venice Biennale in 2003. Her work is included in numerous museum collections, including the Reykjavík Art Museum, the National Gallery of Iceland, the Living Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Lafuente Archive and the Art Center Hugo Voeten.
(Cultural Attraction)Founded in 1995 by Níels Hafstein and Magnhildur Sigurðardóttir, the Icelandic Folk and Outsider Art Museum hosts an extensive collection of outsider art. Situated across the fjord from the town of Akureyri in Iceland’s north, just a 10-minute drive eastward, the museum comprises 10 galleries set across two buildings steeped in local history. Rúrí, who never misses the chance to visit when traveling north, notes that “one could say that the hallmark of the museum is offering admittance into an atmosphere of innocence and creativity where the interested and open-minded visitor is received with genuine hospitality.”
(Hotel)Four-star, 42-room boutique Hotel Holt offers immersion not only among the city’s major attractions—its rooms offer views of the Hallgrímskirkja Church and Mount Esja—but also among Icelandic art history. Adorning its rooms, walls and hallways is a dazzling catalog of works that belong to its founders’ private collection, the largest of its kind in the country. Each piece turns liminal moments into private viewing experiences. Study portraits by Jóhannes S. Kjarval at the hotel bar or dwell on scenes of daily life in 19th-century Iceland along lithographs of M. August Mayer that line the halls. “I used to go to Hotel Holt to meet my artist friends,” Rúrí says. “You can enjoy a quiet atmosphere and have creative conversations on important matters without being disturbed.”
Garðskagaviti
(Natural Wonder)“Nature is a living entity, every single place on Earth is a part of it. How could I, as a mere human, attempt to point to one part of its body or another part and declare it more worthy of our attention than all the other parts that form its whole existence? Any place where one can enjoy a calm connection with nature holds a special appeal. Listening to the whisper of a soft wind in the grass, a roaring storm at a cliffy beach or the charming tingling tones of a small creek dancing on water-rounded stones are all wonders of nature—at a seashore, a storm blowing over the ocean, carrying droplets that hammer into my face; the taste of the ocean on my lips,” muses Rúrí. “Garðskagaviti could be the place or the cliffs at Reykjanesviti or even Grótta.”
“At a seashore, a storm blowing over the ocean, carrying droplets that hammer into my face; the taste of the ocean on my lips.”