Of the 394,000-ish people who live in Iceland, nearly 252,000 live in and around Reykjavik, the capital. There are active volcanoes in its suburbs, but it is the sparsely peopled beyond — home to glaciers, waterfalls, basalt cliffs and other geologic wonders — that largely attracts visitors.
By contrast, Reykjavik is the place to experience Icelandic creativity, history and humor. There, you can spend three days of museum-going, mingle with locals and visitors at the iconic bar Kaffibarinn and, for cheap eats, sample the rye flatbread flatkaka from the grocery chain Kronan — things I did during a free stopover in Reykjavik on an Icelandair flight to continental Europe.
The program — which allows fliers to stay in Iceland for up to a week — is a potentially attractive way for eclipse-chasers to see the solar eclipse that will track across Iceland Aug. 12. The path of totality includes Reykjavik as well as Westfjords and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula to the north, and the Reykjanes Peninsula near the airport in Keflavik. (Expecting heavy traffic, the Iceland tourism authority is encouraging eclipse watchers to take one of many tours on offer).
Here are four money-saving strategies and a few tips on small splurges in the peopled part of Iceland. Note that most prices are listed in Icelandic krona, currently trading at about 125.40 krona to the dollar, though travelers may see prices in euros and dollars.