Stays in Álftanes

Álftanes is a low, flat peninsula on the south side of the bay from Reykjavík, part of the Garðabær municipality, with open sea on three sides and Bessastaðir, the residence of Iceland's president, at its centre. It is a place to sleep for travellers with a car who want quiet, sea views and space, and still be in central Reykjavík in under half an hour. Without a car it makes little sense: the peninsula is residential, and you would spend your evenings on bus timetables. We list two stays here. Hlid Fisherman's Village, scored 8.9 out of 10 over 1,234 guest reviews, has cottage-style rooms with private bathrooms and sea views, driftwood furniture and walking and birdwatching trails on site, 14 km from the city centre. The other is a four-bedroom holiday home with a kitchen and garden, sized for a family or a group, with only one review so far. The local pool, Álftaneslaug, is the reason families come: it has the only wave pool in Iceland, a large water slide, a 25 m lane pool, two hot tubs and a sauna, and the usual Icelandic rule applies, a full shower without swimsuit before you get in. I would pick Álftanes for the first or last nights of a Ring Road trip, since you leave the capital area towards Keflavík airport without driving through downtown traffic, rather than for a city break built around Reykjavík's bars and restaurants.