74 Best Sights in Reykjanes Peninsula and the South Coast (with the Golden Circle), Iceland

One of Iceland's most iconic foods, the dairy product Skyr (fresh sour milk cheese that's like yogurt with a milder taste) takes center stage at this interactive museum. Within the compact yet captivating exhibition, you can sample different flavors, uncover the product's sordid past, and explore how it has helped shape Icelandic identity.

Possibly the oldest eco-village in the world, Sólheimar was established in 1930. Today, around 100 people of different backgrounds and abilities live in the sunny village. Together they sustainably run a large greenhouse, six creative art workshops, an organic café, an arboretum, a vegetable store, a guesthouse, and much more. Vala, the market and art gallery, sells exquisite woodcrafts, handmade candles, face masks, and more.

“The miracle church,” as it often called by locals, was built in the 12th century. The southern coast of Iceland is known for its severe weather, rough coast, and hidden reefs. Legend has it that a group of sailors were negotiating with God while trying to get back to harbor in a bad storm and promised to build a new church wherever the ship landed. Suddenly a light appeared in the sky and guided the sailors to shore. The sailors kept their promise, and the bay nearby was named Engilsvík (Angel’s Bay). Since then, Icelanders have donated to Strandarkirkja when their family is going through rough times in hopes that their prayers will be answered.

Right in the heart of Selfoss, you'll find one of the biggest swimming pools in the south of Iceland. Sundhöllin has both indoor and outdoor swimming areas, a children's pool, a sauna, ice baths, and hot tubs. They also offer indoor and outdoor changing rooms and wheelchair access. It's open late from Monday to Thursday until 9 pm, which makes it a perfect stop after dinner.

The charming little geothermal swimming pool in Hveragerði was once the biggest in Iceland. Although that's no longer the case, it still has a special characteristic: as a \"constant stream\" pool—heated with steam coming directly from the ground—the water is considered by many to have health benefits. The setting around the pool is green and lovely, and it also has a particularly beautiful sauna.

On a slow day, you might just find yourself alone at this casual little swimming pool in the center of town. The hot tubs are a great place to meet locals, so don't be afraid to say hello. 

Hafnarfjörður has three swimming pools, but Suðurbæjarlaug has a late-1980s charm and is the only one with an outdoor pool. There are indoor and outdoor changing rooms, two waterslides, a steam bath, and a nice little path that twists around the pool ideal for cooling off between dips in the numerous hot tubs.

In an old converted cowshed on the banks of the beautiful Þjórsár, you will find a peculiar gallery founded by the couple Ólafur Sigurjónsso and Bergþóra Guðbergsdóttir. Inside is an old church organ that was deemed beyond repair after the volcanic eruption in Vestmanneyjar as well as exquisite woodcraft pieces from local artist Sigga á Grund and pieces of wood turning from Ólafur. There are also compact spinning machines that Sigurjón, Ólafur's father, invented and built at the farm around 1950.

If you would like to see where the brave fisherman that battled the North Atlantic Sea slept and ate during their days ashore in the 18th and 19th centuries, check out this restored turf house. It once belonged to Þuríður Einarsdóttir, one of the few female boat captains in Iceland.

This might not be the biggest waterfall in Iceland, but it's one of the most powerful, boasting the highest average water flow of any Icelandic waterfall, and the second in all of Europe. There is a small parking area and visitor's center.

If you are traveling with small children, this is the perfect place to escape cold Icelandic winter days or to give babies a break from the strong Nordic sun in summer. Waterworld is an indoor activity pool for the youngest generation, with bucket showers, small slides, and a friendly seal. There is also an outdoor pool, four hot tubs, and steam baths for the older generation. Children up to age 10 can enter free with an adult.

Here you will find Íslendingur, an exact replica of the Viking Age Gokstad ship, which was a remarkable archaeological find of an almost-completely intact Viking ship. Learn about the Norse settlement and mythology while you sit at the stern and imagine the sea breeze tickling your face. 

The pleasant folk museum, in an older gentry house, has interesting exhibits. Its surrounding turf walls were the most effective means of shelter from stiff onshore breezes.

The maritime museum displays fishing artifacts from the 19th century. There are photographs, a baiting hut from 1925, and a 12-oared fishing boat. Nearby tidal marshes are a bird-watcher's wonderland.