5 Best Sights in Húsavík, North Iceland

This beautiful infinity pool offers sensational Arctic views of the shimmering Skjálfandi Bay and the Flateyjarskagi Peninsula. While you relax in the geothermally heated seawater, you can wave to folks on whale-watching tours sailing by and point with excitement at large whales breaching in the bay. The mineral-rich water is said to help with skin conditions such as psoriasis. For your comfort, towel, swimsuit, and bathrobe rentals are available.

This excellent museum is entirely dedicated to whales with a number of splendid installations. The center provides detailed information on the whale's habitat along with its biology and ecology. Learn about the species in the North Atlantic in detail, as well as whale stranding and natural history. The facility also includes a full and intact skeleton of a 25-meter-long (82-foot-long) blue whale.

A unique and unusually large church by Icelandic standards, Húsavíkurkirkja is the town’s most iconic landmark attraction and focal point of postcards and images. It was built to accommodate the entire community at the time it was built in 1907 and still serves the public with regular services and ceremonies. Some residents modeled for the large altar painting depicting the resurrection of Lazurus, but not everyone was happy with the result.

Once home to a small community, Flatey, or Flat Island, is now inhabited only during the summer, mostly by birds and those who love watching them. A sanctuary to at least 30 different species, it has a large population of cute puffins and swooping, scalp-pecking arctic terns. Gentle Giants and North Sailing offer tours to the island, which is 27.2 km (14.7 nautical miles) northwest of Húsavík in Skjálfandi Bay.

This leafy, scenic town park is complete with a babbling brook, duck pond, and some exotic tree species such as the Manchurian cherry. It's perfect for an afternoon stroll in any weather but is particularly charming in the summer, which comes with the soundtrack of quacking ducks.