Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1170372
e Retreat Hotel and Spa at Blue Lagoon oozes otherworldly tranquility and makes for a memorable romantic getaway. Rumor has it that Beyoncé and Jay-Z were recent guests. While trips along the Golden Circle ring road south of Reykjavík are a good way to tick off a variety of sites in a day or two (think: the Gullfoss waterfall, geysers and glaciers) for those seeking the path less trodden, you must head east. Last summer, we drove six hours from Reykjavík to Höfn to visit Diamond Beach, a magnificent black sand shoreline decked out with large chunks of glacier ice that glisten like jewels. Artist- turned-perfumer Andrea Maack agrees that the east is where it's at and referred me to another must-visit spot nearby, the new Vök boathouse. For the most experiential dining experience, fashion designer Hildur Yeoman recommends making a pilgrimage to Slippurinn, an atmospheric seasonal restaurant located on the Westman Islands, a whale sanctuary off the southern coast that is accessible only by boat or plane. "e whole archipelago is beautiful and this place truly will wow you with its New Nordic menu and incredible setting," she says. Housed in an old shipyard, the family- run restaurant's inventive cuisine is the work of young chef Gísli Matthías Auðunsson. Kalda footwear designer Katrin Alda inspired me to go camping (wearing the cool hiking boots she named after me) in Ásbyrgi, in northeastern Iceland. "It's a beautiful canyon we believe was formed when Odin's eight-legged horse touched one of its feet to the ground," she says of the nature reserve steeped in Viking lore. Over the summer I also ventured with artist and photographer Saga Sig to Akureyri, Iceland's most northern city that is decidedly cultured despite its remote location at the top of the world. Saga made sure I experienced the famous Brynja ice cream parlor and untouched sci-fi landscapes. I also visited my ancestral home in the tiny town of Húsavík, the country's whale watching capital, and took a dip in the breathtaking GeoSea thermal sea baths, a new cliffside spot overlooking the ocean. e year-round swimming and bathing culture in Iceland is so ingrained that there are more pools per capita than any other country. In Reykjavík, I pretend I'm a local and visit the recently refurbished Sundhöllin pool, the oldest in the city, to swim laps and soak in the hot and freezing cold tubs. I always leave radiant and rid of any jet lag. Afterwards, I pop down the street to Reykjavík Roasters, the best cafe in town, for a Scandi-style oat milk latte, homemade soup and rye bread with Icelandic butter—which is the best you'll ever have, so make sure to smear generously. I always bring bricks of the brand Smjör back from the airport delicatessen, Pure Foods, along with a suitcase's worth of slightly salty black licorice, salmon gravlax and Reyka vodka. It's just enough to tide me over until I can go back again. And again. BAL HARBOUR 203 (From top) Inside the Harpa; Slippurinn restaurant; Lundström Halbert wearing a shearling coat from her Therma K Ņta label. Opposite, the Retreat Hotel and Spa at Blue Lagoon.