Viðey island from Reykjavík: worth half a day?

Yes, in summer, on a dry day, if a quiet walk is what you want. Viðey is five minutes by boat from Reykjavík and feels much further: grass, birds, a handful of old buildings and a few serious works of art, with the city across the water. Give it three to four hours including the ferry. It isn’t dramatic, and in rain or high wind there is almost nowhere to hide.

Getting there

Two ferries, both run by one operator, both from €18.

• Viðey Ferry from Skarfabakki is the main route. Skarfabakki is the cruise pier east of the centre, five to ten minutes by car, or buses 12 and 16 from Hlemmur. The crossing takes five to ten minutes. From 15 May to 31 August boats go every hour from 10:15 to 17:15, with the last return at 18:30. From September to mid-May they run on Saturdays and Sundays only, at 13:15, 14:15 and 15:15, back by 16:30.
• Viðey Ferry from the Old Harbour runs June to August only, at 11:50 and 14:50, and takes 15 to 20 minutes. It’s the easy one if you are staying downtown. In summer you can come back to either harbour.

Check the times on the day you book. Crossings are cancelled in bad weather, and the last boat back is the one to plan around.

What’s on the island

Viðeyjarstofa. A stone house from the 1750s, built for the royal treasurer Skúli Magnússon and among the oldest stone buildings in the country. It’s a café in summer, open 11:00 to 18:00, and the only place on the island to buy food. Next to it is Viðey Church, small and plain, also from the 18th century.

The Imagine Peace Tower. Yoko Ono’s memorial to John Lennon, a white wishing-well shape with “imagine peace” written in 24 languages. By day it’s modest. On autumn evenings, from Lennon’s birthday on 9 October to the anniversary of his death on 8 December, a column of light rises from it into the sky and can be seen from all over Reykjavík. It is also lit on a few other dates in the year.

Áfangar. On the western part of the island, Richard Serra’s ring of paired basalt pillars is spread across the headland. Walking between them is the best reason to go beyond the café. Allow an hour or so there and back.

Beyond that, it’s paths along the shore, bird life in summer, old ruins of a fishing village at the eastern end, and views of Esja across the sound. Bring a jacket even in July.

Ways to do it

On your own. Take the ferry, walk, have coffee, come back. Cheapest and best on a fine summer day.

With a whale watching trip. Reykjavík Whales & Viðey Island, from €123, pairs a whale-watching trip from the Old Harbour with a return Viðey ferry on the same day. Sightings are good in summer, never certain. It fits neatly because both boats leave from the same harbour.

For the Peace Tower. Reykjavík Imagine Peace Tower Tour, from €129, is a two-hour evening walk on the island with a naturalist guide, the return ferry, hot chocolate and a twisted doughnut. Crampons are supplied if the paths are icy. The northern lights are sometimes visible over the tower; don’t count on it. Reykjavík Whales & Imagine Peace Tower, from €203, puts a 13:00 whale watch and the 20:00 tower trip into one ticket, with dinner in the harbour in between. It’s a long day, and good value only if you wanted both.

When not to go

Skip it in heavy rain or a gale. The island is open and low, and a wet afternoon there is just wet. Skip it too if you have only two or three days in Iceland: the Golden Circle or the south coast will do more for you. Viðey is a fourth-day, slow-afternoon sort of place.

Our honest take

In summer, take the Skarfabakki ferry, walk out to Áfangar, back via the café, and catch a boat home. Half a day, €18, and one of the calmest afternoons you can have within sight of the city.

Between October and early December, the evening Peace Tower tour 1301 is the one we’d book. You get the light, a guide and a warm drink, and you don’t have to worry about the ferry times in the dark.

In the rest of the winter, weekend-only boats and short days make it hard to justify. Go to a pool instead.