Kópavogur

Kópavogur is Iceland’s second-largest municipality, a lively extension of the capital just south of Reykjavík. Once a quiet stretch of coast, it has grown into a modern town of leafy neighbourhoods, cultural venues and some of the country’s biggest shopping centres.

Visitors come for the Smáralind and Kringlan malls, the Salurinn concert hall and Gerðarsafn art museum on the culture hill, and excellent geothermal pools. A coastal path links Kópavogur to central Reykjavík, making it an easy, well-connected base.