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Iceland’s largest ski area, Blafjoll ski resort, is only 30 minutes away from Reykjavík and easily caters for all abilities from beginners to experienced competitors. Impeccable beginner and intermediate terrain encompasses five different areas. The main slopes are illuminated for night skiing, and there is summer skiing on the nearby glaciers.

Blafjoll ski resort boasts a large number of groomed pistes which cater mainly for the novice and intermediate skier; there are also advanced runs for the more experienced. Eleven ski lifts, including two chairlifts (two doubles) and nine surface/draglifts have a combined capacity of 8,100 people per hour.

The three ski clubs - Ármann, Fram and Breiðablik - have a monopoly on the overnight accommodation, which offers space for 100 skiers and snowboarders. Restaurant facilities are thin on the ground in Blafjoll ski resort, but there is a refreshment centre selling food and drink, with an area for those who have brought their own. For nightlife, there are numerous pubs, bars and restaurants in the greater Reykjavik area, which is easily accessible from the resort.

The nearby Kerlingarfjoll and Vatnajokul glaciers provide alternative skiing in the winter and the only skiing in the summer. Away from the slopes there is much to see and the ski resort makes a great base from which to explore Iceland. Reykjavík itself is a bright city with comfortable and modern buildings, quaint turn-of-the-century timber houses, and an old fishing harbour. Hafnarfjörður, near Reykjavík, is a charming and tranquil spot and the home of Vikings and elves.

Blafjoll’s ski season runs from mid-November to May, with summer skiing at Kerlingarfjoll and Vatnajokul glaciers. The best way to get to Blafjoll ski resort is to fly into Reykjavík and take the Skibus.

Skiing in Blafjoll

Blafjoll ski resort has long been the favourite place for skiers in the Reykjavík area and it is constantly being added to and improved. There are lifts, cross-country paths and a lodge, and the skiing is geared mainly for beginners and intermediates.

Blafjoll’s good complement of pisted runs is divided into beginner and intermediate pistes, with a smaller proportion of advanced runs. Two chairlifts and nine draglifts can handle up to 8,100 skiers per hour. There are three-, five- and ten-kilometre cross-country trails, with the five-kilometre trail also reserved for night skiing.

There is limited accommodation at Blafjoll, with lodgings for only 100 skiers; however, nearby Reykjavík offers all the comforts and services of a capital city, and there is a wide range of accommodation to choose from there. Food and drink is available in a refreshment centre at the resort but again, facilities in this department are minimal.

The best snow in Blafjoll can be had from mid-February into March and special deals are offered up to the Christmas holidays, in mid-January and after the high season.

Apres-ski in Blafjoll

Other winter activities and facilities include snowboarding and hiking. Additionally, hikers can take a lift at Kongsgil for panoramic sightseeing. The service centre at midpoint in the area has hot snacks, while two other on-mountain huts have food service. Service is limited at Blafjoll ski resort, but Reykjavík has plenty of options for nightly entertainment.

Transportation to Blafjoll

Blafjoll ski resort is located to the east of Reykjavík. Services to the resort are limited, as Iceland has no railways and its highway system is the least developed in Europe. The most practical and convenient way to get here is to fly to Reykjavík and take the Skibus from the airport; hiring a four-wheel drive is another option.

Blafjoll ski resort is only a 30-minute drive from Reykjavík via highway 1 and unsealed mountain roads. A four-wheel drive is necessary.

Reykjavík International Airport receives regular and direct flights from Europe and the USA. For cheaper airfares, try Iceland Express, a low-cost airline with daily flights from London (Stansted) and Copenhagen to Reykjavík. The Skibus meets every flight for transfer to Blafjoll and also goes from Reykjavík, Gardabaer, Hafnarfjörður and Kópavogur.

Bifreiðastöð Íslands (BSÍ), a collective organization of long-distance bus lines, does a good job of covering the country with a feasible, though inconvenient, network

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