Hotel Ranga

For all the ruggedness of the land and the otherworldly beauty of the setting, Iceland is not exactly rich in impressive places to stay. It seems as though it might be ripe for something like the New Zealand model, with rustic lodges scattered over the island. There’s no guarantee that’s where Icelandic tourism is headed, of course, but if by chance it is, then the Hotel Rangá is a very fine start.

It’s located on the southern coast of the island, a little more than an hour east of Reykjavik — which, in Iceland, means you’re in pretty much the middle of nowhere. With a volcano behind it and the sea in front of it, it’s not hurting for scenery, but it’s at night that the Rangá really shines — during the Northern Lights there’s hardly a better place on earth from which to see them.

The lodge itself is as rustic as it gets, a traditional log cabin construction. The guest quarters are largely wood-paneled, some of the rooms tucked up under the eaves, with views over the spectacularly bleak Icelandic landscape. And the suites take it to another level, each one themed after another continent — the Asian suite is a Japanese-style tatami room, and the African is something straight out of a Tarzan film. For Icelanders they’re probably just the thing to break out of the Nordic status quo, but outsiders might prefer something a little more understated. And whatever it lacks in rolling hills and wandering sheep it more than makes up for in glaciers, waterfalls, hot springs, and the whole Iceland experience.

How to get there:
Hotel Ranga can be reached by car from Keflavik International Airport in approximately two hours. The driving time from the city of Reykjavik is about one hour and twenty minutes.