How to cheap out

Since the crash in 2008, Iceland is now Half-price Land, but it’s still Western Europe. So what can you do that’s just about free?

• Hang in a café. For some reason, the country has sky-high coffee consumption and commensurately numerous cafés and an intensely serious barista culture. There are cool artist-run ones like Kaffismiðjan (The Coffeesmith), cozy visiting-with-grandma ones like Tíu Dropar (Ten Drops), and sleek modern ones like Te og Kaffi (guess). We’re also fond of C is for Cookie. 
• Hang in a bookstore. The staff honestly don’t care if you hang out all day reading all the books and magazines without buying anything. Besides affording the opportunity to marvel at the weird inventory – which includes enough English to keep you occupied – bigger bookstores like Eymundsson will include a café.
• Hike!
• Get out of the city and pick berries. All that that flat land near the sea? Saturated with bilberries come August.
• Wander around Laugardalur.
• Wander to Tjörnin. Wave at the ducks.
• Visit City Hall, look at the cool giant 3D topographic map of the country, and perhaps say hi to Jón Gnarr, the ex-punk rocker and comedian whose satirical political party rode a tremendous wave of political disillusionment all the way to the mayoralty.
• See the free, and weird, Einar Jónsson sculpture garden in the center of town.
• Poke around Hallgrímskirkja. See the view from the top.
• Wander around Laugardalur. Enjoy the trees and sculptures.
• Got hiking boots? Hike up Esja, the mountain that overlooks the city.
• Walk the seawall. See Sólfar.
• If it’s Wednesday afternoon, the National Museum is free.
• Swimming! There are 18 pools in town.
• Stroll way, way out to the lighthouse at Grótta. See the birdies.
• Wander around Þingholt; behold the Lego-like buildings.
• Hotdog at the harbor!
• Go to Babalú on a sunny day, sit out on the balcony, and people-watch the passers-by on Skólavörðustígur.
• Practice saying Skólavörðustígur.