In response to increasing demand, the Laugardalur campsite in Reykjavík will now be open all year round, but the site is also being used by people who are between homes.
Up until this point, the popular campsite has only been open from May 1 to September 30, RÚV reports, but campsite operations manager Sigríður Ólafsdóttir tells reporters that increasing demand has compelled them to broaden that schedule significantly. Last winter, camper vans began parking next to the youth hostel at Laugardalur, which is open all year, but now the campsite will be open all year round as well.
“We haven’t banned people from camping here in the winter thus far,” Sigríður told reporters. “But this is the first time that we will be officially open [in the winter].”
Visitors to Iceland are not the only ones making use of the campsite, either. About half a dozen camper vans operated by Icelanders have been using the site to set up camp while looking for more permanent dwellings. Sigríður says that there is a possibility that a monthly camping fee may be offered, which she estimates could range from 40,000 to 45,000 ISK.
As such, if you have a four season tent and were planning on visiting Iceland over the winter months, now could be your chance to try winter camping in a relatively controlled environment.
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