The Curtain Test in Iceland

The sun barely leaves the sky in Iceland around the June solstice, which falls on the 20th or 21st. In Reykjavík, it dips below the horizon for a couple of hours after midnight, but the sky never goes properly dark. Farther north, near the Arctic Circle, it scarcely sets at all. This near-constant daylight is the reason many travellers come in June, but it is also the hardest part of sleeping well. Blackout blinds matter more than any view this month. A north-facing window might sound appealing, but real darkness and a packed eye mask will do more for your sleep than any vista. This is why farm stays and country guesthouses often provide better rest than city hotels.

Accommodation in Iceland is expensive in June and books out months ahead, especially near the south coast where beds are scarce. In the capital, Reykjavík, the central 101 postcode offers design-led hotels around Laugavegur, Hallgrímskirkja and the harbour. Staying here means evenings on foot for dinner or a swim in a municipal geothermal pool, but it costs more than the ring of business hotels farther out. If the city is just a stopover between drives, a plainer hotel near the ring road saves money and time. Out in the country, towns are small and spread out. You are often choosing the one cluster of rooms within reach of tomorrow's sights rather than comparing many options. Vík, near Reynisfjara, is an obvious mid-south overnight, and Höfn, a fishing town, is the natural base for the glacier lagoon.

Between these towns, you will find farm stays and guesthouses, a pleasant Icelandic tradition where working farms let rooms, sometimes with dinner. These are often the best value and the most memorable beds on the island. They put you out under the open sky rather than in a car park, away from any ambient city light that might seep around thin curtains. The quiet pleasure of an Iceland trip often comes from these small country hotels, attached to a lonely stretch of coast or a river valley, rather than a named property. The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon is a destination in itself, built into the lava field, but the Blue Lagoon has closed at short notice during the Reykjanes eruptions, so confirm it is operating before building a night around it. Regardless of where you choose, pay close attention to your room's curtains.

The midnight sun does not reward an itinerary that tries to see everything at ordinary hours; it rewards one that is willing to stop moving and adapt. Because it stays light, a washed-out morning does not cost you the day. You can wait out a squall and still have hours of usable evening. The crowds at honeypot sites like the Golden Circle stops, Seljalandsfoss, or Reynisfjara are busiest from mid-morning to late afternoon. Reaching Gullfoss or Skógafoss at eight or nine in the evening, or before nine in the morning, can mean a near-empty car park at a place that was shoulder-to-shoulder at noon. This is the single most useful trick the midnight sun hands you. Always ask whether rooms have blackout blinds, and bring an eye mask regardless; your body clock may need a night or two to adjust to 11pm feeling like midday.