Örfirisey & Grandi

Few places in Reykjavík have changed as dramatically over the centuries as Örfirisey. Once an island connected to the mainland by a beach that could be walked across at low tide, it lay west of Kvosin, where settlement in Iceland first began.
Today, Grandi has been expanded through extensive land reclamation, and Örfirisey forms the westernmost part of Reykjavík Harbour. It serves as the main shopping area for groceries in the western part of the city, while remaining a vibrant hub for the fishing industry—home to two major fishing companies.
The area also stores the nation’s oil reserves, attracts tourists with its sights, restaurants, and several museums.
Örfirisey and Grandi now form a lively “village” in the heart of the capital: a reclaimed peninsula with just one residential block and a sparse but lively population where tourists and locals mingle on an island shaped almost entirely by human hands. The land reclamation has made the harbour both safer and more efficient, creating an exciting new neighbourhood right west of the city centre.
Icelandic Times took a stroll through this blend of new and old in the capital.