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42 km
About 40 min
Car 1–4 · Van 5–7
Free cancellation 24 h
Capital area · from KEF
About Kópavogur and the drive
Kópavogur is Iceland's second-largest municipality by population, a town that grew up directly south of Reykjavík and now runs into it without any visible border. Visitors end up here for the hotels and apartments around Smáralind and the tower at Smáratorg, for family visits, or simply because it is a practical base: central Reykjavík is a short drive or bus ride away, and the main road to the airport is on the doorstep.
That last point makes the transfer straightforward. Route 41 from Keflavík runs right through Kópavogur, so there is no crossing of the city centre: after the lava fields of the Reykjanes peninsula and the edge of Hafnarfjörður and Garðabær, the driver turns off into your neighbourhood and stops at your door. On the way back the same road gets you onto the airport route quickly, which is handy for early departures.
If you have a free afternoon, the cultural cluster at Hamraborg is worth a look, with the Gerðarsafn art museum and the Salurinn concert hall, and the curved Kópavogskirkja church on the hill above. Smáralind, one of the largest shopping centres in Iceland, is useful for a last-minute outdoor jacket before you set off around the country.
