Planning your trip to Iceland

THE BEST WAY

From LAX, connecting service to Reykjavik (change of plane) is offered on American, Delta, Northwest and United; restricted round-trip fares begin at $704.

TELEPHONES

To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code), 354 (country code for Iceland) and the local number.

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Djupavik, off Route 643 in Westfjords, 451-4037, www.djupavik.com. Its wood-floored, antique-filled dining room doubles as a gathering place for the surrounding community of sheep farmers. On summer Sundays, the family-run business puts on a cake buffet, offering a taste of many confections. Doubles from $115.

Hotel Kea, 87-89 Hafnarstræti, Akureyri; 460-2000, www.keahotels.is. The 73-room Hotel Kea is a good choice for travelers who want to experience the countryside and end the day with a cocktail and CNN. Not plush, but the rooms are pleasant and the breakfast spread is decent. Doubles from $301.

Hótel Reynihlid, 660 Myvatn, 464 4170, www.reynihlid.is. In the village next to Lake Myvatn, this is a convenient base if you want to take advantage of Myvatn’s fishing, hiking and volcanic sites. Doubles from $307.

WHERE TO EAT

Fjoruhusid Hellnar, follow signs in the town of Hellnar, off Route 574 on Snaefellsnes peninsula, 435-6844. This tiny cafe on the southern edge of the Snaefellnes peninsula is a nice diversion and famous for its creamy seafood soup ($21), featuring scallops and fish from the north side of the peninsula. Main dishes $14 to $21.

Café Fjallafang, Route F208 in the central highlands, www.landmannalaugar.info. The central highlands host the island’s most visited natural hot spring, Landmannalaugar, in a multicolor valley of sweeping rhyolite mountains. During the summer, Café Fjallafang opens for business in two converted buses, offering hot coffee and other fresh supplies to campers who come to soak in the springs.

Bakeriid vid Bruna, 1 Dalsbraut, Akureyri, 461-2700.Nearly every town in Iceland has its own bakery, many of which carry an excellent Icelandic pastry called the “love ball.” Nobody does these cardamom- and raisin-infused doughnuts better than Bakeriid vid Bruna -- “the bakery by the bridge” -- on the eastern edge of town. Grab a couple of the tennis-ball-size treats ($1.50 each) to enjoy on the way home.

Gamlibaerinn Café, at Hotel Reynihlid in Reykjahlid near Lake Myvatn (see above); 464-4170. “The Old Farm” cafe across the road from Lake Myvatn bills itself as an authentic Icelandic countryside tavern. The summers-only establishment in the Myvatn-adjacent village of Reykjahlid is a strange surprise in such a small, seasonally open village -- both for its simple, elegant interior and its generous plates of lasagna, home-baked bread and cakes. Meals from about $34.

TO LEARN MORE

Reykjavik Tourist Information Centre, 590-1500, www.visitreykjavik.is.

Akureyri Tourist Information Centre, 462-3300, www.nordurland.is.