Hotel Ranga, near Hella

The perfect place to see the northern lights

This is big-sky country. No wonder Ranga has such a glowing reputation for northern lights viewing. You’re miles from any artificial light pollution, so when the aurora appears you’re in for a truly unforgettable experience. Hotel Ranga offers its guests an aurora wake-up call so you needn’t worry about missing the spectacle. The staff are genuinely enthusiastic (and knowledgeable) about all-things aurora. You can glean tips on photographing the northern lights and learn about how they’re created. Gaze at the cosmos while gently poaching in one of Ranga’s outdoor hot tubs or see beyond the aurora, deep into space, using the hotel’s state-of-the-art observatory, complete with a roll-off roof.

Although the aurora can be visible at Ranga from as early as late August right through to April, summer has its own very special and unique light show. The glow of the midnight sun not only brings long, long days to this part of Iceland, but the sunsets are also truly remarkable. We can’t think of a more peaceful spot to simply relax, enjoy great food and explore untouched nature.

Dining

Often compared to dining experiences at top restaurants in Paris and New York, Hotel Ranga treats its guests to an exciting culinary adventure. Inspired by the seasons and fresh, local ingredients, the restaurant has a ‘farmers’ market’ concept; menus are modern Nordic in style – with a touch of French and Italian.

Hotel Ranga’s gourmet restaurant has one of the most delicious and exciting menus in the country. Locals drive out from the capital just to enjoy the food there. From melt-in-the-mouth salmon to local lamb raised on herb-scented mountain slopes, dining at Ranga will be one of the highlights of your stay.

Expect to be wowed by delicious, beautifully presented dishes of Atlantic salmon, trout, Arctic char, mountain lamb, beef, duck, reindeer, cod, monkfish and Icelandic langoustine. Wild mushrooms and berries add seasonal flavours, while locally farmed organic vegetables, fruits and herbs are used wherever possible. The strawberries from Fludir are a highlight, as are the meats from a local smokehouse near Vik.

A feast of European and Scandinavian gourmet dishes, Ranga’s Christmas Buffet is available during November and December.

The restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows provide panoramic river views – especially beautiful as you watch the sun rise while enjoying the extensive breakfast buffet. As you’d expect, the service is excellent and there’s an extensive wine list.

Things to do from Hotel Ranga

You will definitely want to linger over meals at Ranga, but the long summer days leave plenty of time for getting out and about. Our self-drive holidays give you the freedom to roam the South Coast where mighty Skogafoss beats its thunder and other spectacular waterfalls (like Seljalandsfoss) vie for your attention. You can stroll along black-sand beaches, hike or snowmobile across an icecap, explore a lava cave and visit the Eyjafjallajokull eruption centre. And that’s before you turn your attention north towards the Golden Circle. Easily worth a day’s touring from Ranga, this famous medley of highlights epitomises Iceland’s natural wonders with the cascades of Gullfoss, bubbling, seething Geysir and the fascinating tectonic rift at Thingvellir. There are also numerous activities available at Hotel Ranga itself, from angling, hiking, horse riding and birdwatching to river rafting, snowmobiling, scenic flights over Hekla and 4WD tours by superjeep or quad bike.

Observatory

To bring the night sky to life, a roll-off roof observatory has been built at Hotel Ranga, the only hotel in Iceland to have such a facility. Light pollution around the hotel is minimal, making it the optimal location for viewing the night sky. With room for up to 30 people, the observatory is equipped with two high quality 11-inch computerised telescopes which allow guests to view amazing detail on the surface of Jupiter, look at Cassini’s Division in the rings of Saturn, and see details on the surface of Mars. Even distant Uranus and Neptune may be seen.

During the day, and in the summer months when Iceland enjoys bright summer nights, the observatory features a solar telescope with white light filter, providing a fantastic view of the sun, enabling guests to observe sunspots in great detail and activity such as prominences and filaments. Stunning close-ups of the moon are also possible during summer, while the long, beautiful sunsets at this time of year can be enjoyed with or without a telescope.

Certain conditions are required for the observatory to be open/ in use. Please check with the hotel reception for further information.