Ice Ice Baby

Stressed out, harried, and looking for a really cool place? Hipsters in search of pretty coastlines and comely, golden-haired natives are skipping LAX for REK — the increasingly busy airport serving Reykjavik, Iceland. Home to Cannes winner Bjork and, more recently, Keiko the killer whale, Iceland is fast becoming a fave weekend destination, with Claudia Schiffer and Kevin Costner among recent visitors. ''Things really took off after Good Morning America taped a few shows in May 1998,'' says Einar Gustavsson, spokesman for the Icelandic Tourist Board. ''And the popularity of Bjork brought in a whole different crowd.'' (Reykjavik's music scene is thriving, with revelers ready to dance those long 32-degree January nights away.) But the majority of tourists who visit during the summer (average July temperature: 60 degrees) are there to see the five glaciers; 200 volcanoes; 10,000 waterfalls; and 100,000 wild horses, not to mention the island's answer to Puff Daddy — 10 million puffins (which have been called ''penguins' little brothers''). What a chill!