Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula (Snæfellsnes in Icelandic) reaches west into the North Atlantic from Iceland’s west coast, between Reykjavík and the Westfjords, roughly a two-hour drive from the capital. Icelanders often call it “Iceland in miniature”, because a single loop of the peninsula takes you past lava fields, black and golden sand beaches, bird cliffs, small fishing villages and, at its western tip, the glacier-capped volcano Snaefellsjokull – the kind of variety that elsewhere in the country would mean weeks on the road.

This guide covers what to see on Snaefellsnes, coast by coast, how to get there, how long to allow, when to go and how much walking the main stops involve. On our 17-day Iceland cultural and wilderness small group tour, the peninsula fills Day 4, a full-day field trip around its coast. The glacier’s literary fame, as the entrance to the underworld in Jules Verne’s novel, has its own article: Snaefellsnes and Jules Verne: Journey to the Centre of the Earth in Iceland.

Where is the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and how do you get there?

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is in West Iceland, between Reykjavík and the Westfjords, and the drive from the capital takes about two hours. The usual route follows the Ring Road (Route 1) north through the Hvalfjordur tunnel to Borgarnes, then turns west onto Route 54, which runs along the peninsula’s south coast and crosses to the north side; Route 574 loops around the western tip through Snaefellsjokull National Park. The main roads are paved, but the weather changes quickly on this exposed coast, so check road conditions on umferdin.is and the forecast from the Icelandic Met Office before you set out, especially outside summer.

Is Snaefellsnes worth visiting, and how long do you need?

Yes: Snaefellsnes packs more variety into a small area than almost anywhere else in Iceland, and a full day is enough to see its highlights. A loop of the peninsula from Reykjavík makes a long day, because the drive there and back alone takes around four hours before any stops. If you can, spend a night on the peninsula, in Stykkisholmur, Grundarfjordur or near Arnarstapi, so the walks can be taken at an unhurried pace. It also works best as part of a longer journey rather than a detour: the ferry from Stykkisholmur across Breidafjordur makes the peninsula a natural gateway to Iceland’s Westfjords.

What to see on the south coast of Snaefellsnes

Gerduberg basalt columns

Just off the road near the base of the peninsula, the Gerduberg Cliffs form a long, regular wall of dark basalt columns above the farmland – a good first stop to stretch your legs.

Seals at Ytri Tunga

A short detour leads to the beach at Ytri Tunga, one of the best places in Iceland to watch seals, which can be seen on the rocks here all year round. Give the animals plenty of space.

Budir and its black church

At Budir, golden sand beaches meet the Budahraun lava field, a nature reserve, and a small black-painted church, Budakirkja, stands on its own against the view of Snaefellsjokull.

Arnarstapi and Hellnar

Basalt rock formations on the coastline at Arnarstapi, with the village houses and Mount Stapafell behind.

A village on the southern side of the peninsula, Arnarstapi was once an important trading post with a much larger population than it has now. Travellers have put it back on the map: columnar basalt, ravines and grottoes surround its small harbour, there is a large Arctic tern colony in the village itself, and a statue of Bardur Snaefellsas, the guardian spirit of the glacier in the local saga, by the sculptor Ragnar Kjartansson stands near the shore. The coast and cliffs between Arnarstapi and Hellnar have been a nature reserve since 1979, and an old path follows the shoreline between the two villages, past lava formations and cliffs where kittiwakes and fulmars nest. For centuries Hellnar was one of the largest fishing villages beneath the glacier; its church dates from 1945.

Snaefellsjokull National Park and the western tip

A church near Hellissandur, with lupins in flower and the snow-capped Snaefellsjokull behind.

At the western end of the peninsula, Snaefellsjokull rises to 1,446 metres, high enough to be seen from Reykjavík on a clear day. It is an active volcano, built up by numerous eruptions over the last 800,000 years; its most recent eruption, around 1,800 years ago, was a large one that spread light-coloured ash over the northern half of the peninsula. The summit crater, about 200 metres deep, is filled with ice, and the glacier has shrunk in recent years. The mountain was first climbed in 1754. Two roads lead up towards the glacier, Route 570 and the four-wheel-drive-only F575, but neither is open all year, and the park recommends going onto the ice only with one of the tour companies that guide trips to the summit.

The volcano is surrounded by Snaefellsjokull National Park, established on 28 June 2001 and covering about 170 square kilometres. It is one of three national parks in Iceland, and the first to stretch all the way from the mountain to the shore, taking in moss-covered lava fields, craters, caves, bird cliffs and black sand beaches (see our article on Iceland’s lunar landscapes and geology). The park has no opening hours, but camping or staying overnight inside it is not allowed and there are no bins, so take everything out with you. The visitor centre at Malarrif, beside the lighthouse, has an exhibition on the fishermen of the old fishing stations, and a newer National Park Centre stands in Hellissandur; check current opening hours before you go. The peninsula is dotted with caves, but enter a lava cave only with an experienced guide.

The glacier owes much of its international fame to Jules Verne, who made its crater the entrance to the centre of the earth – read the full story in our companion article, Snaefellsnes and Jules Verne.

Londrangar

The basalt pillars of Londrangar rise from the sea beside the dark lava cliffs of the peninsula’s south-western coast.

On the park’s southern coast, the two rock pillars of Londrangar are what remains of an old crater worn down by the sea. The higher, 75 metres tall, was first climbed in 1735; the lower, 61 metres, not until 1938. A short coastal path leads past them from the car park, or from Malarrif, and fulmars and puffins nest on the nearby cliffs of Thufubjarg.

Vatnshellir cave

North of Malarrif, beside Route 574, Vatnshellir is a lava tube about 8,000 years old that runs for more than 200 metres and reaches 35 metres below the surface. It can be visited only on a guided tour, with helmets and lights provided; tours run through the day in summer and less often in winter, and warm clothing and hiking boots are needed.

Djupalonssandur Black Sand Beach

There are many black sand beaches in Iceland, and here, near the base of the volcano, you’ll find Djupalonssandur (Deep Lagoon’s Sand), one of the few places on this high, cliff-bound coast where you can get down to the sea. The beach is made of smooth black pebbles and is scattered with the rusted remains of the British trawler Epine GY7, which was wrecked on the rocks in a gale on 13 March 1948. Fourteen of the crew died and five survived, four of them brought ashore by Icelandic rescuers. The iron pieces are left on the beach as a memorial to the lives lost and must not be removed. On the beach you will also find the stones that fishermen once lifted to test their strength: Fullsterkur (“fully strong”, 154 kg), Halfsterkur (“half strong”, 100 kg), Halfdraettingur (“weakling”, 54 kg) and Amlodi (“bungler”, 23 kg). An easy path continues to the cove of Dritvik, once one of Iceland’s largest fishing stations, with up to 600 people working from it in the fishing season.

Saxholl crater and the western tip

Beside Route 574, the Saxholl crater has a low-set metal stairway to its rim, which won the Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize in 2018; the climb is short and the view over the lava fields wide. Further on lie Skardsvik, a small bay of pale sand and turquoise water, and Ondverdarnes, the westernmost point of the peninsula, once a busy fishing settlement and now marked by a lighthouse.

The north coast: from Hellissandur to Stykkisholmur

Rounding the tip, the road reaches the north coast at Hellissandur, once a major fishing centre and now an open-air gallery of street art, and its neighbour Rif, where most of the local fishing fleet is now based. A little further east, Olafsvik has a large working harbour, and whale-watching trips sail from here.

Kirkjufell and Grundarfjordur

Kirkjufell rises behind the falls of Kirkjufellsfoss, near the town of Grundarfjordur on the north coast.

The steep, triangular Kirkjufell mountain, beside the town of Grundarfjordur, is one of the most photographed and recognisable mountains in Iceland. It rises 463 metres above Breidafjordur bay; Danish sailors once called it Sukkertoppen, “the Sugarloaf”, and it is a familiar sight to fans of Game of Thrones, in which it appeared as the “Arrowhead Mountain”. The classic view is from its nearby waterfall, Kirkjufellsfoss, a short walk from Route 54. Admire the mountain from below: the climb is steep, slippery and dangerous, has led to fatal accidents, and is prohibited in winter.

Berserkjahraun and Bjarnarhofn

East of Grundarfjordur, the road crosses Berserkjahraun, a lava field about 4,000 years old. On its edge lies Bjarnarhofn, a farm whose family has been involved with sharks for four centuries. Its shark museum explains the six-month process that turns Greenland shark into hakarl, the fermented shark that is a traditional Icelandic delicacy; visitors can try a piece and see the drying house. The farm also has a small wooden church.

Stykkisholmur and Breidafjordur

Low, rocky islands and seabirds in Breidafjordur, the island-studded bay off the north coast of the peninsula.

Stykkisholmur, on the north coast, has a centre of well-preserved old houses and a harbour sheltered by Sugandisey, a former island now joined to the land. It looks out over Breidafjordur, a broad, shallow bay about 50 kilometres wide and 125 kilometres long, scattered with islands and seabirds. Boat trips go out among the islands, and the Baldur ferry sails from Stykkisholmur to Brjanslaekur in the Westfjords, stopping at the island of Flatey for foot passengers; check the current timetable before planning around it.

When is the best time to visit Snaefellsnes?

Snaefellsnes is accessible all year round, and the best time depends on what you want to see. Summer brings the longest days, the best chance of the glacier roads being open, and nesting seabirds on the cliffs around Arnarstapi and Londrangar. From autumn into winter, clear dark nights bring a chance of the northern lights over Kirkjufell, but daylight is short and storms can close roads, so leave room in your plans and check conditions each day. The seals at Ytri Tunga can be seen in any season.

How much walking do the main Snaefellsnes sights involve?

Most of the peninsula’s highlights involve short walks from a car park or along a coastal path, though few are completely level. The walk around Arnarstapi and the visit to the black beach at Djupalonssandur are both well within reach of most travellers, but the path down to Djupalonssandur crosses rough lava and the pebbles on the beach shift underfoot. Saxholl means a climb up a long metal stairway, and Vatnshellir means steps down into a cold, dark cave. The exception is the Snaefellsjokull glacier summit itself, a genuine hike onto glacial ice that should only be attempted with an experienced guide. Wind is often a bigger challenge than distance, so bring windproof layers and sturdy shoes with good grip.

Can you visit Snaefellsnes without your own car?

It’s possible but not straightforward. Regional buses run by Strætó reach some of the peninsula’s towns, but services are infrequent and do not stop at most of the natural sights, so check current timetables before relying on them. Most independent travellers either self-drive or join an organised tour. On Odyssey’s escorted small group tour, Snaefellsnes is built into Day 4 of the itinerary, so the driving and route are arranged for you.

Seeing Snaefellsnes on our Iceland tour

On our Iceland cultural and wilderness small group tour, the approach begins on Day 3 with a lecture at Reykholt, home of the saga writer Snorri Sturluson. Day 4 is a full-day field trip around the peninsula: we meet the farmer at Bjarnarhofn, visit his tiny wooden church and taste his shark meat, pass through fishing villages, and pause at Djupalonssandur, the Londrangar cliffs and Arnarstapi. That evening there is a display of local folk music and dancing at our hotel. On Day 5 a short bird-watching cruise among the Breidafjordur islands from Stykkisholmur comes before the afternoon ferry to Brjanslaekur and the Westfjords. The whole route is set out in our Iceland ring road itinerary.

Articles about Iceland published by Odyssey Traveller:

• Questions About Iceland
• Visiting Iceland for Mature Travellers
• Snaefellsnes and Jules Verne: Journey to the Centre of the Earth in Iceland
• Iceland Ring Road Itinerary: A 17-Day Circumnavigation
• Iceland’s Westfjords: A Route Through Fjords, Cliffs and Fishing Communities
• Snorri Sturluson and Reykholt
• Lunar Landscapes and Geology in Iceland
• The History of the Settlement of Iceland

For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature travellers, click through on this link.

External articles to assist you on your visit to Iceland:

• Visit Snæfellsnes: West Iceland’s official tourism site
• Ultimate Guide to Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland: Things to Do, Itinerary and Map
• Visit Iceland: The official tourism website
• Ice, Fire and Feuds: On the Trail of Iceland’s Sagas
• Lonely Planet: Top things to do in Reykjavík