Top 10 Lighthouses in Iceland
Iceland's Outer Lights
Iceland sits astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a volcanic island rising from the junction of two tectonic plates at the boundary between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. Its coastline, 4,970 kilometres long, is a world of lava headlands, black sand beaches, sea-carved rock arches, fjord mouths and the occasional glacier tongue reaching the sea. The seas around it are among the most challenging in the world: North Atlantic depressions march across the island in rapid succession, visibility can drop to nothing in fog, and in winter the approaches to the northern and eastern coasts are subject to drifting ice. Iceland's lighthouse service — the Siglingavernd ríkisins, now part of the Samgöngustofa, or Icelandic Transport Authority — built its network largely in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, often adapting French and British lighthouse designs to the volcanic terrain. The towers are painted the characteristic orange-red of Icelandic lighthouse engineering and have become some of the most distinctive images of Iceland's stark coastal landscape.
1. Dyrhólaey Lighthouse, South Iceland
Dyrhólaey — the 'hill island with a door hole' — is a volcanic peninsula west of Vík, famous for the great sea arch through which small boats can pass and for the puffin colony that nests on its cliffs in summer. The lighthouse, completed in 1927 and upgraded in later decades, stands on the highest point of the peninsula at 120 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest-elevated lighthouses in Iceland. The white tower is about 13 metres tall; the total elevation gives the light a range of around 21 nautical miles, covering the approach from the south toward the black sand coast. The hazard this light marks is the long, surf-pounded beach of Reynisfjara and the volcanic offshore stacks of Reynisdrangar, which are unlit and dangerous in poor visibility. The lighthouse road from Vík is open year-round (the bird cliffs around it may be seasonally closed to protect nesting puffins). The views from the top of Dyrhólaey toward Mýrdalsjökull glacier and along the black sand coast are extraordinary.
2. Garðskagi Lighthouse, Reykjanes Peninsula
Garðskagi stands at the northern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, the long volcanic finger that separates Faxaflói Bay from the Keflavík and Reykjanes approaches, near Iceland's international airport. The lighthouse here exists in two generations side by side: an older stone tower of modest height from 1897, now preserved as a museum, and the newer orange-painted concrete tower of 1944 that remains operational. The operational tower is 26 metres tall; its light character is a white flash every three seconds visible at approximately 18 nautical miles, marking the northern cape of the peninsula for vessels entering or leaving Faxaflói Bay and approaching Reykjavík harbour. The Garðskagi area is one of Iceland's best birdwatching sites — Arctic tern colonies in summer, waders and wildfowl in autumn. The two lighthouse towers, the bird hides and the expansive views across the bay toward Snæfellsjökull glacier make the cape a recommended short excursion from Reykjavík or Keflavík.
3. Reykjanesviti Lighthouse, Reykjanes
The Reykjanesviti, on the southwestern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, is Iceland's oldest lighthouse — a light station has existed on this cape since 1878. The current tower, an orange-painted concrete structure of about 26 metres, replaced the original after earthquake damage in 1968; the 1878 stone tower ruins remain visible nearby. The light character is a white flash every five seconds with a range of approximately 17 nautical miles, marking the southwestern cape of Iceland and the approach from the open North Atlantic. The surrounding lava field and the active geothermal area — hot springs, fumaroles, boiling mud — give the Reykjanes lighthouse a volcanic setting unlike any other. The cape is within the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, and the access road passes through a landscape of craters, lava flows and geothermal activity. The lighthouse is freely accessible.
4. Akranes Lighthouse (Breiðin), West Iceland
The Akranes lighthouse on Breiðin point — the tip of the Akranes Peninsula across Faxaflói Bay from Reykjavík — is a pair of towers representing two generations of lighthouse construction in Iceland. The older tower, a white stone structure of about 26 metres built in 1918, is the taller and more elegant of the two; the newer orange concrete tower of 1944 is lower but carries the operational light. Both towers are open to visitors — the older is now a museum and can be climbed — and the lighthouse park at the tip of the Akranes Peninsula is one of the most visited lighthouse sites in Iceland. The light character of the operational tower is a white flash every two seconds with a range of 18 nautical miles, guiding vessels from Faxaflói Bay into the Akranes harbour approaches and providing orientation for traffic bound for Reykjavík. The Akranes Folk Museum is nearby and provides context for the town's fishing and cement-producing history.
5. Knarrarós Lighthouse, South Iceland
Knarrarós marks the mouth of the Ölfusá River, Iceland's largest river by volume, where it meets the sea on the south coast east of Þorlákshöfn. The lighthouse is a white tower marking the hazardous river mouth — the Ölfusá carries enormous volumes of glacial meltwater from Þórisjökull and Langjökull, and the river mouth shifts with flooding and sediment movement. The light character covers the approach to the Ölfusá estuary and the adjacent coastal navigation. The south coast of Iceland, backed by the outwash plains of the glaciers, is uniformly low and featureless from the sea, making the Knarrarós lighthouse an important orientation mark for fishing vessels working the offshore banks.
6. Vatnsnes Lighthouse, North Iceland
Vatnsnes is a peninsula in the Húnafjörður fjord system of northwest Iceland, famous as one of the best places in Iceland to see harbour seals at the haul-out on Illugastaðir beach. The lighthouse here marks the western approach to Húnafjörður and guides vessels entering the fjord toward Hvammstangi. The tower is an orange-painted structure typical of Icelandic lighthouse design from the mid-twentieth century. The Vatnsnes area is on the Ring Road extension toward the Westfjords and is accessible without significant difficulty; the seal colony at Illugastaðir, accessible on a short walk from the car park, is the main attraction of the cape, with the lighthouse providing a navigational backdrop.
7. Engeyjarviti Lighthouse, Faxaflói Bay
Engeyjarviti is an island lighthouse in Faxaflói Bay, on the small island of Engey off the northern coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula. The lighthouse marks the passage between the island and the shoals of the bay for vessels making for Reykjavík harbour from the north. The bay is Iceland's busiest for sea traffic: the Reykjavík ferry routes, whale-watching charters and the fishing fleet all converge here. Engey island is also a nesting colony for Arctic terns, which defend their colony aggressively from May to August. The lighthouse is part of the bay's navigational infrastructure and is visible from the Reykjavík waterfront on a clear day.
8. Kirkjuhóll Lighthouse, Snæfellsnes
Kirkjuhóll stands on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, the long arm of West Iceland that extends into the sea beneath the Snæfellsjökull glacier — the volcano immortalised in Jules Verne's 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'. The Kirkjuhóll lighthouse marks the northern coast of the peninsula near the town of Snæfellsbær, guiding vessels along the passage inside the Snæfellsnes coast. The surrounding landscape of Snæfellsjökull National Park, with its lava fields, bird cliffs and glacier cap, is one of the most visited in Iceland. The lighthouse is accessible on the road circuit of the national park.
9. Ólafsvíkurviti Lighthouse, Snæfellsnes
The Ólafsvíkurviti lighthouse marks the entrance to Ólafsvík harbour on the north coast of Snæfellsnes, one of the principal fishing harbours of the peninsula. The orange tower at the harbour entrance guides the fishing fleet in and out of the harbour, particularly important in poor visibility with the mountainous backdrop of Snæfellsjökull obscuring the sky and creating unpredictable local weather. Ólafsvík is a working fishing town; the harbour is active and the lighthouse a practical, functional structure rather than a scenic monument. The views from the harbour entrance toward the glacier are outstanding in clear weather.
10. Grundarfjörður Lighthouse, Snæfellsnes
Grundarfjörður is a small town on the north coast of Snæfellsnes at the foot of Kirkjufell mountain — the distinctive arrowhead peak that is one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland, particularly in winter when the Northern Lights play above it. The lighthouse at the harbour entrance marks the approach to the fjord and the town pier. The combination of the lighthouse, the harbour, Kirkjufell mountain and the possibility of aurora in the winter sky makes Grundarfjörður one of the most visually spectacular small lighthouse settings in the country. The town is accessible from Stykkishólmur on the Ring Road around Snæfellsnes and is well served by tourist accommodation.
Visiting Icelandic Lighthouses
Iceland's lighthouses are not generally open for interior visits, but the dramatic natural settings make exterior access more rewarding here than almost anywhere else. The best touring strategy is to combine lighthouses with other natural attractions: Dyrhólaey with the black sand beaches of the south coast, Reykjanesviti with the geothermal fields, Akranes with a day trip from Reykjavík by tunnel, the Snæfellsnes lighthouses with the national park and glacier. The summer season (June to August) offers midnight sun and puffin colonies; late autumn (September to November) offers the best aurora conditions. Iceland's roads are generally good but mountain roads can close in winter. For the complete network of Icelandic coastal lights from Reykjanes to the Westfjords, Open the map and explore the full chart.