Reykjanes Peninsula

Reykjanes Peninsula

Most visitors flying to Iceland arrive at Keflavik airport, about 45 minutes’ drive from the capital, Reykjavík. It is best to stay for one night on the Reykjanes Peninsula, in the vicinity of the airport, for departures or arrivals, as there is much to see and do in this area. Most places are open all year and the roads are safe. There is very little foliage on the peninsula as it is mainly a lava area with hot springs and very special landscape.

Below is a list of some hidden pearls in the area surrounding the famous Blue Lagoon A , a blue silica-infused lagoon in a lava field.

1. Seltún is an active geothermal area with many bubbling mud pots and fumaroles. The minerals deposited by the geothermal activity produce a colourful array of muddy sediment. There are good walking paths around the area.

2. Grindavík is one of the biggest fish processing towns in Iceland with an active, industrious harbour. During the summer there is an exhibition of boats from Grindavík along the road of Seljabót near the harbour.At the Icelandic Salt Fish Museum, you will learn how salt fish has had a great influence on life in the country.

A very high waterfalls. Photo by Olga

There are marked trails in the area, e.g. around Hópsnes where many boats have run aground. The peninsula is 2 km long with very good information boards as well as a lighthouse which was built in 1928. The mountain, Þorbjörn is an easy hike. It is on the right-hand side when driving into Grindavík from the Blue Lagoon. The mountain is 243m high and has a panoramic view from the top.

In almost every fishing village in Iceland, you will find a memorial commemorating the seamen who gave their lives to the sea. The one in Grindavík is by an artist called Ragnar Kjartansson, whose sculptures are to be found in more places all over the country.

There are coffee shops, accommodation choices and a very good camping sight in town as well as several companies offering a variety of trips around the area.

3. Brimketill is an extraordinary geological feature. It looks like a big, cosy bath tub on the edge of rugged coastline.

4. Gunnuhver is an active geothermal area with bubbling mud pots and hissing steam vents. It is close to the Reykjanes lighthouse. Gunnuhver is named after a female ghost who died there. She was a constant disrupter of the peace until a priest set a trap for her and she fell into the boiling hotspring.

5. Geirfugl is a 1,57m high sculpture by Todd McGrain depicting the now extinct Great Auk. Similar sculptures are found all over the world as part of his Lost Bird Project.

6. The bridge between two continents is a small foot bridge over a major fissure which clearly shows the presence of a diverging tectonic plates. The bridge was built as a symbol of connection between Europe and North America.

7. Hvalsneskirkja, the current church was built in 1887. Hallgrímur Pétursson, an esteemed poet in Iceland, was the pastor there from 1644-1651. Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík is named after him.

8. Sandgerði is a small fishing village with about 1700 inhabitants. A sculpture commemorating drowned fishermen is situated at the entrance to the town and Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir is the sculptor. Suðurnes Science and Learning Centre is a well-equipped research centre for natural science located in Sandgerði. Sea water tanks containing different living organisms are part of the research. It also hosts a good collection of various life forms, plants and stones. Close by is the restaurant Vitinn, a family-run, cosy restaurant which uses first-grade fresh ingredients.

9. Garðskagi has two lighthouses which are representative of their times, one from 1897 and the other from 1994. There is a rich bird life on the beach around the lighthouses. In the older lighthouse, there is a little coffee shop. Nearby is an interesting museum that tells the story of how fishing developed and the history of the people who lived and worked in the community.

10. Reykjanesbær (Keflavík and Njarðvík). This is the biggest populated area on the peninsula with about 16 000 inhabitants. There is a variety of services and activities on offer. Along the coastline is a 10 km walking trail with information boards along the way.

The Reykjanes Global UNESCO Geopark’s Visitor Centre is located in Duushús. Down by the harbour, close to Duushús you can find the home of a great troll, Gianta. She is a full size troll and sits in her rocking chair,

sleeping in the kitchen of her Black Cave. Gianta is originally the creation of the author Herdís Egilsdóttir who has written 16 stories about the little girl Sigga and her friend Gianta in the mountain.

In Reykjanesbær the history of music in Iceland from 1830 to present day is told in a very lively way at the Icelandic Museum of Rock and Roll. Learn more about Björk, Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, Emiliana Torrini and many more Icelandic musicians.

At the Viking World Museum, the Viking ship, Íslendingur that sailed to America in 2000 is on permanent display.

11 Kálfatjarnarkirkja, built in 1893. At that time, it was the biggest country church in Iceland with two floors which could seat all parishioners at once, all 150 of them.

Garðskagi

Salthúsið (The House of Bacalao) Restaurant of Grindavik is the first restaurant in Iceland specialising in the lowly codfish, bringing it up to new heights.

Stamphólsvegi 2, 240 Grindavík, Iceland - Tel: 426 9700 & 699 2665 -

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT BY THE HARBOUR : Vitinn is located in the town of Sandgerði, just minutes from Ke#avik International Airport. It is therefore an ideal stop on your way to or from the airport to enjoy the freshest seafood available.