A guide to the Reykjanes peninsula

With a depth of 318ft (97 meters), Kleifarvatn is the largest lake on the Reykjanes peninsula and one of the deepest in Iceland.

The lake is known to freeze over, and together with its black-sand shore and barren cliffs that surround it, it’s easy to understand how folklore came to suggest a monster – looking like a whale in shape – inhabited its waters.

The monster isn’t the lake’s only claim to fame. Volcanic activity, which is slowly draining the lake of its water, is an event that captured the imagination of writer Arnaldur Indriðason, featuring in his 2004 crime novel, The Draining Lake.

Less than 10 minutes’ drive away is Seltún, a high-temperature geothermal area (also commonly called Krýsuvík) that features a variety of hot springs, bubbling mud pots, simmering streams, and steaming fumaroles. The multicolor ground surprises visitors with shades from pale yellow to bright red, and turquoise to dark green, and the air is heavy with the scent of sulfur.

More color awaits at Grænavatn (Green Lake), a small lake within an ancient volcanic crater just a short distance south of Seltún. As the name suggests, the water here is a striking green hue thanks to its high sulfur content.

Reach Kleifarvatn lake and the Seltún geothermal area from route 42 off the main road connecting Reykjavík and Keflavík. It’s around 45 minutes from Reykjavík by car and 30 minutes from Keflavík airport.

Brimketill is a coastal highlight, known predominantly for its lava rock pool. It looks a bit like a cooking pot – Brimketill’s namesake, and similar to the English word ‘kettle’.

The small pool, naturally carved by marine erosion, can be viewed from a platform near Gunnuhver. The powerful surf is mesmerizing but equally dangerous, so keep a safe distance (no bathing allowed!). According to folklore, the only one allowed to bathe in the pool is a giantess named Oddný.

Brimketill is reachable by car from the Blue Lagoon in 15 minutes, or you can drive there from the capital in around an hour. You can easily combine this journey with a trip to the nearby Reykjanestá area.

Reykjanestá sits on the southwesternmost area of the peninsula and encapsulates Gunnuhver, the Reykjanes lighthouse, Valahnúkur, and views to Karlinn and Eldey.

Gunnuhver hot springs are home to the largest mud geyser in Iceland, which is named after a 400-year-old poltergeist. So the story goes, the ghost of Gunna wreaked havoc until a priest trapped her in the boiling hot spring, where her spirit haunts the waters.

Reykjanesviti, or Reykjanes lighthouse, is one of Iceland’s oldest and stands stately on Bæjarfell mountain, its light signal at 69 meters (226ft) above sea level. Its predecessor – constructed on Valahnúkur in 1878 – was the country’s first: the lighting equipment a gift from Frederik VIII of Denmark. His visit in 1906 is considered to mark the start of tourism in Iceland.

The dramatic ridge of Valahnúkur was formed in a single eruption when 2,192°F (1,200°C) hot lava rapidly cooled down in the cold sea. There’s an easy trail to the top, offering views across the wild North Atlantic. The beach next to the cliffs is filled with boulders tossed ashore by wild waves. Here you also have a prime view over two spectacular geological sites:

• Karlinn (The Old Man) is a 50-meter-high (164ft) crater tap that stands majestically in the ocean off the coast of Valahnúkur. There used to be Kerlingin (The Old Woman), too, but she washed away into the ocean in the 1940s.
• Eldey (Fire Island) is located roughly 15km (10 miles) offshore and rises 77 meters (253ft) out of the sea. It’s one of the world’s largest gannet colonies and used to be home to the now-extinct great auks. By Valahnúkur, a lone statue of the big flightless bird stands facing the island.

The landmarks of Reykjanestá are only 1-2 kilometers (0.6-1.2 miles) apart. Visitors can journey from Reykjavík to the area in around 55 minutes, stopping by the lighthouse first, followed by the hot springs, and finally on to Valahnúkur and the coastal views. You can also reach these sites from Keflavík airport in just half an hour.

Stampar comprises a series of craters created in two eruptions, about 800 and 2,000 years ago. The two craters closest to the road at the north end of the row date back to the Reykjanes Fires, eruptions occurring between 1210 and 1240.

Here, you can walk inside volcanic craters and take in the view of the lava fields, or, if you have time to spare, you can follow the signposted ‘Hundred Crater Trail’ that passes through the area.

Stampar is located in the west of the peninsula, equidistant from Grindavík town and Reykjanesviti lighthouse. It’s easily drivable in an hour from Reykjavík or in half an hour from Keflavík airport.

Built as a symbol for the connection between Europe and North America, this small footbridge lies across a fissure created by great forces underneath the earth’s crust that pull the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates apart along the Reykjanes Ridge.

The Bridge Between Continents is a popular photo opportunity and unmissable experience to play witness to the power of the earth’s mantle and its ability to reshape the landscape.

You’ll find the bridge in the Sandvík area, approximately 15 minutes by car from Keflavík airport and about 40 minutes from Reykjavík.

Keflavík is the town close to the airport, to which it lends its name. The town is home to the Viking World Museum (a wealth of history and folklore), the fun Icelandic Museum of Rock and Roll, and Duus Hús cultural center, a harborside complex that includes heritage and maritime museums. Keflavík is an ideal base for exploring the peninsula, with numerous hotels, restaurants, and bars.

Reykjanesbær is the name given to the region of the now-merged towns of Keflavík and neighboring Njarðvík. It’s the fourth-largest municipality in Iceland, and has a population of about 22,500 people. It’s actually one of Iceland’s most multicultural areas: around 25% of the citizens are immigrants from over 60 countries, mostly from Poland.

It’s worth a visit to the area to see the statues alone, which comprise stone trolls, elves, and the figure of Hrafna-Flóki – a Norwegian Viking who sailed to discover new land. You’ll find him and his raven by the Viking World Museum.

Garður, or ‘Garden’ in English, is a village with unmatched views around 10km (6 miles) north of Keflavik airport. Garður’s incredible vantage point over Faxaflói bay gives visitors windwept coastal panoramas often described as giving an ‘edge of the world’ feeling.

Here you can wander around photogenic lighthouses, and potentially enjoy whale-spotting from the shore. There’s also spectacular birdlife in the area, including arctic terns, eider ducks, guillemots, and fulmars.

The Blue Lagoon serves as a key wellness destination and tourist magnet of the peninsula. Visitors are drawn by the bright color, toasty year-round water temperature (37-40°C or 98-104°F), and skin-soothing properties of the mineral-rich water.

It’s easily reachable from Reykjavík by car in 45 minutes, or from Keflavík airport in 20 minutes. 

Dive into our ultimate Blue Lagoon guide for more information on this popular geothermal spa destination.

Keflavík International Airport (aka KEF) is the perfect arrival point for exploring the peninsula, with many Reykjanes attractions less than an hour’s drive away. Pick up your rental car and you can be seeing the sites within an hour or so of landing!

The airport is the main gateway to Iceland. Before it became the international travel hub it is today, the airport played a major role in the strategic operations of WWII. Originally constructed by the US army while Iceland was occupied by the Allied Forces, it offered a vital base from which to challenge Germany’s devastating fleet of U-boats in the Atlantic.

The Leifur Eiriksson Air Terminal opened in 1987, and has undergone plenty of upgrades and expansions since. In 2025, it handled 8.13 million passengers.