On our second to last day in Iceland, we took a chance with the weather and decided to go see the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. We drove from Reykholt, and circled the peninsula counter clockwise north to south, ending the day by Ytri Tunga. It was a cold, wet, snowy, and foggy day as we set out, but the weather turned the peninsula into a spooky October delight that suited me perfectly.
Our first stop was Mt. Kirkjufell. It was cold and wet, so we did not stay long despite all of our layers and waterproof gear. You can easily see the mountain from the parking area, as well as the road. It was a very popular stop even with the icy wind.
We drove on to the little town of Ólafsvík to fuel up the car and ourselves. We stopped at the Orkan gas station for lunch. Many gas stations in Iceland offer pylsur, burgers, sandwiches, ice cream, and other easy and affordable items for a meal. The town itself was scenic, had a grocery store, and was a great place to take a break.
Next, we stopped at Djúpalónssandur Beach, a black lava beach where an English trawler wrecked in 1948. There is a wooden walkway to a viewing point above the beach, or you can walk down to the beach itself via an easy to find pathway. Did I mention yet that it was icy, windy, rainy, snowy, and actually quite miserable this day? We walked up to the viewing point and fought the wind back to our car. It looked like a beautiful place to spend time.
We warmed up in the car as we headed next to Malariff Lighthouse. The weather was still pretty unpleasant so we looked at it from a distance, and then we went into the Visitor Center there. It was a very lucky thing we did because they had interesting posters, lots of history, information on animals and plants on the peninsula, and we even got to taste sea kelp. I highly recommend stopping for a break here and speaking with the people. We spent almost an hour just looking around and talking. They also have restroom facilities in the building.
I had big plans to hike around Hellnar and Arnastapi, but the weather was continuing to be a bummer. We did drive to see the cliffs near Hellnar and the Bárður Snæfellsnes statue in Arnastapi. While I was standing and getting drenched in Hellnar, we saw this paddle board enthusiast start heading out to the frigid, choppy water. Good luck, friend.
The rain let up but the world stayed cloudy and gray as we approached Buðir and the Black Church. Opposite the church is the start of a trail that leads all the way to Hellnar if you’ve got the energy and 6 to 8 hours to spare. My husband and I kind of wanted to don Lord of the Rings attire and strike out, but the rain started again. Next time…
The church is so picturesque set against a backdrop of mountains. There is a small cemetery next to it. All paths were dirt but easy to navigate and very close to the parking lot. There is also a sign with the history of this church. It was so peaceful, and a wonderful place to just sit and contemplate the beauty of your surroundings.
Practically next door to the Black Church is Bjarnafoss, a waterfall that is very accessible with a flat, paved parking lot and a smooth dirt path. The waterfall itself plunges down over the cliffs, and you can walk up very close to it up an incline. You can see the waterfall from the road and the parking lot, too.
Our last stop of the day was at Ytri Tunga, a golden sand beach with seals. We have harbor seals near my home in New England, but these were cool Icelandic seals. Even in October, we saw a handful of seals basking on the rocks. The beach was pretty accessible with only the expected terrain difficulties of some rocks and sand.
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a great way to spend a day, especially if you don’t have time to drive the entire Ring Road. It has a glacier (that we couldn’t see because of the weather), a volcanic crater, black sand, golden sand, history, folklore, and more. Some places charged for parking, but some were free. Every location has clear signage if you need to pay. I also felt the peninsula was accessible for most with the good pathways, the easy parking, and close proximity to the features you’re there to see. It can be done in a day, a long day, from Reykjavik, or consider spending the night in one of the fun hotels or guest houses dotted along the road. Even with bad weather, you won’t regret spending a day exploring this scenic part of Iceland.