Reykjanesviti

About Reykjanesviti

Reykjanesviti marks the southwestern corner of Iceland, a navigational necessity on a coast notorious for shipwrecks. The original 1878 light was the country's first, but coastal erosion and earthquakes undermined its cliff, so a replacement was raised inland in 1908. That second tower remains in service.

Reykjanesviti is the oldest lighthouse in Iceland, standing white against the cliffs at the far southwestern tip of the Reykjanes peninsula. It overlooks a dramatic stretch of coast where the Atlantic hammers into black volcanic rock and seabirds wheel around the offshore stack of Valahnukamol.

Twice Built

The first lighthouse on this spot was lit in 1878, the very first in the country, but it stood too close to the edge of an eroding, earthquake-prone cliff and was abandoned. The present tower was built a little further inland in 1908 and still operates today. The setting, between geothermal steam fields and a pounding ocean, is as wild as anywhere in the populated parts of Iceland.

The Experience

You walk out to a windswept headland where the white tower stands over the Valahnukamol cliffs and sea stacks, with the Atlantic exploding against the rocks below. The nearby Gunnuhver steam field means you often have geothermal vapour drifting on one side and ocean spray on the other, a strange, elemental combination.

Why It Matters

As the country's first lighthouse, Reykjanesviti is a small landmark in Iceland's maritime history, marking the moment the island began guiding ships along its lethal coast. Its setting captures the Reykjanes peninsula's character, where volcanic heat and the open ocean meet.

Why Visit

It rewards a short detour for its wild cliff setting and its place as Iceland's first lighthouse. Walk out to the Valahnukamol stacks, watch the Atlantic break on the rocks, and combine it with Gunnuhver next door.