Snæfellsnes Peninsula (Kirkjufell)

Snæfellsnes – Kirkjufell, Arnarstapi, Djúpalónssandur

'Iceland in miniature': pointed Kirkjufell and its waterfall

Hours

Open-air sites, always accessible; check road.is in winter

Tickets

Sites are free; some car parks (including Kirkjufell) charge. Tours vary by operator

Address

Main stop: Kirkjufell mountain by Grundarfjörður

One peninsula holds a glacier, lava fields, black beaches, sea cliffs and fishing villages, hence the 'Iceland in miniature' label. On the south coast at Arnarstapi the sea has punched arches through basalt cliffs; at Djúpalónssandur on the western tip, smooth black pebbles lie among rusted bits of an old shipwreck. The headliner is Kirkjufell on the north shore, the witch's-hat mountain with a little waterfall in front, a shot on every Icelandic postcard. On clear days the Snæfellsjökull glacier stays in view the whole way.