The Snaefellsnes Peninsula: A Miniature Iceland

No place in Iceland can match the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in terms of concentrated diversity. Here, you’ll find all the reasons to visit Iceland, snuggly placed on a beautiful peninsula. If you want to find out exactly what we’re talking about, all you have to do is keep reading!

The Geography of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula

The most striking aspect of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is that it contains a wide variety of the different natural wonders and landscapes you can find all over Iceland. This has earned the peninsula the nickname “Miniature Iceland”. It makes it the perfect destination for anyone who wants to experience the many special treats this island has to offer, without having to travel around the entire nation.

Sporting everything from the smallest field mouse to a mighty glacier, Snaefellsjökull Peninsula has it all. Most of the attractions can be found on the western tip, where the nation’s youngest national park, Snaefellsnes National Park, is located.

Both the peninsula and the national park get their name from the impressive Snaefellsjökull Glacier. The name “Snaefellsnes” literally translates to “Snow Mountain Peninsula”, which cements the importance of this dormant volcano in the region. Snaefellsnes Peninsula is the center of inspiration for many works of art, and even one internationally famous novel.

Snaefellsnes Geology

If you’ve ever wanted to visit one of the oldest volcanic areas in Iceland, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is the destination for you. The peninsula is one of the westernmost areas in Iceland and was one of the first areas to be created hundreds of thousands of years ago. The oldest dated rocks found on the peninsula are over 800,000 years old, making them roughly the same age as Iceland itself.

You can find traces of every major period Iceland has gone through, with visible layers of lava rock dating back to the last Ice Age.

Where is the Snaefellsnes Peninsula?

Snaefellsnes Peninsula is a peninsula in the western part of Iceland. It sits between the Reykjanes Peninsula and the Westfjords, with the base of the peninsula marked by the road between Borgarnes and Búdardalur. The peninsula itself stretches a whopping 90 kilometers out to sea and ends right after the characteristic glacier.

How Do I Get to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula?

Getting to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is as easy as it gets. You can choose between joining a guided tour or driving yourself. Taking the bus is technically an option but since there is no public transport around the peninsula, you will struggle to get from Stykkisholmur to the rest of the region.

Guided Tours on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Depending on what you’re looking for, there are plenty of tours going to and within the peninsula.

From Reykjavik, you can catch both day-tours and multi-day-tours. The day tours usually last about 12 hours and contain the core attractions of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. The multi-day tours will often entail hikes, longer excursions, and one or more sleepovers in some of the local towns.

Drive Yourself

Our favorite way of exploring Iceland is to get a car and take charge of our adventure. Driving yourself to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is about as easy as it gets. All you need to do is get on Ring Road 1 going north until you reach Borgarnes. After that, take Road 54 and continue until you reach the base of the peninsula.

From there you can either choose to continue on Road 54 along the southern part of Snaefellsnes Peninsula and end up on the northern side or take a shortcut along Road 56 that takes you straight to the north part of the peninsula.

In the summer, a regular car will do the trick, but if you want to visit in the winter in Iceland, you should probably go for a 4x4. Even though the roads on the peninsula are properly maintained, they are subjected to rough weather in the winter and can be difficult to drive in the snow.

What to See and Do on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula

As we mentioned earlier, the diversity on the peninsula mirrors Iceland well and is perfect if you want to experience the many things Iceland has to offer.

Glacier Hiking on Snaefellsnes Glacier

The star of the show is the Snaefellsnes Glacier. There are plenty of hiking trails leading up to it, but most can be found just north of the mountain. Just remember that the glacier is unstable in the summer, so rather keep the glacial hiking to the winter season. All the hiking trails around the mountain are beautiful in the summer and well worth the time.

Vatnshellir Cave

You can choose to go on a guided tour to one of Iceland’s oldest caves in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This lava tube was formed 8,000 years ago and stretches 200 meters at a depth of 35 meters underground. To visit the cave, you need to book a time slot since you need a guide. Solo exploration is not allowed due to safety reasons. The tour takes roughly an hour, and the guides will provide you with all the necessary equipment.

Eldborg Crater

At the beginning of the peninsula is a little taste of adventure in the form of a 60-meter-high crater. Eldborg Crater is only 5-6,000 years young and sits like a small castle in the massive lava field.

To reach the 200-meter-wide crater. You will have to hike for about 2.5 kilometers. It’s an easy hike to get there and usually takes just under an hour single-trip. Since the crater is pretty steep, there are chains along the trail to give you a little extra boost.

Ytri-Tunga

For the nature lover, Ytri-Tunga is one of the most reliable spots in Iceland to see seals. You don’t need to go far from Road 54 to reach the beach and see plenty of cliffs in the water where you can see seals all year round. The most common visitors are the Harbour Seals from the local colonies, but if you’re lucky, you might spot Grey Seals, Hooded Seals, and Ringed Seals.

Raudfeldsgja Gorge

If you catch yourself on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in the summer, this gorge is a challenging hike worth the effort. According to legend, this is where the half-troll, half-man, Barður threw his nephew after the nephew and his brother pushed Barður’s daughter out to sea on an ice raft.

Barður later became the guardian spirit of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and is thought to have helped guide many lost fishermen and locals to safety when they’ve been in danger.

Londrangar Basalt Cliffs

A popular stop along the southern coast of the Snafellsnes Peninsula is the Londragnar Basalt Cliff Formation which looks like a nature-made castle. It can be spotted from the Lóndrangar viewpoint close to the gravel road that goes around the Snaefellsjökull National Park.

Djupalonssandur Beach

Another popular spot to visit is the Djupalonssandur Black Sand Beach not far from Vatnshellir Cave. Here, there are four rocks of different sizes that fishermen used to lift to demonstrate their strength and judge how well they would handle the rough work on the dangerous fishing boats. Which one can you lift?

Towns to Visit on Snaefellsnes

Given how stunning the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s home to roughly 5,000 Icelanders. This might not sound like that many, but here in Iceland, it’s a large population. This population of 5000 is scattered around the peninsula in 7 major towns and villages:

• Stykkisholmur: It sits on the northern side of the peninsula and is also the largest one with roughly 1,100 inhabitants. You can take the ferry to Flatey from here, visit the Volcano Museum, and see the Library of Water with columns of water from different glaciers in Iceland.

• Grundarfjordur: Probably one of the more famous towns that sits right next to the most photographed mountain in Iceland: Kirkjufell.

• Olafsvik: A fishing town on the western side of the peninsula with a museum that shows what a home in Iceland would look like in the 1800s.

• Arnarstapi: A quaint small town on the southern part of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Often the last refueling spot before entering the national park.

• Hellnar: The smaller neighbor to Arnarstapi. It’s a little off the beaten path, but a beautiful overnight stay at the local hotel.

• Budir: Even though this place is pretty much uninhabited, it has a beautiful black church on a spot that was decided by spinning a man in circles until he got dizzy and then letting him shit arrows into the sky. Where the third arrow landed is where the church was built.

• Hellisandur: The village on the northwestern part of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is an excellent overnight stop for the nearby natural attractions.

When Should I Visit the Snaefellsnes Peninsula?

The best time to visit Snaefellsnes Peninsula depends on what you want to see and do on your trip. In the winter, the peninsula is often blanketed in a beautiful layer of snow and a guided glacier tour is possible on Snaefellsjökull. You just need to remember to bring a 4x4 car if you want to safely get around the national park.

The summer in Iceland is the best time to visit if you want to hike in the surrounding areas in milder weather. This is also when you can spot most of the wildlife and see the many colors of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This period is going to be between June and early September.

Visit the Miniature Iceland

Visiting the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in Iceland is a great way to get a little bit of everything without spending too much time in the car. It’s within comfortable distance from the capital, and it’s rich in both culture and nature. To have a great experience without breaking the bank, rent a campervan in Reykjavik and enjoy the “Miniature Iceland”.