Exploring West Iceland - The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Waterfalls, icicles in a gorge, a tiny black church by the sea and Kirkjufell, the most photographed mountain in Iceland

Dec 27, 2023

Iceland Itinerary - The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Bjarnafoss - our first waterfall of the day
Búðakirkja - The Black Church of Budir
Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge - a beautiful moss-filled cavern near Arnastapi
Arnarstapi Cliffs Viewpoint and the Natural Stone Arch, Gatklettur
Lóndrangar Cliffs - an iconic viewpoint along the Icelandic coastline
Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfossar - the most photographed mountain in Iceland
Guest House in Grundarfjörður - our second night’s lodging

Búðakirkja - The Black Church of Budir a small Lutheran church painted black with white trimmed windows and door. This church is alone on a moss covered lava field with mountains in the distance and the sea on the right. The ground is golden brown and the sky is filled with light gray clouds. — Búðakirkja - The Black Church of Budir

Day 2. On our second morning in Iceland, we rose early to enjoy a quiet breakfast together in the guest house. Over coffee and cereal, we revisited some of our favorite stories and photos from the day before, and by 9 am we were packed and excited to hit the road northwest to explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. My travel map was filled with more stops than I knew we could manage in a day but with careful pacing and plenty of photo and snack stops we enjoyed every minute of our drive and still have a wish list of destinations for our return trip in 2024.

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula, described as “Iceland in miniature” offers a wide variety of beautiful beaches, waterfalls, historic landmarks, mountains, and a glacier along its 165 kilometers (103 miles). You can ride Icelandic horses, hike to waterfalls, explore an 8,000-year-old lava tube, and enjoy hot chocolate and waffles or fresh fish soup in a small cafe. While it would take several days to explore this beautiful area fully it is possible to plan one amazing day with a few spectacular highlights and still have time for a relaxing evening at your rental cottage or hotel. While it’s tempting to rush from one long-awaited photo op to another I recommend slowing down, staying still in a location long enough to settle into the surroundings. Listen to the birds and waves, feel the air, and explore the subtle changes in vegetation and rock formations. You may not see everything in one day but the stops you do make will be unforgettable.

Weather here, like all of Iceland, can be unpredictable so pack plenty of comfortable clothes and dress in layers. Waterproof shoes or hiking boots are best for the gorge, along with soft fleece and rain layers that will keep you protected as you explore the beaches, cliffs, and waterfalls. If your ears and face are sensitive to wind I recommend carrying a soft headband, scarf, or beanie-style hat that can provide cover when needed.

Bjarnafoss

Our first stop was Bjarnafoss, a multi-tiered waterfall 80 meters (262 feet) high on the south end of the peninsula. Legend has it that Fjallkonan, the “Lady of the Mountains,” stands beneath these falls, embodying Iceland's wilderness and natural beauty. More about the folklore surrounding Fjallkonan can be discovered in an 1864 drawing described by Icelandic author Eiríkur Magnússon.

The picture of the woman is to represent Iceland, thus she has a crown of ice on her head, from which fires erupt. On her shoulder is the raven, Iceland's most characteristic bird, Óðinn's ancient friend and the favourite of poets, a great and knowledgeable carrier of news. Over the seas flutters a seagull, but across the surf of time and history are borne rune-staves to the land and up into the embrace of the woman, and she has picked one of them up. This is intended as a symbol of our land of literature and history. It is night, with a starry sky and the moon up. Behind are mountains, moonlight on the ridges.
Eiríkur Magnússon

Bjarnafoss a multi layered waterfall cascading down from a rocky cliff and over golden brown moss covered rocks. There are evergreen trees in the midground and the sky is filled with light gray clouds. — Bjarnafoss

A small parking area is located off road 54; from there, it’s a short hike to the base of the falls. Depending on the weather you can explore the lower levels and hike up the very steep sides for a closer look. Be mindful of the wind and slippery surfaces though, a climb to the higher viewpoints is best attempted on a dry, calm day.

Bjarnafoss waterfall from the right side. The top of the falls is far in the distance and the flowing water rushes past my photo view point towards the bottom. The ground is shades of light brown moss and grass with deep burgundy soil and evergreen trees. The sky is filled with light gray clouds. — Bjarnafoss

Búðakirkja - The Black Church of Budir

Leaving Bjarnafoss it’s a quick 5-minute drive through the lava fields to Búðakirkja a stunning black and white church standing at the sea’s edge. The original turf church was built in 1703 and burials in its small cemetery date back to 1705. Construction of the wooden church was finished in 1848 and its last reconstruction was completed in 1987. If you’d like to learn more the official Búðakirkja website is full of information, history, and photographs.

After seeing images of Búðakirkja in every article I read preparing for this trip I was excited to experience it in person and, as with all of our day’s stops, it didn’t disappoint. The setting was peaceful and quiet with just a handful of other people in the area. Raven calls blended with the sounds of the wind and waves from the beach below and the moss and grass underfoot was springy and comfortable to walk across as we wandered the grounds and cliffs outside the churchyard.

Búðakirkja - The Black Church of Budir in black and white. This image shows the front of the church with it's weathered white door in silhouette against the light gray sky. — Búðakirkja - The Black Church of Budir

Búðakirkja - The Black Church of Budir a close up photograph of the back of the church. The weathered, white painted windows are shown on the bottom left and right corners. The black siding stretches up to the point of the roof and the simple metal cross is silhouetted against the light gray sky. — Búðakirkja - The Black Church of Budir

Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge

Continuing west it’s a 15-minute drive on road 574 to Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge a deep ravine on the eastern side of Botnsfjall Mountain near Arnarstapi. As you approach the gorge it looks like a towering, narrow seam in the mountain, opening up to a deep, moss-filled cavern once you step through the gap. Ice-cold water drips from the walls and flows underfoot so waterproof clothing and shoes are a must if you want to continue further. The three of us explored the first opening and Ryan and I made it through to the second, smaller area where only one person at a time could perch on stepping stones in the stream surrounded by mossy green rocks and giant icicles. Sunlight filtered through narrow openings above and high overhead birds circled.

Four images from Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge - clockwise from top left. Ryan in brown pants with a green down jacket standing on rocks ready to enter the second, smaller opening inside the gorge, a close up of the green moss walls and large icicles, the layers of green, gold, black and rusty red color to in the hills next to the gorge, looking up from the streambed inside to the curving opening to the sky above. — Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge - clockwise from top left. Ryan enters the second, smaller opening, a close-up of the green moss and large icicles, the layers of color in the hills next to the gorge, looking up from the streambed to the opening above.

Arnarstapi Cliffs, Gatklettur and Bárður Snæfellsás

Continuing south on road 574 it’s another 5 minutes to Arnarstapi, a small village known for its beautiful sea views and flocks of seabirds that nest in the cliffside. From the overlooks you can watch waves crash into the basalt columns, climbing the cliffs before flowing down again. The mix of a dark ocean, light blue waves, and white foam stretching up the black and gray basalt is not to be missed.

Arnarstapi Cliffs, light brown grass above dramatic basalt cliffs down to the sea. The water is dark gray/blue with white foamy waves. As the waves crash up the basalt columns it turns a bright, light blue topped by foamy white. There are birds nesting on tiny perches in the rock face. — Arnarstapi Cliffs

Gatklettur, a natural stone arch with a round window-like opening on the right is another fun photo opportunity and a great place to rest while listening to the ocean and seabirds.

Gatklettur, a natural stone bridge over the sea. The dark lava rocks stand out against the icy blue ocean and foamy white waves. The top of the arch is covered with golden moss and the sky is a light gray. Distant mountains are shown in the background. — Gatklettur Arch

A short walk from the arch reveals an enormous stone troll Bárður Snæfellsás, the protector of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Created by Ragnar Kjartansson this dramatic piece was completed in June 1985.

A close up view of the top half of Bárður Snæfellsás a large stone sculpture of a stone troll called the protector of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. It is constructed of small pieces of dark rock covered in lichen and moss and shown against a blue gray sky. — Bárður Snæfellsás

Full size image of the stone troll Bárður Snæfellsás. For scale one adult man can stand comfortably in the opening between the ground and his knees. The troll has a stone beard and hat. — Bárður Snæfellsás

Dr. Matthew Roby from the University of Iceland has filmed a walking tour sharing stories from the Icelandic Sagas that link the first four locations on this itinerary as well as two we’ll try to visit on our next trip. If you want to hear both myth and history told from the Icelandic perspective while enjoying the full beauty of their windswept settings, this video has it all.

Lóndrangar Cliffs

Back to road 574, it was 8 minutes to our next stop, the Lóndrangar Cliffs. I was looking forward to spending some time here but the misty rain that had followed us all day turned to a chilly downpour so we decided to cut our visit short and warm up with heated seats and snacks as we finished our drive around the peninsula.

Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfossar

We continued our drive on road 574 until it rejoined road 54 eastbound reaching our final sightseeing destination of the day, Kirkjufell, and its neighboring waterfalls in just under an hour. The heavy clouds began to lift as we approached leaving only the very top of the mountain shrouded in mist. I’ve heard this is the most photographed mountain in Iceland and watching the view change minute by minute I believe it. Every time I turned around I wanted to snap a new picture capturing the constant shifts in light, color, and shadow.

Kirkjufell mountain and Kirkjufellsfossar waterfalls. The wedge shaped mountain is in the background covered in golden brown grass with wispy white clouds floating across the pointy tip. The waterfalls flow on the left side down into deep blue black water running below across the front of the image and out to sea across the right side of the frame. The sky is filled with multi colored gray clouds. — Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfossar

Kirkjufellsfossar, the cascading waterfalls in front of the mountain. Shown against a large brown cliff with patches of snow people walk across a small bridge at the top of the falls. The water flows into a pool below and eventually runs out to the sea on the right side of the frame. — Kirkjufellsfossar

Grundarfjörður

We arrived at our comfortable guest house by 5:30 and fell right into our new evening routine of unpacking the car, cooking dinner, and taking a short walk to explore the town before bed. Another beautiful day in Iceland.

If any readers have followed this same route I hope you’ll share some pictures in the comments!

In the coming weeks, I’ll continue to write about each day of our May 2023 trip along Iceland’s Ring Road posting photos and highlights from our journey around this island country. My next post will cover our travels to the northern region where we experienced our first long gravel highway, a mountain pass, and rode horses along a beautiful fjord. If you’d like to start at the beginning click here to see the full series.

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