Lóndrangar basalt cliffs

About Lóndrangar

The two pinnacles at Lóndrangar are the eroded remains of an old volcanic crater, worn down over thousands of years until only the harder basalt plugs at its centre were left standing against the sea. The taller stands about 75 metres high, the shorter about 61 metres, and their column-like shape comes from the same slow cooling and cracking that forms basalt columns elsewhere in Iceland.

They stand right on the shoreline below the hill Svalþúfa, with black lava and surf at their feet and Snæfellsjökull behind, and many people compare the pair to a ruined castle. The stacks, the cliff Þúfubjarg beside them and the coast in both directions are all part of the national park.

The cliffs sit within Snæfellsjökull National Park and are one of the peninsula's best spots for seabirds, with puffins, guillemots, fulmars and kittiwakes nesting on the ledges from late spring into summer. Two car parks give access: Svalþúfa, a short five-minute walk to a viewing platform close to the stacks, and Malarrif, a little further away, with longer paths and a visitor centre.

Quick facts

Trolls turned to stone

Local folklore says the two stacks are trolls who were trying to drag a ship ashore when the sun rose and turned them to stone, a common explanation across Iceland for odd rock formations. The lava around them is said to be home to the hidden people, or huldufólk, and farmers never cut hay on Svalþúfa, the grassy hill above the cliffs, because it was held to belong to the elves.

The cliff below the hill, Þúfubjarg, has its own story. The poet Kolbeinn Jöklaskáld is said to have met the Devil there and beaten him in a contest of verse.

The taller pinnacle was first climbed in 1735 and the shorter one not until 1938, evidence of how forbidding they looked even once people started trying. In earlier centuries fishermen rowed out from the coves beside the stacks.

How to get to Lóndrangar

Exploring the area: the two walks

Both walks are short and well marked. Choose by how much time you have.

There are no fences on most of the cliff edge, and the turf can be undercut. Keep back, especially in wind.

Photography at Lóndrangar

The stacks look different through the day. Early and late light is best, when low sun picks out the texture of the basalt and the shadows give the pinnacles depth; at sunset in summer the light comes in along the coast from the west. From Þúfubjarg you get the classic view with cliff, sea and stacks in line; from the Malarrif side you can put Snæfellsjökull behind them on a clear day. Rough weather is no reason to skip it, since big surf against the rocks is part of the show, but hold on to your tripod.

Best time to visit Lóndrangar

Safety and practical tips

• Keep back from the cliff edges, especially in wind or wet weather.
• Bring binoculars in nesting season for a closer look at the seabirds without disturbing them.
• Stop at the Malarrif visitor centre for context on the national park and the wider Snæfellsnes coastline.
• Check umferdin.is for road conditions on Route 574 in winter.
• Come early or late in the day for softer light and fewer people.
• Puffins are only here in summer, roughly May to mid-August; fulmars and kittiwakes are easier to spot.

Facilities and accessibility

Toilets and a visitor centre are available at Malarrif. Svalþúfa has parking only.

On the map

Nearby places worth a stop

DjúpalónssandurBlack pebble beach with old shipwreck remainsVatnshellirLava cave tours, a few minutes' drive awayHellnarSmall village with a coastal path to ArnarstapiArnarstapiCoastal village with sea arches and cliffsSnæfellsjökullThe glacier volcano above the cliffsSnæfellsjökull National ParkThe glacier and national park surrounding the cliffs

Where to stay near Lóndrangar

The villages of Hellnar, Arnarstapi and Ólafsvík have guesthouses and hotels within a short drive of Lóndrangar.

Lóndrangar FAQ