Península de Reykjanes

The Reykjanes Peninsula is the south-western tip of Iceland and home to Keflavík International Airport — which means nearly every Iceland visitor arrives here, though most race north to Reykjavík without stopping. That is a mistake: Reykjanes is one of the most geologically dynamic places on earth, straddling the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are actively pulling apart. Since 2021 a series of volcanic eruptions on the Svartsengi volcanic system has created dramatic, still-cooling lava fields visible from the road and has periodically produced spectacular lava fountains visible from Grindavík and Reykjavík.

The peninsula’s attractions include the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa (the country’s most visited paid attraction), the Bridge Between Continents (a footbridge symbolically spanning the two tectonic plates), the Gunnuhver geothermal area with its boiling mud pots and steam vents, the Reykjanesviti lighthouse on a lava promontory, and the UNESCO Global Geopark covering the entire peninsula. The Viking World museum in Keflavík and the small town of Grindavík round out the cultural offering.

The peninsula is fully accessible by normal car year-round and connected to Reykjavík by the fast Reykjanesbraut highway (45 minutes). All the major sights can be combined into a single long day trip, or the region makes a logical first or last day of any Iceland itinerary given its proximity to the international airport. Note that some roads near recent lava flows have been periodically restricted; check road.is before visiting.