Iceland: Colorful Lighthouses and Coastal Scenery

Twin Gardskagaviti Lighthouses

Statue of Fisherman’s Lady Looking out to Sea

Orange Stafnesviti Lighthouse in Field of Buttercups

Reflection of Stafnesviti Lighthouse in Tidepool Nearby

Unusual Sandgerdi Lighthouse

Fish Themed Murals on Warehouse attached to Sandgerdi Lighthouse

Fisherman with Fish Mural

Fisherman with Eider Duck Mural

Fishermen in Boat Mural

Ladies Processing Fish Mural

Lighthouse Theme on Vitinn Seafood Restaurant Sign

Longrangar Lighthouse

Reykjanes Lighthouse on Hill

Gunnuhver Fumerole at Reykjanes “Smokey Point” Geothermal Area

Richard by Life-Size Great Auk Statue

Akranes Lighthouse

Elves at Entrance

Photography Exhibit Inside

Steps to the Top

Lantern Room at Top

View from Top

Akranes: Poster on Display of Lighthouses of Iceland

We love lighthouses, and we enjoyed seeing a variety of them in Iceland.  Some lighthouses have bright colors for best contrast with the landscape.  All sit in beautiful locations by the sea.  The Reykjanes Lighthouse is particularly scenic because it sits in a geothermal area known as “Smokey Point”.  The Gunnuhver fumerole there produces a surprising amount of steam.  A life-size great auk statue stands nearby, marking the location where the last great auk lived in 1844.  A recent article discusses the possibility of using DNA to bring the great auk back from extinction:  http://www.earthtouchnews.com/all-articles/2016/september/01/can-the-great-auk-return-from-extinction/.

The Akranes lighthouse is fun because we think it looks like a rocket ship (we may be biased because we live on the Space Coast of Florida and see launches all the time).  There is a wonderful photography/poetry exhibition inside by Mak Jurgen called “I Miss the Days Chasing Lights”.  He also plans to publish a book called “Vitar” (lighthouse in Icelandic) by 2020. The view from the top is spectacular!

Mr. Ingvar Hreinsson has repaired all of Iceland’s 104 lighthouses spread out over 3,000 miles of coastline.  A recent article about him is at:  http://grapevine.is/mag/feature/2016/08/26/shine-a-light-the-icelander-who-repaired-every-single-lighthouse-in-the-country/

All of our posts about Iceland’s lighthouses are at:  https://naturetime.wordpress.com/?s=iceland+lighthouse.  “Viti” in Icelandic means lighthouse.

Iceland: Colorful Lighthouses

Siglufjordur (Seal Fjord) Lighthouse on Arctic Ocean (North Iceland)

Nordurgardi (North Mole) Reykjavik Harbor Light

Stafnes Lighthouse. Reykjanes Peninsula near Reykjavik.

Engey Lighthouse on Engey Island in Reykjavik Harbor

Gerdistangi Lighthouse on Private Property Behind Old Stone Wall. Reykjanes Peninsula near Reykjavik.

Reykjanes Lighthouse. Iceland’s Oldest Lighthouse near Reykjavik.

Reykjanes (Smokey Point) Lighthouse Sits on Hill Overlooking Gunnuhver Geothermal Area

Close-up of Reykjanes Lighthouse

Grotta Lighthouse (west of Reykjavik Harbor)

Sea Glass Collected on Grotta Lighthouse Beach

Lighthouses in Iceland sit in incredibly scenic locations. Over 100 lighthouses and harbor lights can be found along the country’s rocky shores. Although some of the lighthouses are painted classic white, many are painted bright orange or yellow to contrast best with the black volcanic landscape and white snow in winter.  Another post about Icelandic lighthouses is at:  https://naturetime.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/iceland-best-climb-up-a-lighthouse/

Iceland: Best Climb Up a Lighthouse!

Pair of Gardskagaviti Lighthouses (the “brothers”). Reykjanes Peninsula near Reykjavik

Gardskagaviti Lighthouses and Old Fishing Boat

Looking up Gardskagaviti Tower (Iceland’s tallest lighthouse)

Key to Gardskagaviti Tower (says ­­­­­”Thanks for Your Support” in Icelandic)

Richard at Bottom of Stairs

Gingko Leaf Circle

Leaf Art Design

Row of Saved Thermometers

Richard Unlocking Trapdoor Bolt to Top of Tower

Pam Climbing onto Viewing Balcony

Fresnel Lens in Gardskagaviti Tower

Coastal View Looking East

Coastal View Looking South

View from Tower of the Older Red and White Striped Gardskagaviti Lighthouse

Older Red and White Striped Gardskagaviti Lighthouse

One of our favorite experiences of our trip was visiting the pair of Gardskagaviti lighthouses on the Reykjanes Peninsula (near Reykjavik).   The taller lighthouse of the pair (known as “the twin brothers”) was built by U.S. servicemen who were rescued from a sinking Coast Guard ship. It was presented as a gift to the Icelandic people for saving their lives. At the museum next to the lighthouses we were given a key to climb up to the top of the tower (the tallest in Iceland). As instructed, we unlocked the door, went in, and then relocked the door behind us. We had the entire place to ourselves! The acoustics were incredible – the tower is essentially a giant tube that acts like an echo chamber. I remember reading once that lighthouse keepers often sang inside their towers because the sound was so amazing.

As we climbed up we enjoyed art displays on the walls and a display of saved thermometers. The top of the tower was especially unique. Richard had to unscrew a bolt to unlock the trap door leading to the balcony surrounding the Fresnel lens. What a view!

Afterward we locked everything back up and turned in the key. The smaller and older red and white striped lighthouse beside the tower was once used for bird migration studies.  Birds commonly seen at rocky Gardskaga Point include eiders, turnstones, gannets, red shank, and sanderlings. This lighthouse experience was one-of-a-kind and great fun!

Iceland: Magical Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Mount Stapafell (Home of Elves). Rocky Point on Top is called Fellskross – a Viking Sign of Holy Powers

Svodufoss Waterfall

Icelandic Sheep in Meadow

Northern Coast of Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Seagulls on Cliff Overlooking Ocean

Arnarstapi Cliff Nesting Birds

Black-Legged Kittiwake Eggshell Dropped on Land

Ondverdarnes Lighthouse at Western Tip of Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Striking Skardsvik Golden Sand Beach in Black Volcanic Landscape

Snaefellsjokull Volcano and Orange Sky at Midnight in June

Snaefellsjokull with Dramatic Clouds

Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula is an enchanting place.  We find more places to go every time we visit.  The birds – the sky – the coast – and the ever-present Snaefellsjokull volcano make for a magical place.

In the Sjominjasafn Maritime Museum we saw a display with a beautiful quote by Halldor Laxness, World Light:

“Where the glacier meets the sky, the land ceases to be earthly, and the earth becomes one with the heavens; no sorrows live there anymore, and therefore joy is not necessary; beauty alone reigns there, beyond all demands”.

 

Iceland: Arnarstapi Bird Cliffs and Dramatic Lava

Mountainous Landscape

Pebbly Beach with Whale Bone and Driftwood

Arnarstapi Bird Cliffs on Old Volcano

Kittiwakes with Newly Hatched Chick

Cliff Walk over Lava Cave

Columnar Lava at Ocean’s Edge

Seaweed Covered Rocks at Low Tide

Guardian Spirit of Mount Snaefell

Mount Stapefell (“Home of Elves”)

Beautiful Home by Harbor with Snaefellsjokull Glacier in Background

Arnarstapi Harbor

Birds Nesting on Rock Offshore

Cafe with Turf Roof

Path through Lava to Djupalonssandur Beach

Siberian Driftwood Log on Beach

Heavy Lifting Stones to Determine Strength

Lifting Stones Descriptive Sign

“Elf Church” Rock Formation Nearby

Longrangar Lighthouse on Coast

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula northwest of Reykjavik is one of our favorite places in Iceland.  The landscape is spectacular!  Gorgeous mountains and glaciers sit next to beaches where we saw driftwood, polished stones, and even old whale bones washed ashore.  In June the Arnarstapi bird cliffs have an amazing amount of nesting activity and cacophony of sound (turn up the volume and listen to video below).  Lava flows in some places there are condensed into dramatic pillars and columns.  Nearby stands a statue of stone that commemorates the Guardian Spirit of Mount Snaefell.  The town sits at the base of Mount Stapefell (known as the “Home of Elves”, composed of pillow lava and green olivine) and in the shadow of Snaefellsjokull Glacier.  The Arnarstapi harbor is particularly scenic, and the town café serves the best hot chocolate!

A bit further west is Djupalonssandur Beach, which is famous for its protected black pebbles and remains of a British trawler shipwrecked there in 1948.  Iceland has very few trees, so driftwood there floats all the way from Siberia!  Four large stones on the beach were used in the past to test the strength of fishermen.  If you couldn’t pick up the largest stone, you weren’t allowed on the boat!  Just picking up the smallest stone is quite an effort for the average person.  Nearby are Longrangar Lighthouse and a lava rock formation known as the “Elf Church”. 

Iceland: Beautiful Historic Churches on Reykjanes Peninsula

Kalfatjarnarkirkja is Iceland’s largest rural church (built 1891)

Cherub covered with orange lichens in Kalfatjarnarkirkja cemetery

Beautiful Geologic Gravestone with Agates in Cemetery at Kalfatjarnarkirkja Church

Utskalakirkja sits by the sea (built 1863)

Colorful painted design on traditional house beside Utskalakirkja

Hvalneskirkja was built with locally collected lava rock (outside) and salvaged driftwood (inside)

Entrance to Hvalneskirkja cemetery

Kirkjuvogskirkja is one of three Icelandic churches painted black (built 1860)

Anchor from shipwrecked American schooner Jamestown beside Kirkjuvogskirkja

There are several historic churches you can visit on the scenic Reykjanes Peninsula (home of Keflavik International Airport and the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik, Iceland).  Each church is unique and has a beautiful simplicity and history of its own.  “Kirkja” at the end of a word means “church” in Icelandic.   

Kalfatjarnarkirkja Church is Iceland’s largest rural church and is picture-postcard perfect.  Utskalakirkja Church sits by the sea and is near the twin Gardskagaviti lighthouses.  Many shipwrecks occurred in the area, so its cemetery contains gravestones dedicated to mariners and fishermen.  Earthen walls marked property boundaries there in the past, so the town’s name is Gardur (which means garden or earth). Beautiful Hvalneskirkja Church was built with locally collected lava rock (outside) and salvaged driftwood (inside).  It sits near the bright orange Stafnes Lighthouse.   Kirkjuvogskirkja Church is one of three Icelandic churches painted black.  Next to it is an anchor from an 1881 shipwreck of the American schooner Jamestown.  The wood and cargo of lumber salvaged from the abandoned “ghost ship” were of great value to this treeless community.  Info about the interesting sights that can be seen on a day trip from Reykjavik to the Reykjanes Peninsula is at:  http://www.visitreykjanes.is.   All of our posts about Icelandic churches are at:  https://naturetime.wordpress.com/?s=iceland+church