Originally published January 30, 2018
Iceland has become a popular layover destination for Transatlantic travelers in recent years. Many first-time visitors follow the famous “Golden Circle” itinerary, connecting Þingvellir National Park, the geysers at Geyser and Gullfoss waterfall.
However, if you only have a few hours on your layover and you want a more low-key experience withou the crowds, you should consider exploring the Reykjanes Peninsula instead. Everything there is a very short drive from the airport, and there are some accommodations, too, so if you have an early morning flight, you can explore Reykjanes on your last day in Iceland and stay in Keflavík just minutes away from the airport.
If you will be taking off or landing at Keflavík during daylight hours, make sure to get a window seat and keep your fingers crossed for clear weather. If you are not familiar with volcanic landscapes, like I was on my first visit to Iceland, you will be smitten by the stark beauty of Reykjanes before your airplane even touches down. The peninsula is essentially a giant lava field, and an overhead point of view is one of the best ways to appreciate its scale. The landscape looks alien, save for the airport and the minimalistic towns with an occasional touch of color.
On the ground, the landscape is no less alien. Photography work wonders here: if you can leave out the rare signs of human activity outside of your frame, you can easily take pictures of an alien planet in a galaxy far, far away.
But these “signs of human activity” are interesting in their own right. If you head north from the airport on Rt. 45 towards Gardur and then head south on Rts. 44 and 425, you will encounter a few lighthouses, a picturesque historic church, a monument to a shipwreck and some foundations of Cold War era radar or similar military device.
In fact, the area immediately west of the airport was off limits until about a decade ago, after the airport ceased to be a military base. Because of that, this part of the peninsula looks completely desolate. Depending on the weather and the season, it may be just you, the rocks, the sea and some birds. This may be a good place to watch the aurora, too.
Further south, past Hafnir, the sights get a bit more touristy. The Bridge Between the Continents is a classic tourist trap: it is not even close to the actin tectonic plates boundary. But it is free, and a great place to have fun with forced perspective and entertain your companions if they get bored waiting for you to taking pictures of the rocks.
At the very Southwestern tip of Reykjanes lies its star attraction, the Gunnuhver Geothermal Area, and if you are short on time, head straight there and skip everything else. The main steam vent there is so powerful it roars like a jet engine. Not too long ago, the area became unstable: new vents emerged and others shifted, tearing the old boardwalks apart. You can still see evidence of destruction there, a testament to the power of the natural forces pent up underground. And a futuristic-looking geothermal plant nearby, surrounded by the odd-colored ground and steam vents, looks like a human outpost on a distant planet. Yet on the other side of the field, a lighthouse on a hill looks decidedly Earthly.
If you have a few more hours, you can drive through the Reykjanesfólkvangur National Park not too far away to enjoy the views of lake Kleifarvatn. The park has a geothermal area, too, called Krysuvik, but the activity there is more subdued compared to Gunnuhver. On the way, you can make a short detour to Hópsnesviti lighthouse near Grindavik and see several hulks of wrecked ships on the shore.
You may have noticed that I have yet not mentioned the most famous attraction of Reykjanes, the Blue Lagoon. For Iceland’s tourist industry, it has about the same significance as the Pyramids for Egypt or Eiffel Tower for Paris. Unfortunately, it suffers from many of the same problems: it is overpriced and overcrowded. They offer a discount 1-2 hours before closing and if you come at 8 am when it opens you may avoid the tour buses, but a better deal still is to photograph the milky pond next to the free parking lot and then soak in a hot tub at a pool in Grindavik, Keflavik or another nearby town for a fraction of the price and in the company of locals.
I have created a map with the sights I mentioned here and featured in the galleries, plus a nice place to grab a bite in Keflavík. As with the map I shared before, all locations are approximate, but you should be able to find them easily enough in daylight.