Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse, a beautiful lighthouse surrounded by basalt columns

The Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse is one of the wonders of North Iceland’s countryside. The beautiful lighthouse design was inspired by the equally beautiful and unique basaltic rock formation all around it. This is a place where the natural beauty of the basaltic coastline meets a lighthouse designed to fit with its environment.

The Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse at sunset.

Kálfshamarsvík is quite easy to reach, too, although it requires a relatively long detour from Road 1 (the Ring Road). It’s a place that somehow remains off any other major tourist itinerary, and that’s also part of its beauty. 

You’ll likely have this spot to yourself, or with very few other people around – if any.

Table of Contents

Overview of the Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse Hike & Map

The trail around the Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse makes for a nice short walk rather than a proper hike. There is a small loop of about 1km around the lighthouse and the many ruins of turf houses of past settlements. Overall, it’s an easy walk on a grassy path.

The entire coastline around the lighthouse is composed of basaltic columns, which are easily accessible, but caution is required at high tide or when the rocks are wet.

How to get to the Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse trailhead and Parking

Getting to Kálfshamarsvík requires a long detour from the ring road, partly on paved road and partly on gravel. The gravel part is entirely drivable in any 2WD car and presents no particular challenges. Just watch out for potholes!

The drive is quite scenic, as you also have a good view of the Westfjords across the bay. Also, if you are planning to visit this location, take a look at the nearby Ketubjorg Cliffs and waterfall, for a tour of the Skagi peninsula.

• Driving Directions: from the ring road, take road 72 in the proximity of Blönduós, then turn onto road 74 towards Skagaströnd, then keep driving on gravel road 745 for approximately 20-25 minutes until you see the lighthouse on your left. Take the single-lane gravel road to your left to reach the lighthouse.
• Parking: There is a relatively large parking area by the trailhead.
• Public Transport: none, but there is a bus stop in Skagaströnd, line 84 from Blönduós. However, it would be a very long walk to the lighthouse from there.

View of the Westfjords from the gravel road to Kálfshamarsvík.

The Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse Trail

From the trail at the parking area, you’d have to enter a gate to access the lighthouse area, which you will already be able to see in the distance. Before getting there, the trail passes next to the ruins of old houses and huts. There are quite a few of them.

The gate at the Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse

Ruins of old settlements can be found around the lighthouse.

A grassy trail leads to the lighthouse

After passing by the old ruins, the trail continues toward the lighthouse on a grassy path.

Before getting to the lighthouse, however, you can take a detour to your left toward the coastline, where the most interesting basaltic rock formations are. There are several of them, so it’s worth taking the time to explore the coastline and its beautiful basaltic rocks.

It’s amazing to see all the different shapes and forms of the basalt columns of the coastline, and one can’t help but wonder about the lava flows that formed them

There are also several good viewpoints around the lighthouse and its coastline, all quite scenic. You can also walk down to a pebble beach next to the lighthouse.

You can then walk right up to the lighthouse, but it’s closed to visitors, so it’s not possible to visit it or walk up to its top. From there, the trail continues on the other side of the opposite side of the trailhead, where there is another small inlet. Then, the trail circles back toward the parking area.

Kálfshamarsvík Photos and Photography Tips

The Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse is one of those places where you’d want to be for sunset. I tried that once several years ago, on a cloudy mid-summer night. The evening started cloudy, but briefly lit up for a couple of minutes when the sun hit the horizon.

Kálfshamarsvík Lighthouse at sunset. Long exposure, at 14mm, full-frame.

It obviously is a seascape location, best visited at high tide if you want to do some long exposures. The basalt columns offer numerous options for creating interesting foregrounds. My personal favorite spot is here. It has an interesting foreground, the basalt columns that seem to point at the lighthouse, and the view of the small, curved beach that helps keep the eye within the image. It’s the same spot as the one in the cover image of this post.

However, there are plenty of other spots around, and compositions feel virtually unlimited. With all of those foreground rocks and their unique shapes, it’s easy to get lost or absorbed in the task of looking for and trying all the different foregrounds you can find. And it’s very much fun to do that. For the best result, it’s better to go as wide as you. From 14mm to 28mm, full-frame, was the best range to do some seascapes.

Don’t miss the opposite side, north of the lighthouse. It offers a few more interesting perspectives, and plenty of basalt columns there, too, of course!

Where to stay

This is an area with few accommodations compared to the rest of Iceland. It’s a very rural area, and that’s part of its beauty. There is a campsite in Skagaströnd, and just 2-3 guesthouses in the whole peninsula. These are good options if you are planning to visit at sunset. Otherwise, there are more accommodation types available around Blönduós, back on the ring road.

Additional Resources

• If you made it here, I think it’s worth continuing along the coast and onto the other side of the Peninsula to the Ketubjorg Cliffs and waterfall.
• Discover more Hikes in Iceland here.