Café Petite

Company: Hotel Keflavík

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One of the five major high temperature areas of the Reykjanes Peninsula.

It supplies all of the communities of the Reykjanes Area with hot water for house heating and other purpose. The famous Blue Lagoon comes from the discharge from the power station. Area of green patches north of the hill Svartsengisfell north of the town Grindavík. On summertime the people of Grindavík celebrate there.

Junkaragerdi was a farm just north of the Hafnarberg Cliffs. Its name was probably derived from 12-18 foreigner, who lived there, and were called "Junkers". They were said to be heavy drinkers, strong men, and womanizers. The neighbours wanted to get rid of them, and one night they damaged the rowlocks of their boats. The Junkers went fishing in the early morning and during the day they encountered bad weather and the rowlocks broke. The Junkers then supported the oars with their knees and got back home. The next time their oars were sawn half through and the saw marks were hidden. The Junkers went fishing and never came back.

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An ancient fishing outfit and a trading post just south of Stafnes.

It was one of the harbours of the Danish Trade Monopoly posts comprising Hafnir, Stafnes and Midnes. During the night of January 9th 1799 a catastrophic tidal flood devastated Batsendar. It swept most of the houses away and some of the people barely escaped. Only one old woman drowned. This was the most devastating, tidal flood in the history of the country.

How to get there: Road from Sandgerði to Stafnesi. There is a parking and walk from there until you see ruins of the place and old wall made from rocks.

Each summer in August a Family Day is held in Vogar in Vatnsleysuströnd. At this time the family is in the forefront and everyone is welcome. The program is mostly arranged by the locals and made to fit all ages of family members. Among other things for amusement are soap-soccer, fishing in the harbour, home-made car race and many other interesting and amusing things.
Also look for other events and more information about the festival on www.vogar.is

Company: Hljomaholl

Name of the facility: Felagsbio

About the facility

Technology

Stafnes was a mansion in the past. There were many fishing outfits on the property and many people lived there during the fishing seasons. Royal fishing outfits started operating there around the middle of the 16th century and were abolished in 1769. The inhabitants of the King´s properties in the Southwest were obliged to work on the King´s boats against low pay. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Stafnes was the most populous fishing outfit on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The former trading post Basendar is a short distance to the south. Still further south is the old harbour Thorshofn, which was not much used, because of the proximity of Basendar. Many vessels have run aground on the Stafnes Skerries. In 1928 the trawler President Jon ran aground there, 15 of the crew drowned, but 10 were rescued. This and other similar accidents led to the establishment of The Life Saving Association of Iceland. Considerable seal hunting was practiced at Stafnes in earlier times.

Stafnesviti stands in between the towns Sandgerði and Hafnir at Stafnes and was built in 1925. It stands 8 m. tall built of concrete sement and stands on a concrete stall. It is painted yellow.

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Kalmanstjorn is an abandoned farm, a former mansion to the south of Lake Kalmanstjorn, where there are still some ruins reminding of the habitation, where the mansion of Kirkjuhofn stood. According to a legend the house had 50 doors. The farm Kalmanstjorn is said to have been an outlying farm from the mansion Kirkjuhofn. It was a church site and some people claim to be able to see some traces of the cemetery there. A short distance further south is Sandhofn and still further Sandhofn, which was abandoned in 1828. Those farms were all abandoned because of earthquakes and sandstorms.

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Company: Keilir

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Cliffs known as Gallows Cliffs or Hanging Rocks.

The cliffs were used to execute thieves captured in Þorbjarnarfell according to an old folk story.

Location: From road 43 there is a short walk.

Ásbrú - Keflavík

Name of the facility: Andrews Banquet

About the facility

One of the oldest and largest lava shield on the Reykjanes peninsula. Formed in late glacial time, about 14.000 years ago, when sea level was about 30 m lower than today.

Only recommend going there on well-equipped jeeps. By foot it is possible to walk on road between Svartsengi and Reykjanes

Annually on the last weekend in august there is a family festival held in Sandgerði which emphazises on the enjoyment of people coming together and entertaining each other. Many events are available to people from Friday to Sunday because then all of the local citizens put in an effort to make the weekend as memorable as possible. For more information visit the official webpage of Sandgerði www.sandgerdi.is

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Two volcanic fissures lie from the sea onto land on the western side of Reykjanes and form a series of craters. These crater series have been named Stampar. The crater series are from two periods. This series lies in the SW-NE direction and follow thereby the most common fissure angle in Reykjanes.

The older formed in an eruption from a fissure that was just under 4 km long around 1,800 to 2,000 years ago.

The younger Stampar crater series formed in the Reykjanes Fires in 1210-1240. The row of craters is around 4 km, and the area of the lava field they produced is approximately 4.6 km². The two craters closest to the road, named Stampar, are at the north end of the crater row. Further south in the crater row are other sizeable craters such as Miðahóll hill, Eldborg the deeper and Eldborg the shallower. Fishermen in earlier times used all these craters as points of reference when out at sea. Most of the craters, however, are low-lying scoria cones and not very prominent.

It may be noted that during the Reykjanes Fires in 1210-1240, there were four lava flows in the Reykjanes and Svartsengi system, as well as submarine eruptions in the seas off Reykjanes.

The Hundred Crater Trail, a signposted trail, lies partly through the Stampar lava field. The trail starts at Valahnúkur in Reykjanes. The trail also passes through the Reykjanes geothermal zone, past slag and scoria cones, the tuff mountain Sýrfell and on to the Stampar craters. From there, the path lies over rough pahoehoe lava and sand dunes, running from the west side of the crater closest to the road, along the row of craters, on to the seaward side of the Reykjanes Power Plant. The craters along the trail are numerous and fragile.

Walking up onto the crater nearest the road is permitted. It is important, however, to make sure that sensitive natural formations are not disturbed.

Location: Road 425 about 2,5 km north of Rauðhólar, short walk from there

Company: Ráin

Name of the facility: Brúin

About the facility

Technology

Farms Smaller and Big Vatnsleysa were formerly manors and big fishing outfits in the County of the Vatnsleysa County. They stood on the western shores of the Vatnsleysa Cove, between spit Keilisnes to the west and spit Hraunsnes to the east. Farm Smaller Vatnsleysa is among the biggest pig farm of the country (producing the Ali-products). Among the benefits of those two farms were the rich lumpfish grounds, driftwood and thermal activity.

Vatnsleysa was a church site during catholic times, where the churches were dedicated to all the saints and it possessed a big part of the farm´s property. The churches at Vatnsleysa were served from the parsonage Kalfatjorn for a long time.

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Arnarsetur is a short monogenetic volcanic fissure with scoria and spatter craters, formed in an eruption that was an integral part of the Reykjanes Fires, a volcano-tectonic episode from 1210 to 1240. The fissure is two kilometers in length and the lava formations that originate from it cover 20 square kilometers. They are rugged and contain lava tubes and remains of human activity. The name Arnarsetur means Eagle's nest and derives from a pair of eagles that lived in the area before.

Arnarsetur is located east of the road to town Grindavík (43). The exit is about half way from Reykjanesbraut (41) to Grindavík.

A sheep shelter, round in shape and constructed skilfully from lava rocks.

Situated 2-3 km from the former parsonage Kalfatjorn in a direct line from there to Mt Dyngja.

It is about two metres high, 8 m in diameter, and 35 m in circumferance. The ground inside it is flat and covered with grass.
No sources reveal its age, but it is considered to be a few centuries old. According to the legend, a man named Gudmundur built it for the reverend at Kalfatjorn.

He worked elaborately at the construction, collected stones from the surrounding area to have a large selection to chose from to fit them together as perfectly as possible. He planned to close it with a cone shaped roof of stones, but the reverend envisioned it higher and more prominent than his church´s steeple and stopped the construction work. The stone mason left it exactly as we see it today. It was declared inviolate in 1951.

Vogastapi was named "The Heifer Cove Cliff", later "The Cove Cliff" and sometimes just "The Cliff" by the inhabitants of the area. It is an 80 m. high, dolerite hillock between Coves Vogavik and Njardvik. It is precipitous towards the sea, but has a gradual gradient inland. It is mostly sparsely vegetated and somewhat barren in places. The main road to the western communities crosses it. The view from its highest point, Grimsholl, is excellent and a view dial explains the topographical names of the surroundings. Up to this date the Vogastapi Area is haunted by a ghost, which has mislead people off the brink of the cliff. During the motorized age, some of the passers by have noticed a being carrying its head under its arm and sometimes drivers travelling alone spotted it in their rear view mirrors sitting in the back seats.

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This is a deep southern inlet of the big Faxi Bay between spit Keilisnes in the east and the Stakkur Peak of the Holmur Cliff in the west. The Stakkur Peak is crowned with a lighthouse. The bay was named after a freestanding rock in the sea off Cliff Holmsberg.

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On Garðskagi you can find two lighthouses, the older one and also the smaller of the two was once regarded as one of the best lighthouses in Iceland because it stood low and therefore mist was not a problem. Although there was risk of the lighthouse being damaged because of surf and it was sometimes not visible because of seastorm.

A new lighthouse was built on Garðskagi in 1944. At 28 metres it is the highest lighthouse in Iceland and was in second place in a survey which Rögnvaldur Guðmundsson supervised concerning the favorite lighthouses of the Icelandic people. Engineer Axel Sveinsson designed the lighthouse but the lighthouse is a radar transponder and used for weather surveilance. The operation of the
lighthouse is under the supervision of the Icelandic Maritime Administration.

A free standing, hyaloclastite mountain north of Grindavik.

It offers great panoramic view over most of the Reykjanes Peninsula on fine days. The northeastern part of the mountain depicts thermal activity an to its north and northeast is an extensive high temperature area. It is split by a fissure called "The Thieves´ Gap" (Thjofagja), occupied by 15 thieves according to the legend. They were eventually overwhelmed and killed by trickery.

Keflavík

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A crater row formed in eruption 2.350 years ago.

It created natural harbour condtions in the town Grindavík. Sundahnúkur was used as a landmark for the Grindavík harbour in former times.

Hafurbjarnarstadir is a farm on Gardskagi.

Next to the property is Skagagarður the great stone wall that was between Skagatá and Garðskagi and there it got the name. This place is really important for the history because a burial site was discoverd. Some bones and antiquities were found in 1868 and moved to Antiquarian Museum in Reykjavik. In 1947 9 graves were discovered and 7 or 8 bodies, bones of dogs and horses. More antiquities were discoverd like arms, jewellery and most likely remains of boat grave.

Hafnaberg is a long line of sheer sea lava cliffs south of the old fishing hamlet of Hafnir.

Hafnaberg is very popular among hikers and bird watchers as various marine birds nest at the cliffs. A parkingplace is located 4 km from Hafnir on road 44 and from there is a marked path from the road to the cliffs.

Hafnaberg is a geosite in Reykjanes Unesco Global Geopark.

Kirkjuvogur (Church Cove) was a mansion in Hafnir, an annexed church site of the Grindavik parish, which was long served by the reverends of Utskalar. Still earlier, Kirkjuvogur was served from Hvalsnes. The catholic churches were dedicated to the Holy Mother. During the flood storm of 1799 the church was severely damaged. Today the church belongs to municpality of Reykjanesbær. It is the the only black wooden church in the Reykjanes peninsula and is a great stop on the way to The Bridge Between Continents.

Kalfatjörn is a former farm, parsonage and church site in the Vatnsleysa County. It was a parsonage until 1907, when the parish was united with the Gardar parish of the Kjalarnes deanery. During catholic times, the church was dedecated to St Peter. The present church was built in 1892-93 and consecrated June 11th 1893. It was built of wood and covered with corrugated iron on stone foundations. It seats 150 persons. It now belongs to the Tjorn Parish. The altarpiece, a replica of the one in the Reykjavik Cathedral, painted by Sigurdur Guðmundsson, is equally old as the church.

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The Zoological Viking Home is in operation next door to the Vikingworld. These are some calves, lambs and goats as well as chickens and rabbits in a fun environment. All the animals have in common to be of the same kind as the domestic animals brought over the Atlantic Ocean with the first permanent settlers in Iceland over 1100 years ago.

Annually, The Blue Lagoon and the town of Grindavík sponsor a Midsummer night hike on the mountain Þorbjörn. On the top of the mountain there is entertainment which includes singing and camp fire. The walk ends at the Blue Lagoon which is open past midnight that evening. This is an entertaining recreation for the whole family. For information about the forthcoming Midsummer day hike visit the official website of Grindavík www.grindavik.is or www.bluelagoon.com.

Seaweed-coverd rocks which are part of the Þráinsskjöldur Lava Flow.

They were formed about 10,000 years ago.

Due to the pourous roks that form the foundation of this part of Iceland fresh water seeps from the ground in many places.

Located near town Vogar.

A green patch near a pond next to the old route at the southern edge of Afstapahraun which is a lava field up of Vatnsleysuvík. Reykjanesbraut (41) lies around the patch. There used to be a farmstead and a known place to rest at. Kuagerdi means "Cow Grazings". Today there as been put up a memorial cross for those who have died in traffic accidents on Reykjanesbraut.

Cove Sandvik, south of the Hafnarberg Cliffs, is a popular recreational area of the passers by travelling through the southwesternmost part of the Reykjanes Peninsula.

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The Lighthouse at Holmsberg was built in1956 and stands 9,3 m tall with a compartmenet for the light of 3,4 m tall. It has identical lighthouses in 6 other parts of Iceland, all designed by the engineer Axel Sveinsson.

During the 19th century ships started frequenting this harbour again. The merchants of Keflavik often unloaded salt, timber and heavy merchandize there and loaded fish from the farmers of Midnes and Hafnir. In the beginning of the 20th century the arrivals of ships diminished, because of the opening of the Sandgerdi harbour and a new trading post there.

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Ásbrú - Keflavík

Name of the facility: Andrews theater

About the facility

Patterson Airport was built in 1942 by the usa navy.

The airport was mainly used to maintain the aircrafts. Next to the airport can be found Subfossils shells, since 20.000-22.000 years ago. They lived shorly before the Late Glacial Maximum at about 18.000 years age. The sea level at that time was about 5-10 m. The airport was closed 1945.

Location: Road 44 at fence on Patterson. Walk north from old ammunition supplier

The normal fault and tension fracture, Hrafnagjá, is the longest of its kind at the Reykjanes peninsula. It is 12 km long and up to 30 m high. The set of fractures east of Vogar village forms a typical rift valley.

Location: Hrafnagjá is visible from Reykjanesbraut (road nr. 41) to Keflavík International Airport. A hikingtrail leads to the location from the parking place by the intersection of the town Vogar.

Hrafnagjá is a geosite in the Reykjanes Unesco Global Geopark.

Here are two very attractive and interesting exhibitions:

The Saltfish Museum:The exhibition Saltfisksetrið brings to light our seafaring history. The exhibition is very intriguing for foreign tourists, and it is interesting for local students, who can study the most important
profession of the country, and enjoyable for every Icelander passing through on a weekend trip.

The people of Grindavík have long been among the most prolific in the production of dried salted cod. The exhibition about Iceland's history in the processing and sales of dried salted cod and it's significance to Iceland's economy is therefore well placed in Grindavík.

The Saltfisksetrið exhibition opened in the year 2002. The exhibition offers large pictures, a text detailing the history of dried salted cod processing along with some historical objects from characteristic harbor towns of old.

The self-guided walking tour has a marked beginning and end, and is therefore outlined in chronological order. The floor is made of gravel, and there are stage sets of buildings from different periods on show throughout the exhibit.

Great care was taken to recreate the history of dried salted cod processing, and the exhibit has attracted much attention.

The Township of Grindavík was a leading force in the construction of this site, in collaboration with its founders and other donors from GrEarth Energy:
In Iceland there are unique possibilities to see and investigate most of earth's dynamic processes, such as volcanism and geothermal heat, which is the result of the young age of the island. It might be said that Iceland is a window into the past as well as into the future. By reading the history of the different
geological strata it is possible to forecast geological events that are likely to happen again.

The larges glaciers and the mightiest glacial rivers in Europe are here in Iceland and here are to be found the largest high- and low-temperature geothermal areas, unusually high volcanic and tectonic activity and magnificent and rough nature.

EARTH ENERGY has 18 boxes showing:

1 Ísland - a land in the shaping
2 The battle between sea and fire
3 The birth of Iceland
4 The earth can be compared to an egg
5 The boundaries of the plates on earth's crust
6 A Seismic model
7 The active volcanic belt
8 Earthquakes in Iceland
9 Volcanic eruptions are frequent on the
Reykjanes peninsula
10 Fissure eruptions are common in Iceland
11 The age of the earth
12 A glacier covers Scandinavia
13 Iceland was a subtropical paradise
14 Research and science
15 Energy from the bowles of the earth
16 Drilling for hot water
17 The power plant at Svartsengi
18 The Blue Lagoon

EARTH ENERGY - In cooperation with HS Orka
indavík.

Helguvik is a small cove close to the freestanding rock Stakkur off Cliff Holmsberg, just north of Keflavik in the town Reykjanesbær. Nowadays this cove is a flourishing trade centre with an harbour, capelin meal factory, a processing factory for capelin, a lively cement trade and an asphalt factory. More industries are showing interest in settling in its vicinity.

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A protective wall that lay from Kirkjuból to Útskálar.

The village of Garður at the north tip of the peninsula was named after the wall.

The wall or garður (cognate with English garth), which probably dated from the early days after the settlement, served to keep livestock away from the crops. The wall was broad and tall, built of turf and large rocks. Remnants of it are visible by the old road between Garður and Sandgerði. While today the only reminder of agriculture in the area is fields of grass, several hundred years after the settlement farmers were still cultivating such crops as wheat, oats and barley.

Location: From Útskálakirkja in Garður to Kirkjubólsvelli. By road 45, towards Garðskagalighthouse.

A pond with good walking paths, picnic facilities and a barbecue.

Next to Seltjörn is Sólbrekkuskógur, a small forest, but sheltered and lovely as it is situated hugging small slopes, with interesting rock formations in a few places.

Inlet created because of a subsidence.

Important for birdlife and marine biology.

Location: Near small village Hafnir - short walk from road 44

Vatnsleysuströnd - Reykjanesbær

Vatnsleysuströnd is one of few vegetative places on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It is a coastal area from Vatnsleysuvík to Vogar. The peninsula has little or no running surface water so the ponds in that area attract many birds. The main road is paved and good for all types of cars but the access to the coast is mostly through private roads. Vatnsleysuvík has a fish farm that attracts many gull species and the farm Stóra-Vatnsleysa has an Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) colony, breeding Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) and waders.

Kálfatjarnarkirkja

Traveling west towards the village of Vogar you will see a church and a golf course where you can park and walk down to the coast. Near the shore you can find a little pond where ducks and waders are often seen and on the sandy beach and rocky shore beyond the rocky boulders you can find feeding waders in spring and autumn. The landfill holds passerines like Meadow Pipits and Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) and one should always keep a lookout for vagrants in these areas. On the road to Vogar there are a few ponds seen from the road that are worth a look. The best way to look at this area is to walk the whole coast and go on top of the landfill to scan the ponds on the way.

Vogar

Vogar is as small village on the east side of Stakksfjörður. There is large pond close to the harbour with sedge and a small island. In summer, there are breeding ducks such as Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula) and Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) hiding in the sedge with feeding Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus). The harbour is a good stop for gulls and waders and the occasional wintering Harlequin Ducks. The sandy beach next to the pond is good in the migration period but the hidden pearl is the mudflat west of Vogar. Turn left when entering the village; you will drive through the village and end up on a gravel road that will lead you to a big fenced off fish farm. Go towards the gate and take another left until you are in a parking area. From there on you will follow a walking path next to the fish farm that will lead you to a big mudflat with patches of seaweed with many waders and gulls and breeding Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) in the cliffs above. This is a hot-spot during migration.

Þorbjörn and Sólbrekkuskógur

There are very few trees in Reykjanes, or in Iceland for that matter, and long may it be so but the Suðurnes Forestry Association has been trying to introduce alien and native trees to the peninsula with some success. These plantations are big attraction to passerines that have lost their way migrating both in the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. The largest ones are located inland between Vogar and Grindavík. The bigger one, Þorbjörn/Selskógur, is on the north side of the hill Þorbjarnarfell, north of Grindavík. The other one is called Sólbrekkuskógur and is next to the pond Seltjörn, between Vogar and the Blue Lagoon.

Reykjanesbær

Reykjanesbær is a town divided into two districts, Njarðvík and Keflavík. Njarðvík has a salt-marsh and ponds close to the coast that attract waders, ducks, geese and gulls, especially on high tide. American Wigeon (Anas americana) is seen almost annually on the biggest pond, and many vagrants have been spotted there. The harbours in Keflavík and in Helguvík (west of Keflavík) are good places to scan for vagrants such as King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis), White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) and Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) in large flocks of Eiders. Fulmars and Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) nest on the cliffs north of Helguvík and you can see auks and other seabirds from the lighthouse on the edge of the cliff. In search of vagrants one should always target towns on the peninsula and look for passerines in gardens and parks.

Hvassahraunskatlar is a hornitos in the Hrútagjá lava shield flow. Hornitos usually form due to powerful degassing at crater edges. These ones, however, came into being approximately 10 km away from the top crater.

Hvassahraunskatlar is a geosite within Reykjanes Unesco Global Geopark.

Garður - Kalmanstjörn

Garður

Travelling from Keflavík to the tip of the peninsula one can see Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis), Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), young Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus) and Merlins (Falco columbarius). About 10 km north of Reykjanesbær is a town named Garður. Garður has one of the best vagrant ponds on the peninsula. Birds coming from the Atlantic often stop on these ponds for a rest. Many good species have been seen there, for example Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica), American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus), and many others. There are three ponds in Garður: Útskálasíki, Miðhúsasíki, and Gerðasíki. It is possible to walk around the ponds or even drive (4x4). Útskálasíki usually has the smallest diversity but the grass and fields around the pond are worth checking. Miðhúsasíki often offers close look at waders, sitting gulls and ducks, best seen when located at the houses on the southwest side. Gerðasíki can be scoped from the town's swimming pool and from the road on the northeast part of the pond. Looking at the sea from spring to autumn can produce flocks of Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), occasional European Storm Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus), skuas (Stercorarius sp.), Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica), and other seabirds.

Garðskagaviti

The northernmost part of the peninsula has two lighthouses where you can find public toilets. The area around the lighthouses at Garðskagi is a known migration route and birds flock in from the highlands, and from Greenland and Canada. Seabirds fly close to shore on their way to the feeding grounds in Faxaflói. Scanning the sea to the north can be good for whale watching and seabird watching. The area is ideal for passing migrants as well as for rare vagrants. Lapland Longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) are seen annually, wintering eiders, other sea ducks, and Great Northern Divers are found feeding on fish and mollusks close to land. Dogs are not allowed to walk free in the area. One of the best ways to find rarities in the area is to walk the landfill from the fish factory in Garður all the way to the lighthouse at Garðskagi. It is a good, paved path with birds on both sides!

Ásgarður

There is a gravel road close to Garðskagaviti which runs south. That road goes next to a farm called Ásgarður. On fields close to Ásgarður one can see huge flocks of European Golden Plovers in October. Annually there are American Golden Plovers (Pluvialis dominica) mixed in the groups with occasional Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis). In summer these fields have breeding Meadow Pipits, plovers, Whimbrels, Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus), Arctic Terns, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus).

Garðskagaviti - Sandgerði Coast

The coast from Garðskagaviti to Sandgerði is a well-known area for bird watchers. Unfortunately, there are many private areas there but the golf course at Hafurbjarnarstaðir and Þóroddsstaðir/Nátthagi is placed next to a large pond with good places for spotting scope and walking the shore. Have a lookout for Rock Ptarmigans in the lava field and in the grass/snow in this area, especially east of Sandgerði and around the road close to Hafurbjarnarstaðir. There are ponds in many places near the shore on private land (Flankastaðir and Klöpp) so again, it is good to walk the shoreline.

Sandgerði

When you enter Sandgerði coming from Garður you will see a small pond on the right, a large pond on the left and a shallow pond a bit farther on the left. There are many breeding ducks in the larger pond over the summertime, and gulls clean themselves in this freshwater pond all year round. Don't skip the small ponds, there is always a good chance of a vagrant. In recent years there have been Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus), Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) and Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) on the small ponds. There is a hide at the side of the big pond but we don´t recommend it as it is badly located, chances are high that you have flushed all the birds away before entering the hide. After passing the small pond on the right, take the small gravel road next to the old fish factory and drive or walk to the edge of the sea. Pipes running from the fish factories wash pieces of fish to the beaches which gulls, worms and waders feed on. These are famous stopover sites for Sanderlings (Calidris alba), Dunlins (Calidris alpina), Ringed Plovers, Golden Plovers, Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) and other waders. Please be on the lookout for color-ringed Sanderlings and Oystercatchers, probably ringed in the Sudurnes Science and Learning Center. The pipe is a great attraction for gulls and fulmars and in winter there are always a few Blue Fulmars close to the pipe. Sandgerði is a big attraction for gulls, such as Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus), Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus), Iceland Gull, Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), and Common Gull (Larus canus). One should always be on the lookout for vagrant gulls such as Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus), Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis), American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus), Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea), Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea), or Sabine's Gull (Xema sabini).

The Sudurnes Science and Learning Center is located at Garðvegur 1 with toilets and great facilities for eating your own lunch. It is also a museum that offers two exciting exhibitions if you are interested in learning more about Icelandic nature and wildlife, both above and below sea level, as well as researches related to the areas.

Sandgerði harbour and mudflat is one of the most important places for migrating birds and breeding birds in the area. The mudflat can be looked at from many different points of view but under the chicken farm in the south part you can find dense groups of waders. Have your eyes open for Gyrfalcons and Merlins hunting near the shore. Entering the mudflat on motor vehicles is forbidden.

South of the mudflat is a rocky shore. On that shore we have one of the few spots of wintering Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata). No one knows were the birds breed but there are about 5-15 birds seen every winter in this area. Total number of Curlews in the wintertime in Iceland is around 40-70, with very few records of breeding Curlews. South of the rocky shore is a long sandy beach which carries large numbers of waders.

Norðurkot

After driving past the harbour area along Stafnesvegur-road to the south you can see many ponds on the way that you should scope carefully. The best ones are at the Norðurkot area. This is the biggest eider colony on the peninsula, and here the farmers collect down for export. It is closed during the breeding time, except the paved road itself. You should never drive fast through there in summertime because there is an Arctic tern colony close to the road and the birds use the road as a sitting area. The area is watched 24 hours a day during the breeding season and the area is fenced off with nets. Intruders, such as foxes, minks, and gulls that enter the area are shot.

Hvalsnes

Going further south you will eventually see a beautiful stone church of Hvalsnes, where you can park and walk the area. By the sea you will find a small sandy inlet, a good location to spot waders. Between Hvalsnes and Hafnir is a farm called Stafnes which has a parking lot with a short walk to a lighthouse. Shoreline and seabird watching is worth a try in summer and autumn. Close to the lighthouse you can find plunging Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) and birds going to feeding grounds close to land.

Ósar and Hafnir

Ósar is a small shallow bay close to the village of Hafnir. Ósar has a large sandy mudflat that is exposed on low tide. In the bay you can find all the wader species, and big flocks of ducks are seen both in autumn and winter. Winter counts in the area have around 5-10 Great Northern Divers, hundreds of ducks, such as Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis), Mallards, Harlequin Ducks, Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), and Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator), but mainly Common Eiders. Hafnir and Ósabotnar are a good place for wintering Gyrfalcon and Merlin. The Harlequin Duck is one of the most sought after species for visiting birders, as Iceland is its only European breeding ground. Harlequins winter at sea in areas where the sea is rough, and is rarely found on calm, sheltered waters. From late September to mid-April it can be seen at sea close to the harbour in Hafnir. The harbour in Hafnir has pictures of birds and some information about birds in the area. It is a perfect place to set up a scope and look at all the islands and skerries in the cove. Ósar and Hafnir are one of the best places in Iceland for birdwatching in the winter time. Great Skuas (Stercorarius skua) and Arctic Skuas (Stercorarius parasiticus) nest in the lava and short grass in the Hafnir area.

Kalmanstjörn

Kalmanstjörn is a small cove by a fish farm south of Junkaragerði. The runoff from the fish farm lures in ducks and gulls while big flocks of wintering Harlequins and divers/loons use the area for feeding during winter.

Hafnarberg

Hafnarberg is a bird cliff on the western part of the peninsula. Breeding birds there are Northern Fulmars, Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridacyla), Common Guillemot (Uria aalge), Brünnich's Guillemot (Uria lomvia), Razorbill (Alca torda), and Atlantic Puffin. There is a good parking lot with a bird sign at the start of the route. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk down to the cliff and on the way you can see breeding Arctic Skuas.

Company: Hljómahöll

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Giganta in the mountain moved to Reykjanesbær during the family and cultural festival the Night of Lights in 2008 and is now located in Black Cave at the marina in Gróf. There Giganta has been settling in her nice cave with its superb view over the bay of Keflavík and Faxaflói.

Giganta is originally the creation of author Herdís Egilsdóttir who has written 16 stories about the little girl Sigga and her friend Giganta in the mountain. The last one describes her migration to Reykjanesbær. The Giganta is in full size and sits sleeping in a rocking chair in the kitchen.

Open every day from 10:00 -17:00. Free Admission

Contact:

Tel.: 420-3245
Email: duushus@reykjanesbaer.is
Website: www.skessan.is

A popular recreational area.

Pounds, rich of vegetation and important resting place for migration birds.

Next to the pounds is Háibjalli, a 10 m high fault.

Location: Road 43 near Seltjörn and Sólbrekkuskógur.

A family and port festival is held annually in Grindavík in the beginning
of june. Held on the seamens´day week end, it is an entertaining
festivity which honors earlier times which influenced the local
community since it's establishment seamanship and seagoing has
been the main source of occupation and income for the inhabitants
of Grindavík. For more information visit Grindavík's official homepage
www.grindavik.is.

Kirkjubol was a farm at Gardskagi, often occupied by rich farmers and noblemen. In 1433, a group of men, escorting Bishop Jon Gerreksson of Skalholt under the command of Magnus Kaemaster, who had asked for the hand of Margret, the daughter of Governor Vigfus Holm, but suffered rejection, visited Kirkjubol. Magnus was furious and decided to set the farm afire and burn Margret alive. She was, however, the only person to escape from the fire and get away on horseback. She vowed to marry the man who would carry out her revenge. It was done by Thorvaldur Loftsson from the farm Modruvellir in the North.

In 1550, the last catholic bishop of the northern see was executed. Kristian, the envoy of the Danish Governor, was responsible for that decision. In the early part of 1551 he travelled with a large group of men to the Reykjanes Peninsula on the King´s business and spent the night at Kirkjubol. During the night a group of men from the North attacked the farm, and with the permission of the farmer they breached the roof to get in, where they killed Kristian and most of his men. Their bodies were buried north of the home fields. Immediately afterwards the dead started haunting the living and the Northlanders exhumed the bodies, severed the heads from them and put them at their buttocks to prevent any further wanderings of their souls. News of the slayings and the demeaning burying methods reached the King´s court and Danish soldiers were sent to the farm to apprehend the farmer, who was then beheaded at Farm Straumur.

Copy right: www.nat.is Used by permission.

Flat point at the northwestern part of the Reykjanes Peninsula.

It is from glacial periods and is between Ytri-Njarðvík and Kirkjuvog.

Rosmhvalur was another name for Walrus and the story says that they used to live there.

There is a new sign that shows a good way to drive around Reykjanes.

Bridge between Europe and North America on Reykjanes Peninsula.

The lava-scarred Reykjanes peninsula lies on one of the world's major plate boundaries, the Mid Atlantic Ridge. According to the continental drift theory the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are continuously drifting apart with great forces under the gaping rifts. As the plates diverge, linear fractures, known as fissures form due to stresses created by the tension that builds up as the plates move away from each other.
The Bridge between two continents at Sandvík is a small footbridge over a major fissure which provides clear evidence of the presence of a diverging plate margin. The bridge was built as a symbol for the connection between Europe and North America.

One can cross the continental divide on Leif the Lucky's Bridge and take home a personalised certificate at the Reykjanes information center and Reykjanes Geopark visitor center at Duus Cultural house.

Including: Garður, Garður Lighthouse, Sandgerði.

Time: Really depends on how long each to will be. Just the driving is estimated to be:

Short version: 30 minutes

Long version: 1 hour

From Keflavík Airport you take road 45 to fishing village Garður (with 4wd it is also possible to follow old trails to the shore to enjoy rich displays nature provides along the coast).

1) There are old trails that lead to fish racks still used to dry fish. Entering the village, you will notice a monument dedicated to the families of fishermen. It depicts women looking out to sea waiting for their husbands to return with the day's catch.

2) Garður has a beautiful, old church that dates from 1863 and next to it the former pastor's home which is now educational centre for pastors and an information center about the many fascinating churches in Iceland. A trail beside the church leads down to the shore where you are in close touch with sea birds in their natural habitat.

3) Garðskagi: The headland at the tip of the peninsula at Garðskagi is a great place to observe sea birds. There are two lighthouses where you can get great sea views too. White beach and on the summertime you can play volleyball there. A museum has a unique collection of old machinery and a cafeteria with a deck that lets you observe seals and whales that sometimes are play near the coast while you have refreshments. There is a local handicraft for sale in the old lighthouse guard´s home and a tranquil free campsite with toilets and fresh water.

Next to the lighthouse there is Skagagarðurinn, a protective wall that lay between the farms Kirkjuból to Útskálar.

4) Five minutes drive south on the west coast is the busy fishing harbor of Sandgerði which has an Icelandic Nature Centre with a small aquarium and a handicraft store. There is a display about the French explorer and biologist, Jean-Baptiste Charcout, who went down with his ship the Pourquoi Pas? off the coast in 1936. The village has a well equipped campsite. If you are hungry for real local food experience we recommend the resturant Vitinn.

From Sandgerði you can go back to Keflavík on road Sandgerdisvegur (429).

You can also continue you trip on road 45

5) Heading further south, you will pass an eider duck farm. Another bird shares the farm, the small but very aggressive arctic tern which keeps away all trespassers.

6) Here further on, will see an exceptionally beautiful church at Hvalsnes built of carved stone in 1887. The nation´s greatest psalm poet, Hallgrímur Pétursson served as a clergyman here in the mid 17th century. There is also a lighthouse on the rocky coast at Stafnes. This is the region where an important fishing port thrived at Básendar during the 17th and 18th centuries until the town was literally blown away by a violent sea storm in 1799.

7) Básendar - Ruins of small marketing place and fishing harbour.

8) Gálgar - Gallow cliffs or Hanging Rocks

Return to Keflavík

Star tip: In Sandgerði and Gardur there are very good public swimming pools which are ideal for relax after or meanwhile on the trip.

We hope you had a nice stay in Reykjanes and remember to tag your photos #Reykjanes

Place of execution according to an old folk story.

Cliffs, two of which are quite high, with an inlet several fathoms deep between them. A tree between was laied between the two cliffs and men hanged from it a punishment for serious crimes.

Location: About 1 km from Básendar, short walk from road 45

Company: Hljómahöll

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Keilisnes is a spit of land between the coves Flekkuvik and Kalfatjorn. On the Cairn Mound near the old main road stands a cairn called Stefansvarda. This spot offers an excellend panoramic view over the Faxi Bay.

Copy right: www.nat.is Used by permission

Company: Hljómahöll

Name of the facility: Merkines

About the facility

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