Best Spots to See on the Reykjanes Peninsula – Iceland

Most people who fly into Iceland land at the Keflavik Airport, which is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula. This is not in Reyjkavik as you might think! The main airport is about a 45 minute drive to Reykjavik, and many tourists just head straight to Reykjavik without giving any thought to exploring the nearby Reykjanes Peninsula. But there’s a lot to see on the Reykjanes Peninsula! Plus, it’s so close to the airport, that if you’re interested in any of these attractions, you can do it either when you arrive in Iceland or just before you depart. Let’s take a look at the best spots to see and best things to do on the Reykjanes Peninsula!

2025 NOTE: The Reyjkanes Peninsula has been experiencing lots of volcanic activity in the past few months. The road leading to Grindavik has been closed for a few months now, and the Blue Lagoon has experienced recent intermittent closures. Keep an eye on the news for the latest updates, as some of these locations below may not be accessible!

Reykjanes Peninsula Best Things to do : Blue Lagoon

Time Needed: 2-3 hours. You need to purchase tickets ahead of time.
Location: Map

This one is obvious — this is probably the most famous tourist attraction in Iceland and it’s located on the Reykjanes Peninsula just a short drive away from the airport. Some people view the Blue Lagoon as a total tourist trap, while others love it. I’m on the fence — I’m glad I did it but I don’t need to do it again.

READ MORE: Is the Blue Lagoon Worth it? My honest review

If you’re going to do the Blue Lagoon, I found it nice to do it right after we arrived in Iceland. Many flights from the USA are red-eye flights and arrive in Iceland in the early morning hours, and you’ll be unable to check into your hotel until late afternoon. I found the Blue Lagoon refreshing and a nice way to clean off that ‘been-on-an-airplane-overnight stench’ without having to wait to check into my hotel.

Related: Going to Iceland? Need help planning your trip? Check out all of my Iceland posts!

Hopsens Lighthouse and Hrafn Shipwreck

NOTE: Both of these attractions are located in Grindavik, which is currently closed due to volcanic activity.

Time Needed: 5-10 minutes
Location: Shipwreck, Lighthouse

These are just two somewhat interesting photo ops located near Grindavik. There’s a few ship wrecks which are now just a hunks of twisted metal piled on rocks. There are interpretive signs here that will tell you the story of the wrecks that have been tossed over the sea walls.

The Hopsens Lighthouse is a photogenic orange lighthouse which looks striking against the black sand. Both of these are located on gravel roads, but any car can make it, as long as you pay attention to the potholes.

Krysuvikurkirkja (Black Church)

NOTE: Road to this church is currently closed due to volcanic activity in the area!

Time Needed: 5-10 minutes
Location: Map

Much lesser-known than the black church on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, this little church is located in a quiet, deserted place on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The road getting here is well-maintained, and the church itself provides a nice photo op.

Related: 15 Tips for your Iceland Ring Road trip

Seltun Geothermal Area

Time Needed: 20-30 minutes
Location: Map

A small geothermal area located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, this is like a mini Yellowstone National Park. Trails are on boardwalks and will lead you close to view all of the mud pots, vents and bubbling hot springs. This is free to visit and bathrooms are available (free).

Lake Kleifarvatn Viewpoint

Time Needed: 5 minutes
Location: Map

This is just an overlook to snap a photo of Lake Kleifarvatn with nice view

Fish Drying Racks

Time Needed: 5 minutes is about all you’ll be able to stand!
Location: Map

How’s this for off-the-beaten path? These fish drying racks are located right off of the road and you’re welcome to park near them to see how Icelandic dried fish is prepared. The smell will absolutely blow you away, so don’t plan on staying here for too long. The fish are dried, grounded into powder, and then exported to other countries like Ghana and Brazil for use in traditional dishes.

Vatnsnes Lighthouse, Baldur Boat

Time Needed: 10 minutes
Location: Lighthouse, Old boat

Both of these attractions are located in Keflavik, really close to the airport, with the Baldur boat being the most interesting of the two. The Baldur isn’t really a shipwreck, rather it’s just an old fishing boat run aground. It’s well-maintained and makes for some nice photos.

The lighthouse isn’t the most exciting lighthouse out there — if you enjoy lighthouses, you’ll notice that a lot of Icelandic lighthouses have this similar shape/color/style, so it’s not all that compelling once you get used to the sight of Iceland lighthouses. Plus, it’s in an industrial shipyard, so it doesn’t lend itself to the best photos. Regardless, it’s really close to the Baldur ship, so if you’re here and like lighthouses, it’s worth a quick look.

Holmsberg Lighthouse

Time needed: 10-15 minutes
Location: Map

Yet another orange lighthouse in Iceland! But I really liked the location of the Holmsberg lighthouse — during our visit, there were a bunch of wildflowers growing in front of the lighthouse, and it has a nice view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Getting here can be a little bit challenging – the road isn’t maintained very well and you’ll need to watch where you park, as not to get stuck in the mud. Regardless of where you park, you’ll have a bit of a walk up to the lighthouse. There is no designated parking area and no designated walking path, so you’ll need to be mindful of every step you take; the ground is really mushy in spots! But if you can make it out here, it’s a really beautiful scene!

Gardur Old/New Lighthouses / Holmsteinn GK-20 Fishing Boat/Museum

Time Needed: 20-30 minutes
Location: Map. These are all located within the same small area. You can park for free and walk to all attractions.

Three attractions in one spot! Up here, you’ll find two lighthouses (Gardur Old and New) plus an old fishing boat and a museum. The scenery from the Gardur New Lighthouse is beautiful; this was one of my favorite lighthouses in Iceland!

There is also a small folk museum here, with lots of fishing-related artifacts. The museum is free and will take you about 10-15 minutes to get through it. There are also bathrooms here and a cafe.

Bridge Between Continents

Time Needed: 10 minutes
Location: Map

After the Blue Lagoon, the Bridge Between the Continents is probably the second most-visited attraction on the Reykjanes Peninsula. This is where you can walk the gap between the North American and Eurasian plates. Plenty of interpretive signage is posted so you can read all about the geological science behind what you’re looking at. Or you can skip the signs and just take in the vibes.

This is a very popular spot for the tour buses to hit! While the rest of the Reykjanes Peninsula attractions (except Blue Lagoon) are very chill and uncrowded, Bridge Between Continents is busy!

Gunnuhver Hot Springs / Reykjanes Lighthouse

Time Needed: 10 minutes. More time if hiking to the lighthouse
Location: Map

I’ve seen a lot of geothermal spots in my travels, but this one blew me away (almost literally!). I’ve never seen so much steam come out of the ground than I have here at the Gunnuhver Hot Springs! There are boardwalks leading to the hot spring and they get very slippery. As you approach the hot springs, you’ll be engulfed in steam! It’s really cool.

As for the Reykjanes Lighthouse, it can be seen right from the hot springs. To get to it, you’ll need to hike to it. We didn’t feel like it, so we just admired from afar. It’s kind of far, so you’ll need to budget extra time if you’re going to do this. You cannot drive to the lighthouse.

This is not a hot spring to soak in; it’s just to view!

How long do you need to see all of these attractions on the Reykjanes Peninsula?

We did half on the day of our arrival and half at the end of our trip. This worked out great for us; we didn’t need to do any backtracking and we didn’t over-schedule ourselves on our first day in Iceland (you will be jet-lagged! I was ready to go to bed at 11am!). However, you could do all of these in one day; most of these stops, except the Blue Lagoon, are very short.

Where to stay on the Reykjanes Pensinula?

You’ll find guesthouses and small hotels scattered around the peninsula, and if you have a big budget, you can stay at the Blue Lagoon’s on-site hotel. As I mentioned earlier, we did half of these attractions on our first day, and half at the end of the trip. Our first night in Iceland was at the Hotel Vellir, which is just off the Reykjanes Peninsula, but not quite in Reykjavik. At the end of the trip, we stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott in Keflavik. Both of these hotels were great!

Have you visited any of these attractions on the Reykjanes Peninsula? Got any interesting locations I missed? Let me know in the comments!