Bridge Between Continents is a footbridge over a rift in the lava fields of the Reykjanes Peninsula, in south-west Iceland. It is also known as Miðlína and as Leif the Lucky Bridge. The walkway links the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and an information board at each end names the plate on that side. Visitors cross it, then walk down into the rift underneath to stand between the plates. Most people are here for 15 to 20 minutes, and the stop fits into a drive around the peninsula.
Bridge Between Continents
Local name: Brú Milli Heimsálfa
A board at one end of the walkway welcomes you to the North American Plate; at the other end, a board marks Europe.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible parking and entrance, with wheelchair-accessible seating on site.
- Parking
- Free car park about 200 metres from the bridge, plus free parking along the road. A second free car park lies about 1.7 km away.
- Difficulty
- Easy. Level ground from the car park to the bridge, with the option of walking down into the rift underneath.
- Transport
- No public transport: there is no bus stop within 5 km of the bridge.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, seven days a week.
- Address
- 233 Hafnir
What makes it special
The bridge is a plain walkway over a gap in the lava. What it marks matters more than what it is. A board at one end welcomes you to the North American Plate; a board at the other marks Europe. The rift below is the part worth the stop — you can go down into it and stand in the gap between the plates, and that is the photograph most people leave with.
Expect nothing dramatic from the landscape. The lava field around the bridge is flat and grey, and Reykjanes has more striking stops. The appeal is the idea, and it lands as well with children as with anyone who stops to read the boards.
Good to know
- No facilities. There are no toilets at the bridge, and no toilets or drinking water anywhere within 5 km. Bring what you need.
- Allow 15 to 20 minutes. That covers crossing the bridge, going down into the rift and taking photographs.
- The idea beats the view. The lava field here is plain, and Reykjanes has more dramatic places.
- Two information boards stand at the ends of the bridge, one for the North American plate and one for Europe.
- It works with children. The walk is level and the boards explain the geology plainly.
Getting there
No bus serves the site — there is no stop within 5 km — so you arrive by car, which is why many people fit the bridge in on the way to or from Keflavík Airport. From the car park the walk to the bridge is level, and you can carry on down into the rift underneath it.
Best time to visit
Best: cold days. In cold weather the crowds are gone and the car park is easy.
Avoid: the height of the summer season, when the bridge is at its busiest.
Nothing here changes with the season, so the only reason to time a visit is other people.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
Can you walk underneath the bridge?
Yes. Visitors go down into the rift below the walkway and stand between the two plates. That is where the better photographs are taken.How long does a visit take?
Fifteen to twenty minutes, including the crossing, the walk down into the rift and photographs.Are there toilets at the bridge?
No. There are no toilets at the site and none within 5 km, and no drinking water either.Is the scenery the reason to come?
No. The lava field around the bridge is plain, and Reykjanes has more dramatic places. The draw is standing in the gap between two plates.