Malarrif Lighthouse stands on the southern coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, near Hellnar. A light has marked this shore since 1917. The white tower rises off a lava plain, with a beach of pebbles and boulders below it and the rock stacks of Lóndrangar further along the coast. The building next to it is the Snæfellsjökull National Park visitor centre, with exhibits, toilets and a small gift shop. Access is free and the paths around the site are flat.
Malarrif Lighthouse
Local name: Malarrifsviti
Birds break sea urchins open above the shore, and the shells and scraps of sea sponge they drop lie among the pebbles under the lighthouse.
- Entrance
- Free. You can walk up to the lighthouse and down to the beach without a ticket.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible parking. The paths around the lighthouse are flat; the beach itself is loose pebbles and boulders.
- Parking
- Car park beside the visitor centre, about 300 m from the lighthouse; it is charged. The nearest free car park is at Lóndrangar, about 1.6 km away.
- Difficulty
- Easy. Flat paths, about 300 m from the car park to the lighthouse, and level walking on toward Lóndrangar.
- Transport
- No public transport. There is no bus stop within 5 km.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours.
- Address
- Malarrif, 356 Hellnar
What makes it special
A white tower on a black lava coast — that contrast is what most people stop to photograph. The beach below it is pebbles and boulders rather than sand, most of it basalt and old lava, with moss growing over the rocks. The surf is heavy and the waves run big. Flat paths lead from the lighthouse past its outbuildings and on along the shore toward Lóndrangar, the rock stacks on the next headland. Birds are the other reason to linger: a colony nests on the flat island offshore, and more work the beach below the tower. The visitor centre by the car park has interpretive exhibits, toilets and a small gift shop, which is all the shelter there is here.
Good to know
- No café: there is nothing on site to eat or drink.
- No drinking water: no tap at the lighthouse or anywhere nearby.
- Toilets: free, at the visitor centre, and they queue when a tour coach has just pulled in.
- Nothing leaves the beach: collecting shells, urchins or sponge inside the national park is not allowed.
- Underfoot: the beach is loose pebbles and boulders, not sand.
Getting there
No bus serves this stretch of the Snæfellsnes coast — there is no stop within 5 km — so visitors arrive by car. The car park sits beside the visitor centre, about 300 metres from the lighthouse, and the path between the two is flat and easy. From the tower the paths carry on along the shore toward Lóndrangar.
Best time to visit
Better: a clear day — the white tower against black lava and open sea is what most people come for.
Avoid: arriving just behind a tour coach; the toilets queue and the paths around the lighthouse fill up.
The site is open around the clock and there is nothing to time a visit around, so the weather matters more than the hour.
Sun & daylight
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Malarrif Lighthouse on the map
The beach faces open ocean and the waves run big. Keep well back from the waterline and never turn your back on the sea.
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Frequently asked questions
Is there anywhere to eat or drink at Malarrif?
No. There is no café and no drinking water point. The visitor centre has toilets and a small gift shop.Can you walk from the lighthouse to Lóndrangar?
Yes. Flat paths run from the lighthouse and its outbuildings along the coast toward Lóndrangar, the rock stacks by the shore.Is the beach sandy?
No. It is pebbles and boulders, mostly basalt and lava, with moss growing over the rocks. Sea urchin shells and pieces of sea sponge turn up among them.Are there birds to see?
Yes. A colony nests on the flat island offshore, and birds work the beach below the lighthouse.