Öndverðarnes Lighthouse marks the westernmost point of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, in the municipality of Snæfellsbær. It is a small orange tower on the edge of a lava field. The building is for viewing from the outside only. An old well and ruins stand beside it, and a short path runs on to the cliffs. Much of the visit is the drive out: single-lane gravel across lava, on a road shared with the lighthouse at Svörtuloft.
Öndverðarnes Lighthouse
Local name: Öndverðarnesviti
The lighthouse carries an Icelandic poem, at the westernmost point of Snæfellsnes.
- Entrance
- Free
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Parking
- Parking at the lighthouse for four or five cars; the same area is used for turning around
- Difficulty
- Easy on foot: the lighthouse is viewed from outside, with a short path on to the cliffs
- Transport
- Self-drive — rough gravel track (4x4 advised)
- Hours
- Open 24 hours
- Address
- Öndverðarnes, 360 Hellissandur
What makes it special
The lighthouse is small and squat, and it stays hidden behind the lava until the road brings you right up to it. An Icelandic poem is set on the building. The tower itself is closed, so the visit is a walk around the outside and a short path on to the cliffs.
The other lighthouse on this headland, Svörtuloft, is visible from here across the lava. Beside Öndverðarnes Lighthouse are an old well and ruins. Arctic foxes are seen along the road in, and whales pass offshore, though a sighting is luck. The latter part of the road crosses a lava field, and the ground is broken and grey in every direction.
Good to know
- No toilets: there are no WC facilities at Öndverðarnes Lighthouse or at Svörtuloft.
- Parking: room for four or five cars, and the same space is what everyone uses to turn around.
- Outside only: the lighthouse is for viewing from outside; a short path leads on to the cliffs.
- The road: the last part is gravel, potholed and single-lane, with blind rises. Passing an oncoming car means one of you pulls aside.
- Time: allow an hour for both lighthouses and the driving between them.
Getting there
One road serves both lighthouses and then forks, one branch to Svörtuloft and one to Öndverðarnes Lighthouse. The early section is paved and runs above the ocean; the rest is gravel across lava fields, mostly single-lane, twisty and full of blind rises. It can be done in a two-wheel-drive car taken very slowly, and a 4x4 makes it easier. Parking at the end holds four or five cars and doubles as the turning space, with the lighthouse right in front of it and a short path continuing to the cliffs.
Best time to visit
Better: with daylight in hand and an hour set aside for both lighthouses and the drive between them.
Avoid: rushing the last leg. The gravel takes longer than a GPS estimate suggests, and it is not a road to hurry on.
Looking at the lighthouse takes less time than getting to it, so the drive is the visit. Few people come this far out on the headland.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
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Öndverðarnes Lighthouse on the map
The drive is the real hazard. The gravel section is single-lane, potholed and full of blind rises, and cars come the other way; slow down at every rise and plan where to pull in. The path from the lighthouse ends at cliffs above the open Atlantic, where the sea runs rough.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside the lighthouse?
No. Öndverðarnes Lighthouse is for viewing from the outside. A short path carries on from it to the cliffs.Do you need a 4x4 to get there?
Not strictly. The last part of the road is gravel, potholed and single-lane, with blind rises; it can be driven in a two-wheel-drive car taken very slowly. A 4x4 makes it easier, and in June 2026 the gravel was in bad shape.Are there toilets?
No. There are no WC facilities at Öndverðarnes Lighthouse or at Svörtuloft.How long does the trip take?
Plan an hour for both lighthouses and the driving between them. The drive takes longer than the looking, and longer than a GPS estimate.What else is nearby?
Svörtuloft lighthouse is visible from here and shares the first part of the road. Beside Öndverðarnes Lighthouse are an old well and ruins; the beach at Skarðsvík and the Fálki monument are also close by.