Reykjanesfólkvangur Nature Reserve

Reykjanesfólkvangur is not a single sight. It is 292 km² of the Reykjanes Peninsula, protected since 1975: lava formations, crater lakes, bird cliffs and geothermal ground that steams and bubbles. The lake Kleifarvatn sits at its centre. From the viewpoint above the lake the water reads turquoise in clear weather, with black volcanic sand along both shores and mountains on the far side. The sand and the eroded rock are what people come to photograph. In autumn the colour comes up across the lava.

• Weather turns fast. Snow, hail, rain and sun can all arrive within two hours. Bring a windproof jacket whatever the forecast says.
• Rain takes the views away. Cloud cuts visibility over the lake, and the reserve is about looking. Keep it for a clear day.
• It gets very windy at the viewpoint, which stands above a cliff. Keep well back from the edge with a camera in your hands.
• Dogs are allowed and the reserve suits children, with the cliff edges kept in mind.

Reykjanesfólkvangur is reached by car. There is a car park at the viewpoint over Kleifarvatn, and the view opens from the car park itself: the lake, the black sand on both shores, the mountains opposite. No walk is needed for that view. The reserve covers 292 km² of the peninsula and takes in many separate sites, not one.

Better: clear, dry days, and autumn for the colour on the lava.

Avoid: rain and low cloud.

The reserve is a place for looking, and cloud takes the lake and the mountains out of the picture. In rain it empties out. Weather here can swing from snow to sunshine within a couple of hours, so a grey start does not settle the day.