Selatangar is a ruined fishing station on the coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland. Boats worked from this open lava shore because southwest Iceland has almost no natural harbours, and the station was an important hub before it was abandoned at the end of the 19th century. The ruins of the fishermen's huts, a store and a workshop still stand, with driftwood among them, lava fields inland and cliffs with birds on the coast. It is reached at the end of a rough gravel road.
Selatangar
Southwest Iceland had almost no natural harbours, so the fishing was done from an open lava shore — and the huts, store and workshop that served it are still standing.
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair-accessible entrance.
- Transport
- Rough 1.5 km track off Road 427 — 4WD recommended
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, every day.
What makes it special
The walls are still there. Selatangar was a coastal fishing station, abandoned at the end of the 19th century, and the ruins of the huts, the store and the workshop remain prominent on the ground. Southwest Iceland had almost no natural harbours, which is what made an open lava shore worth the trouble; in its day the station was an important hub. Driftwood lies among the stones, lava fields run inland behind the site, and the cliffs on this coast hold birds. Icelandic folklore attaches a ghost to the place, Tanga-Tómas, said to have troubled the men in the huts. Few people come.
Good to know
- Lava underfoot. The ruins stand in a lava field. The stone is uneven and hard on ankles.
- No shelter. The huts are roofless ruins, so there is nowhere to get out of the wind or rain.
- Quiet site. Selatangar does not draw crowds, and you may well have the ruins to yourself.
- With children. The site works for children. Keep them off the walls, which are stacked stone.
Getting there
You drive. The last 1.5 km to Selatangar is gravel and badly broken up — one visitor took a Hyundai i10 down it and got through, calling it the roughest road the car had seen. Drive it slowly. There is nothing to gain by hurrying a kilometre and a half, and a small car is what pays for it.
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Frequently asked questions
How rough is the road to Selatangar?
The last 1.5 km is gravel and badly rutted. One visitor drove it in a Hyundai i10 and got through, taking it slowly.What is there to see?
The ruins of a coastal fishing station — fishermen's huts, a store and a workshop — abandoned at the end of the 19th century. Driftwood lies among the stones, lava fields run inland, and the cliffs hold birds.Why was a fishing station built on a shore with no harbour?
Southwest Iceland has almost no natural harbours, so open shores like this one were used instead. Selatangar was an important hub until it was abandoned.Is it busy?
No. Selatangar does not draw crowds.