Storikarl is a sea stack below the Skoruvíkurbjarg cliffs on the Langanes peninsula, in Northeast Iceland. Gannets and other seabirds nest on the rock and on the ledges around it. A viewing platform on the cliff top looks down onto them from directly above. It stands beside the road that runs out to the Fontur lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula, and the last stretch of that road is unpaved. It is a deserted spot, and the birds are the reason to come.
Storikarl Sea Stack
Local name: Stórikarl Skoruvíkurbjarg
The floor of the viewing platform is a steel grating: the seabirds on the rocks are directly under your feet.
- Entrance
- Free
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair-accessible entrance to the platform.
- Difficulty
- Easy at the platform; a long rough drive to reach it
- Transport
- Self-drive; long unpaved road (high-clearance advised)
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, every day.
- Address
- 681 Langanes, Iceland
What makes it special
The draw is the gannets. The platform stands on the edge of Skoruvíkurbjarg and looks down onto the stack and the rocks below, where seabirds crowd the ledges. Gannets come close enough to watch without binoculars. The floor of the platform is a steel grating, so the drop is under your feet as well as in front of you. The wind is constant, and it is loud. The site is deserted: the birds, the cliff and the open sea are the whole of it, and that is the reason to make the drive.
Good to know
- Weather first: check conditions before you set out. Both the drive and the view depend on them.
- Wind and cold: the platform is exposed. Bring a windproof layer and secure hats, hoods and anything loose.
- It is a detour: the platform lies well off the main routes, and reaching it takes commitment.
- With children: the site suits children, but the cliff edge and the grated floor mean holding on to them.
Getting there
The platform sits beside the road that runs out to the Fontur lighthouse at the tip of the Langanes peninsula, on the left-hand side of the route. The last part of the approach is unpaved: close to 30 km of potholed road with steep slopes, including sections of two-track. A 4x4 is needed, and the drive is what makes this a committed trip rather than a stop.
Best time to visit
Better: a clear day with light wind.
Avoid: strong wind and low cloud.
The whole point is looking down onto the birds, and cloud takes that away. Wind counts twice here: on the grated platform, where it unsettles your balance, and on the unpaved road in.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
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Storikarl Sea Stack on the map
The platform stands on the cliff edge, and the wind here is strong enough to throw your balance on the grated floor. Anything loose goes over the edge — hats, hoods, lens caps. If heights are a problem for you, the grating and the drop below it will bring on vertigo.
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Frequently asked questions
Do you need a 4x4 to reach Storikarl?
Yes. The approach is unpaved for close to 30 km, potholed and steep in places, with sections of two-track road.Which birds can you see from the platform?
Gannets are the draw, and they are seen at close range. Other seabirds crowd the rocks below the platform.Is the platform hard going if you dislike heights?
Yes. The floor is a steel grating with the drop visible through it, and the wind unsettles your balance on it.Is there anything else to see on Langanes?
The peninsula drive ends at the Fontur lighthouse. The area also carries Second World War and fishing history, which a local guide can fill in.