Stykkisholmur Shipwreck

Local name: Stykkishólmur skipaflak

At low tide you can wade out to the wreck — the water on the crossing runs a bit over knee deep.

Stykkisholmur Shipwreck is a wrecked ship lying on the tidal shore in West Iceland. Cars come in on a rough track, and the last stretch is done on foot across open ground. From the beach the hull is visible whatever the tide is doing. At low tide the water falls back far enough to wade across and stand beside it. The area is remote, with open views in every direction. The hull is not safe to enter, so the visit is a walk around the outside.

Viewpoint

Accessibility: No wheelchair-accessible parking and no wheelchair-accessible entrance. The footpaths to the shore are muddy and cross swampy ground in summer.
Parking: Free car park; the track leading to it is rough.
Difficulty: On foot from the car park down to the shore. A path from the bottom of the hill covers about half the way; the rest is muddy, swampy in summer. Reaching the hull means wading at low tide, a bit over knee deep.
Hours: Open 24 hours, every day.
Address: Breiðabólsstaður, near Stykkishólmur

What makes it special

From a distance the wreck is a dark shape on the shoreline. Up close the scale changes completely. At low tide the water pulls back far enough to wade across, a bit over knee deep, and the hull stands right over you. That crossing is what people come for. The setting is remote, with open views in every direction.

The ship itself is not safe to enter. The structure is unstable, and the sensible visit is a slow walk around the outside. Watch the water while you are out there, and start back before it turns.

Good to know

Tide: reaching the wreck on foot means wading at low tide, and the water runs a bit over knee deep.
Vehicle: the track to the car park is rough — do not attempt it in a low-clearance car.
Underfoot: the footpaths are muddy, and in summer the route crosses swampy ground.
No toilets: there are none at the site.
The hull is unstable. Look at it from the outside and stay out of the wreck.

Getting there

Access is by car. A short track leads off to the parking area, and it is rough going. From the car park you walk down into the shore area, and the wreck is in sight for most of the way. Start from the bottom of the hill rather than the top: a path begins there and covers about half the distance to the ship. The rest is open ground, muddy underfoot and swampy in summer. Getting out to the hull itself means wading, and only at low tide.

Best time to visit

Better: low tide, when the water drops far enough to wade out to the hull.

Avoid: high water, which leaves the wreck as a view from the shore only.

The whole visit turns on the tide, so check it before you set out. In summer the approach crosses a lot of swampy ground, which makes the walk harder than it looks from the car park.

Things to do nearby

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Viewpoint

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