Urdaviti Lighthouse

Urðaviti is a lighthouse you can climb. The road runs to the base, and steps lead up the tower to the top. The view is the reason to come: rock cliffs dropping to the sea on the east side of Heimaey, and a natural arch in the rock below. It also works as a sunrise spot — in mid-September the sun still rises over the mainland across the water, and the cliff faces catch the light first. The setting is not pristine. Heavy machinery has been working close by, and the approach road has been cut up by construction.

• Open at all hours — the lighthouse is accessible 24 hours a day, every day.
• No facilities — no toilets, drinking water or information board at the site or anywhere near it.
• Construction — heavy machinery works beside the access road, and the road surface has been rough because of it.
• Not step-free — the entrance is not wheelchair accessible, and the top is reached only by climbing.
• Cliff edges — the ground beside the lighthouse drops away to rock cliffs and open sea.

Urðaviti is reached by car, and you can drive right up to it: one car park lies about 90 metres from the tower, a second about 900 metres away, so there is almost nothing left to walk. The approach has been disrupted for years. In 2024 the usual access road was blocked by construction work for a salmon farm, and one visitor that year got in by an unmarked track that needed a 4x4. In 2025 the road was still rough from works. Check the state of the road on the day rather than trusting a map app.

Better: sunrise, in clear weather.

Avoid: times when heavy machinery is working next to the access road.

In mid-September the sun still rises over the mainland across the water, and the first light falls on the cliffs below the lighthouse. The rest of the day the draw is the same view without the colour.