Valahnukamol Coast

The shore here is not sand but boulders: large rounded stones, worked smooth by North Atlantic storms. Behind them the cliffs drop straight into the water. The swell hits the base hard enough to be felt through the ground.

Offshore stands Karlinn, a sea stack rising 60 metres out of the ocean, one of several dark basalt pillars off the point. Seabirds work the cliff faces along the whole coast, and whales are sometimes seen from the shore. A bronze statue of the Great Auk faces Eldey, the island where the species was last recorded.

This is the far tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, past the main stops on the tourist route, and it stays wilder and less crowded for it.

• Wind: the wind off the water is cold. Bring a windproof layer whatever the forecast says.
• The cliff edge: signs warn that the ground near the drop is weakened. Keep back and photograph from a distance.
• Facilities: the nearest toilets are about 640 metres from the point, and there is no drinking water nearby.
• Bring binoculars: seabirds work the cliffs, and whales are sometimes visible offshore.

The point is reached by car; no bus stop lies within 5 km. One car park sits close to the shore, but the road down to it is rough and bumpy. The alternative is to leave the car up by the Reykjanesviti lighthouse and walk down, which takes 10–15 minutes. An information board stands at the point itself.

Better: late in the day. This is the western tip of the peninsula, the light comes in low off the open ocean, and the surf shows up white against the dark basalt at sunset.

Avoid: the edge on windy days. The ground near the drop is signposted as weakened, and there is nothing between you and the water.

The point lies beyond the main stops on the Reykjanes route, so it stays quieter than they do.