Lóndrangar Basalt Sea Stacks: Volcanic Plugs on the Snæfellsnes Coast

Two Volcanic Plugs on the South Coast

Lóndrangar are two basalt sea stacks standing on the south coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, inside Snæfellsjökull National Park. They are the eroded remnants of an old volcanic crater — the surrounding cone has worn away over thousands of years of wind, rain, and Atlantic surf, leaving the harder basalt plugs standing alone above the shoreline. The taller of the two stacks rises about 75 m; the smaller one is about 61 m. Seen from the coastal path, they look like a matched pair of towers rather than a single formation, which is part of what makes the short stop worthwhile on a Snæfellsnes loop.

Two Viewing Points

A parking area off Útnesvegur gives access to a short, well-marked path toward the cliffs, with a lower viewpoint close to the stacks and a second, higher viewpoint a bit further along that gives a wider view back along the coastline toward Malarrif. Neither requires a long walk — most visitors are back at the car within 20-30 minutes, longer if the light is good for photos. The path can be windy and muddy underfoot, so proper footwear is worth having even for this short a stop.

Birdlife on the Cliffs

The cliffs around Lóndrangar are a nesting site for seabirds, including fulmars and puffins in season, along with guillemots and kittiwakes. Nesting activity is heaviest from late spring into summer, which is also the best time to bring binoculars. Outside that window the cliffs are quieter but still worth the stop for the rock formations and the view over Breiðafjörður.

Local folklore also gets some credit for the site’s condition today: the land around Lóndrangar was traditionally left unfarmed because of stories about elves, or huldufólk, living in the surrounding lava field — one reason the area has stayed largely undisturbed.

Practical Details

• Getting there: On Útnesvegur on the south coast of Snæfellsnes, inside Snæfellsjökull National Park — roughly 85 minutes’ drive from Stykkishólmur
• Duration: 20-30 minutes for both viewpoints; longer for photography or birdwatching
• Cost: Free, with parking at the site
• What to bring: Sturdy shoes, a windproof jacket, and binoculars in nesting season
• Timing: Late spring through summer for nesting seabirds; the viewpoints are open year-round but can be exposed in winter wind

Where to Stay

The Stykkishólmur Inn sits in the walkable old town of Stykkishólmur, on the north coast of Snæfellsnes — a practical base for a full loop of the peninsula, with Lóndrangar and the rest of the south-coast sights reachable as a single day’s drive out and back. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Jakub Hałun via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.