Dyrhólaey — natural arch
Image by CapDeXai66 from Pixabay

Dyrhólaey

  • Elevation120 m
  • 1 min read
  • 63.404° N 19.117° W

Interesting facts

  • Until the Katla eruption of 1918 pushed new land out to sea at Kötlutangi, Dyrhólaey really was the southernmost point of mainland Iceland.
  • The 1993 flight through the arch was made by pilot Arngrímur Jóhannsson in a small Citabria aerobatic plane, which passed through the opening three times.
  • The headland is built of palagonite tuff, volcanic ash that erupted into the sea and hardened, which the waves carve easily into arches and stacks.
  • The present lighthouse of 1927 was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, the state architect who also designed Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík.
  • Offshore stands the sea stack Háidrangur, 56 metres high and sheer-sided, first climbed in 1893.
  • Dyrhólaey has been a protected nature reserve since 1978, chiefly for its large seabird colonies.
  • The lighthouse shows a white flash every ten seconds and is one of the most powerful lights on the Icelandic coast.

Why it is worth it

Dyrhólaey is a headland of dark volcanic rock rising about 120 m above the black sands of Iceland's south coast. It was once an island, formed by an eruption in the sea roughly 100,000 years ago, and the name — "door-hill island" — comes from the great arch that the ocean has cut through its seaward end. The opening is so large that in 1993 a pilot flew a small aircraft through it.

The view from the top is one of the finest on the south coast. To the east lie the long beach of Reynisfjara and the basalt sea stacks of Reynisdrangar standing in the surf; to the north, the ice cap of Mýrdalsjökull; to the west, the coast runs away towards Selfoss, depending on the weather. Below, the Atlantic breaks against the arch and the cliff faces. In summer the ledges are crowded with nesting seabirds, including many Atlantic puffins, which sit at the cliff edge within easy sight.

The upper headland is crowned by the white Dyrhólaey lighthouse with its red lantern. A light has stood here since 1910, first a steel frame tower made in Sweden, and the present concrete tower was built in 1927. The site is often said to be Iceland's southernmost point; in fact that honour belongs to Kötlutangi on the sands to the east, and for the country as a whole to the island of Surtsey. Dyrhólaey was long known to sailors as Cape Portland.

The top of the headland is reached by a steep switchback road, rebuilt and paved in 2022.

Getting there

Dyrhólaey is about 19 km by road from the village of Vík: follow the Ring Road (Route 1) west for about 12.5 km and turn onto road 218. Vík lies about 180 km south-east of Reykjavík on the Ring Road; international flights arrive at Keflavík (KEF).

Plan your visit

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Nearby places

On these lists

The Most Beautiful Places in Iceland 41The Most Beautiful Natural Wonders in Iceland 22The Most Beautiful Natural Arches 27The Most Remarkable Rock Formations 107The Most Beautiful Natural Wonders 580

From the encyclopaedia

Dyrhólaey, formerly known by seamen as Cape Portland, is a small promontory located on the south coast of Iceland, not far from the village Vík. It was formerly an island of volcanic origin, which is also known by the Icelandic word eyja meaning island. The volcano erupted about 100 thousand years ago during the Pleistocene. The peninsula has an elevation of 120 metres (390 ft), and the Dyrhólaey Lighthouse, built in 1927, sits at the top of the formation facing the sea.

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63.40373, -19.11664per Wikidata