Lighthouses of Western Iceland

Iceland (Ísland in Icelandic) is an island nation in the North Atlantic roughly 800 km (500 mi) northwest of Scotland and 970 km (600 mi) east of Norway. Settled by Norse explorers around 870, Iceland has had a legislature since 930 and has generally functioned as a self-governing commonwealth, but for centuries it was also part of the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway. In 1918 Iceland was granted full autonomy by Denmark and in 1944 it declared its independence as a republic.

Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the geologic boundary between Europe and North America, and at the maritime boundary between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. The coast of Iceland is cut by numerous fjords. Reykjavík, the capital, is also the only large port, but there are many smaller fishing ports all around the circumference of the island.

This page includes lighthouses of two of Iceland's eight regions: Vesturland (the west coast) and Vestfirðir (West Fjords, the northwestern coast). This coast faces the Denmark Strait or Greenland Strait separating Iceland and Greenland,

In Icelandic the word for a lighthouse is viti (plural vitar); ey is an island, rif is a reef, nes is a cape, vík or flói is a bay, fjörð is a firth or fjord, sund is a strait, ána is a river, and höfn is a harbor. The Icelandic alphabet includes the old Norse letters "eth" (Ð and ð) and "thorn" (Þ and þ), pronounced with the softer and harder forms of the English th sound, respectively.

Lighthouses in Iceland are regulated by the Icelandic Transport Authority (Samgöngustofa, or ICETRA), which also maintains and operates the major coastal lights. Local port authorities operate harbor lights.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. VIT numbers are from the Vitaskrá, the official Icelandic light list. Admiralty numbers are from volume L of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 115.

General Sources
Sjóminjar Íslands - Vitar
Posted by the Icelandic Maritime Museum (Sjóminjar Íslands), this site has small photos and historical notes for Iceland's lighthouses. Text in Icelandic.
Isländische Leuchttürme
Photos of 70 Icelandic lighthouses by Klaus Huelse.
Online List of Lights - Iceland - West Coast and North Coast
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. The photos for this area are by Ronald Wöhrn, Andreas Köhler, Renate Riedel, Eckhard Meyer, and Erich Hartmann.
Lighthouse Pages from Anke and Jens - Iceland
Photos and accounts (in English).
Iceland Lighthouses
Photos on Flickr.com taken in 2011 by Larry Myhre.
Lighthouses in Iceland
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Icelandic lighthouses / Íslenskir vitar
Flickr.com pool for photos of Icelandic lighthouses (roughly 1900 photos).
World of Lighthouses - Iceland
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Icelandic Lighthouse Society (Íslenska Vitafélagið)
An attractive web site with several photo galleries; primarily in Icelandic.
Vitaskrá 2023
The official Icelandic light list can be downloaded in pdf format. Published by Landhelgisgæsla Íslands, the Icelandic Coast Guard.
Iceland Map and Satellite Image
From Geology.com.
GPSNauticalCharts
Navigational chart information for Iceland.
Google Maps
Satellite view of western Iceland.


Malarrif Light, Snæfellsnes, March 2023
Google Maps photo by Zuzka Krajčová


Þormóðssker Light, Faxaflói, May 2018
Google Maps photo by Fridrik Helgi

Vesturland (Central West Coast) Lighthouses

Vesturland is the west coast region north of Reykjavík and south of the northwest fjords region. A major feature of this region is the Snæfellsnes peninsula, a long finger of volcanic land separating two bays, the Faxaflói on the south and the Breidafjörður on the north. The peninsula is famous for the Snæfellsjökull volcano and glacier and in 2001 much of it was set aside as a national park. The volcano is not considered to be extinct but its last eruption was about 1800 years ago.

Akranes Area Lighthouses
Akranes is a town on the north side of the Faxaflói, the bay of Reykjavík, separated from Reykjavík by the Hvalfjörður (Fjord of Whales). Since 1998 a tunnel under the fjord has provided a quick route to the town, bringing Akranes into the Reykjavík metropolitan area. The town has a population of about 8000.

*
Krossvík Fremra (ex-Range Front)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) lantern and gallery mounted atop a square concrete equipment shelter. A red triangular daymark is displayed on a post mounted on the gallery and the directional light is on the daymark. Entire lighthouse painted yellow or orange. Trabas has Kohler's 2025 photo, Huelse has a good photo, a closeup is available, a 2018 photo shows the tower painted orange, and Google has a 2024 street view and a satellite view. In 2018 the front range light was replaced with a directional light and the rear light was discontinued. The light leads vessels on the approach to Akranes. The former rear light was on a radio transmission tower. Located on the waterfront on the east side of Akranes, adjacent to an athletic field. Site open, tower closed. . VIT-049.2; Admiralty L4518; NGA 18368.

1918 Akranes Light, Akranes, April 2024
Google Maps photo by Serhii Bilykh
* Akranes Directional (ex-Range Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 3 s. 28 m (95 ft) square skeletal communications tower painted black. Trabas has Köhler's 2025 photo and Google has a 2024 street view and the light is centered in Google's indistinct satellite view (look for the shadow). In 2018 the rear range light was replaced with a directional light and the front light was discontinued. The light leads vessels on the entrance to Akranes harbor. Located on the Kirkjubraut in downtown Akranes. Site open, tower closed. VIT-052.1; Admiralty L4522.1; NGA 18388.
** Akranes (2)
1918 (station establshed 1891). Inactive since 1947. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) square dumbbell-shaped concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern gray. Serhii Bilykh s 2024 photo is above right, Anke and Jens have a page with good photos, Piotr Somerfeld has a great photo, Julius Matikas has a 2021 photo, Huelse also has a good photo, a photo showing both lighthouses is available, and Google has a satellite view. Google's street view shows the lighthouse being repainted in August 2013. The first light was a lantern on a pole put up by local fishermen. Located at the extreme tip of the Skipaskagi (Ships' Cape) peninsula, the lighthouse appears to be endangered by erosion. Parking provided. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-003.
*** Akranes (3)
1947 (station established 1891). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 21 m (69 ft) concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and eight buttresses at the base. Tower painted white, lantern red. A 2022 photo is at right, Trabas has Wöhrn's 2015 photo, another photo is available, Anke and Jens have a good page for the station, Huelse also has a good photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The lighthouse is open in season and there are historical exhibits inside. Located a short distance north of the original lighthouse. Parking provided. Site open, tower open in season. . ARLHS ICE-002; VIT-050; Admiralty L4520; NGA 18372.
* Bióhöllin (Lambhusasand Range No. 1 Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 20 m (66 ft); continuous red light. Post carrying a triangular daymark mounted on the roof of the Bióhöllin movie theater. Trabas has Köhler's 2025 photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is the approach range for the western harbor basin. The front light is on a post. Built in 1942, the theater is a landmark building in Akranes. Site open. VIT-054.2; Admiralty L4523.1; NGA 18389.1.
Rauðanes
1940. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) hexagonal concrete equipment room; the light is shown through a window. Lighthouse painted yellow. Trabas has Köhler's 2025 photo, Bjorn Þorvaldsson has a closeup 2017 photo, a distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a sharp promontory on the north side of the Faxaflói about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southwest of Bogarnes. Probably accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. VIT-057; Admiralty L4529; NGA 18408.


1947 Akranes Light, Akranes, May 2022
Google Maps photo by Leo

Þormóðssker (Thormodhssker)
1947. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); one long flash every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 23 m (75 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted concrete with black panels giving the appearance of a black vertical stripe on each face; lantern painted black. Fridrik Helgi has the 2018 photo at the top of this page, Þórdís Björnsdóttir has a 2010 closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Thormodh's Skerry, a small rocky island in the Faxaflói about 13 km (8 mi) northwest of Akranes. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ICE-101; VIT-055; Admiralty L4526; NGA 18392.

Snæfellsnes South Shore Lighthouses
* Kirkjuhóll
1953. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); one long (2 s) flash every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) semi-elliptical concrete tower with lantern. The lighthouse is unpainted white concrete. Köhler has the closeup 2025 photo at right, Trabas has Meyer's 2016 photo, Huelse has a photo, Laxic Hsiao has a photo, Ólafur Ólafsson has a distant view, and Google has a distant 2024 street view and a satellite view. Located off highway 54 midway on the south shore of the Snæfells peninsula. It's a walk of about 400 m (1/4 mi) to the lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-062; VIT-058; Admiralty L4531; NGA 18416.
* Arnarstapi
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); one long flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 3 m (10 ft) rectangular white concrete building; the light is shown through a window. J-P Monette has a 2026 photo, Trabas has Meyer's 2016 photo, a 2022 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland on the south side of Arnarstapi, a small harbor on the southwest coast of the Snæfells peninsula. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-116; VIT-059; Admiralty L4532; NGA 18420.
* Malarrif (2)
1946 (station established 1917). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); four flashes every 30 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 24 m (79 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with four buttresses, lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Zuzka Krajčová's 2023 photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has Wöhrn's 2016 photo, Huelse has a photo, Vlad Bogdan has a 2017 photo, Paul Bradshaw has a 2019 street view, and Google has a satellite view and very distant street view. Located on the south coast of the Snæfells peninsula about 15 km (9 mi) southwest of Gröf. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-067; VIT-062; Admiralty L4534; NGA 18412.

Þormóðssker Light, Faxaflói, August 2025
Google Maps photo by Andreas Köhler

Snæfellsnes West End Lighthouses
* Svörtuloft (2)
1931 (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted yellow, lantern red. Trabas has Wöhrn's closeup 2016 photo, a 2017 photo is available, Algo Trendy has a 2021 photo, Huelse has a photo, Google has a street view, and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse and the next one mark the blunt western end of the Snæfells Peninsula. Located about 8 km (5 mi) southwest of Hellissandur. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-091; VIT-063; Admiralty L4538; NGA 18424.
* Öndverðarnes
1973. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 3 s. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal cast iron lantern centered on a small 1-story square concrete equipment room. Equipment room painted yellow, lantern red. Josef Schmid's 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has Riedel's 2016 photo, Huelse has a photo, Zsófia Balatoni has a winter sunset photo, Daniel Makrinos has a 2022 street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the extreme northwestern tip of the Snæfells Peninsula, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) north of the Svörtuloft lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-099; VIT-064; Admiralty L4540; NGA 18428.

Snæfellsnes North Shore Lighthouses
Taska (Rif)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) round lantern and gallery perched on a slender iron pole. Lantern painted green. Trabas has Jim Smith's 2025 photo, Huelse has a photo, Marta Líf Bjarnardottir has a 2023 photo, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view and a very distant 2024 street view. Located in the Breidafjörður off the village of Rif, about 6 km (3.5 mi) east of Hellissandur. Accessible only by boat, although there may be a good view from shore. Site open, tower closed. VIT-066; Admiralty L4541.8; NGA 18432.

Öndverðarnes Light, Hellissandur, December 2023
Instagram photo by Josef Schmid
* Ólafsvík
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 3 m (10 ft) rectangular concrete building painted orange; the light is shown through a window. Trabas has Wöhrn's 2016 photo, Björn Ólafsson has a 2023 closeup, and Google has a 2024 street view and a satellite view. Located on a headland on the south side of Arnarstapi, a small harbor on the southwest coast of the Snæfells peninsula. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-098; VIT-071; Admiralty L4542; NGA 18452.
Krossnes
1926. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); four flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted yellow. Ivo Verschuuren has a 2025 photo, Trabas has Wöhrn's 2016 photo, Huelse has a photo, Martin Nouza also has a photo, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of a promontory 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Grundarfjörður. It appears from Huelse's photo that the lighthouse is on a farm. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ICE-065; VIT-074; Admiralty L4544; NGA 18464.
Höskuldsey (2)
1948 (station established 1926). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); flash every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted yellow. Ingvar Hreinsson has a closeup photo and Google has a good satellite view. Höskuldsey is a small island in the Breidafjörður about 15 km (9 mi) west of Stykkishölmur. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-009; VIT-077; Admiralty L4550; NGA 18476.
* Súgandisey
1948. Active; focal plane unknown; continuous red light. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted red. Dario Colombo's 2022 photo is at right, Tricia Roth has a closeup photo, Trabas has Meyer's 2016 closeup, Henry Oude Egberink has a photo, Peter Neumüller has a good street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a hilltop on the north side of the harbor of Stykkisholmúr. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-114; VIT-080; Admiralty L4554; NGA 18484.
Elliðaey
1951. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); flash every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) triangular cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. Trabas has Köhler's 2025 photo, Ingvar Hreinsson has a closeup photo and a second photo, Huelse has a distant photo, Kirill Sergeev has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Elliðaey is a small island in the Breidafjörður about 5 km (3 mi) northwest of Stykkishölmur. Located on the highest point of the island, which is at the east end. Accessible only by boat; there are views from the ferry crossing the Breidafjörður from Stykkishölmur to Flatey and Brjánslaekur. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-004; VIT-078; Admiralty L4552; NGA 18480.

Súgandisey Light, Stykkisholmúr, April 2022
Instagram photo by Dario Colombo

Vestfirðir (Northwest Fjords) Lighthouses

Vestfirðir (Westfjords), in the northwestern corner of Iceland, is a fan-shaped peninsula cut by fjords into many fingers of land. The lighthouses of this dramatic but difficult terrain are poorly known and hard to visit. The permanent population of the region is only about 7100, with Ísafjörður being the largest town.

Breidafjörður Lighthouses
Klofningur (Flatey)
1926. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two flashes every 15 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted yellow; lantern painted red. Andrey Sulitskiy has a 2014 photo, Tjerk Bartlema has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Flatey (Flat Island) is an inhabited island in the northern Breidafjörður about 18 km (11 mi) southeast of Brjánslaekur. The lighthouse is located on Klofningur, a small island about 800 m (1/2 mi) off the entrance to Flatey's harbor. Note: there is another Flatey Light on the northeast coast of Iceland. Accessible only by boat; there are views from the ferry crossing the Breidafjörður from Stykkishölmur to Flatey and Brjánslaekur. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-063; VIT-83; Admiralty L4556; NGA 18496.
Skor
1954. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 5 s. 5 m (17 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, painted yellow according to NGA, but Sigrún Davíðsdóttir's 2011 photo shows that it is now painted white. Hjörtur Sólrúnarson has a 2023 closeup and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a promontory on the south side of the Látrabjarg peninsula. Probably accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-107; VIT-086; Admiralty L4558; NGA 18508.
* Bjargtangar (Látrabjarg) (2)
1948 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 6 m (20 ft) square 2-story concrete building with a lantern on the seaward side of the second floor. The entire building is white. A 2022 photo is at right, the Maritime Museum has a page for the lighthouse, Wikimedia has photos, Trabas has Jim Smith's 2020 view from the sea, Jay Colingham has a 2016 street view, a 2021 photo is available, Frank Sæthre has a sunset street view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the westernmost point of Iceland, and thereby the westernmost point of Europe, at longitude 24°32'03" W. Located atop a vertical cliff called Látrabjarg. Accessible by road, but it's a long drive; 4WD strongly recommended. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-029; VIT-087; Admiralty L4560; NGA 18512.

Bjargtangar Light, Látrabjarg, August 2022
Instagram photo by lighthouses_of_iceland

Patreksfjörður and Arnarfjörður Lighthouses
* Haanes (Ólafsviti)
1947. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); one long (2 s) flash every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 14 m (46 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern red. Annelies Barentsen's 2024 photo is at right, Giuseppe Gulino has a 2023 photo, Atli Týr Ægisson has a 2008 photo, Dmitry Evdokimov has a distant photo, another photo and a view from the sea are available, and Google has a distant satellite view. This lighthouse guides ships into the Patreksfjörður, the southernmost of a series of fjords cutting into the northwestern peninsula. The lighthouse was built in 1943 with funds provided by Ólaf Jóhannesson, an area merchant, but due to the disruptions of World War II it was not activated until 1947. Located at Hænuvík on the south side of the Patreksfjörður; there is a road about 300 m (1000 ft) above the lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-070; VIT-088; Admiralty L4562; NGA 18516.
Kópanes
1971. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) round lantern mounted at one end of a 1-story concrete fog signal or equipment building. Lantern painted white, building yellow. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a remote cape at the southern entrance to the Arnarfjörður. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-121; VIT-095.5; Admiralty L4567; NGA 18520.
Langanes (2)
1950 (station established 1910). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); flash every 15 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) 2-story concrete building with a lantern and gallery on the seaward side of the second floor. Lighthouse painted orange (formerly yellow). Peter Grob has a 2019 photo, Arnbjörn Jóhannesson has a good photo, Sturla Páll Sturluson has a 2021 photo, and Google has a distant satellite view. Cliffs near this location are famous for birds. Note: this is one of two Langanes (Long Cape) lighthouses in northern Iceland; see near the bottom of this page for the other one. Located on the point of land at the fork of the Arnarfjörður into the branches known as the Suðurfirdir and the Borgarfjörður, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of Laugaböl. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-122; VIT-096; Admiralty L4568; NGA 18524.

Olafsviti Light, Arnarfjörður, July 2024
Instagram photo by Annelies Barentsen

Drýafjörður and Súgandafjörður Lighthouses
Svalvogar
1920. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); two long flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted orange; lantern painted red. Andrea Tonelli has a 2017 photo, Lucio Semboloni has a street view, and Bing has a satellite view. Svalvogar, the mountainous peninsula between the Arnarfjörður and the Drýafjörður, is famous in Icelandic folklore as the setting of the epic Gísla Saga. An unpaved road, popular with adventurous bicyclists, circles the peninsula and passes by the lighthouse. Located at the western tip of the peninsula. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-108; VIT-097; Admiralty L4570; NGA 18528.
Fjallaskagi
1954. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted yellow. Alexander Jung has a photo, Bergthor Gunnlaugsson has a very distant photo of the cape in which the lighthouse is barely visible, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a cape (kagi) on the north side of the entrance to the Drýafjörður. Probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-037; VIT-100; Admiralty L4574; NGA 18536.
[Sauðanes Northwest]
1964. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white flash every 20 s. 3 m (10 ft) round lantern mounted on an octagonal concrete base. Lantern painted white. A photo is available and Google has a satellite view. This is one of two Sauðanes lighthouses in northern Iceland; the other one is listed on the Northern Iceland page. Located at the tip of a peninsula about 5 km (3 mi) west of Suðereyi, marking the entrance to the Súgandafjörður. Probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. VIT-102; Admiralty L4575; NGA 18544.

Ísafjörður Lighthouses
Göltur (Galtar) (2)
1956 (station established 1920). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted orange. Abandoned 1-1/2 story keeper's house. Ólafur Jonasson has a 2011 photo, Ingvar Hreinsson has a 2002 photo showing the lighthouse painted yellow, a closeup is available, Trabas has Hartmann's distant 2017 view, and Google has a satellite view of the station. This lighthouse stands on a massive cliff, the Stigahlið, on the south side of the entrance to the wide bay of the Ísafjörður. Probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-041; VIT-106; Admiralty L4578; NGA 18552.
* Óshólar
1937. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); three flashes every 20 s, white or red depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) square stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted orange, lantern red. Nora Pajdak's 2021 photo at right and Christian Bickel's 2011 photo both show this clor pattern. The lighthouse was formerly painted orange and the lantern yellow; in Huelse's photo the lighthouse color is red-orange. Christian Aubertin also has a 2021 photo, Helena Geri has a photo, Trabas has Hartmann's 2024 photo, Rognvaldur Olafsson has a 2016 street view, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the Ísafjörður about 3 km (2 mi) east of Bolungarvík. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-071; VIT-107; Admiralty L4580; NGA 18560.

Óshólar Light, Bolungarvík, July 2021
Instagram photo by Nora Pajdak
* Arnarnes (2)
1921 (station established 1902). Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); light 2 s on, 8 s off, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) square corrugated iron tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted yellow, lantern red. Huelse has a closeup photo, Trabas has Hartmann's 2017 view, and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the entrance to the Skutulsfjörður from the Ísafjörður. Located atop a steep promontory about 5 km (3 mi) north of Suðavík. Accessible by road: the lighthouse is on a bluff above highway 61. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-028; VIT-109; Admiralty L4584; NGA 18612.
Æðey
1949. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); two flashes every 22 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 13 m (43 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Trabas has Hartmann's very distant 2017 view and Google has a satellite view. Æðey is an island off the north shore of the Ísafjörður. This lighthouse was completed in 1944, but it could not be lit until 1949 because lighting equipment was not available during World War II. Located on the southern tip of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-001; VIT-127; Admiralty L4582; NGA 18616.
Sléttaeyri (Slettunes)
1949. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) 2-story concrete building with a lantern and gallery on the seaward side of the second floor. Lighthouse painted yellow. or more recently orange. A closeup 2023 photo and another photo are available and Google has a satellite view. Located on a point of land on the north side of the Ísafjörður near the entrance, about 5 km (3 mi) west of Hesteyri. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-126; VIT-128; Admiralty L4600; NGA 18628.
Straumnes Northwest
1919. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 4 s. 24 m (79 ft) square pyramidal concrete-covered tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, gallery red. A 2023 closeup photo is at right, Lightphotos.net has Bryan Richter's photo, a 2010 photo is available, the Siglingastofnun has a 1999 photo, Trabas has Hartmann's distant 2017 view from the sea, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. The lighthouse was covered with concrete in 1930. This unusual lighthouse stands at the tip of a peninsula marking the northwestern corner of Iceland. It is one of two Straumnes Lights in northern Iceland; the other one is listed near the bottom of this page. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-088; VIT-129; Admiralty L4604; NGA 18632.

Straumnes Northwest Light, Hornstrandir, June 2023
Google Maps photo by Street Action

Northern Coast Lighthouses
Hornbjarg
1930. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, attached to the seaward end of a 2-story Icelandic Coast Guard station. Dominique Sayo's 2022 photo is at right, an excellent closeup photo is available, Asgeir Hoskuldsson has a 2020 photo, Gudmundur Ingimarsson has a nice view of the station, and Google has a distant satellite view. This lighthouse is located a few miles southeast of Horn, the northernmost cape of northwestern Iceland, and only about 17.5 km (11 mi) south of the Arctic Circle. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-049; VIT-130; Admiralty L4606; NGA 18636.
Selsker
1947. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); one long (2.2 s) and one short flash every 30 s. 15 m (49 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a round concrete base. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Ingvar Hreinsson has a 2000 closeup and a view from the sea, there is a small 2005 photo, the Siglingastofnun has a photo, and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks Munaðarnes, a prominent cape on the north coast at the western entrance to the Húnaflói, a broad bay that separates the northwestern fjord region from the rest of northern Iceland. Located on a rocky reef 5 km (3 mi) north northwest of the cape. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-023; VIT-131; Admiralty L4608; NGA 18640.
* Gjögur
1921. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); four flashes every 30 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 24 m (79 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted red. Júlíus Ó Ásgeirsson has a photo and a distant view and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the tip of an east-pointing peninsula about 5 km (3 mi) east of Gjögur. Accessible by 4WD. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-039; VIT-135; Admiralty L4616; NGA 18648.

Hornbjarg Light, Horn, July 2022
Google Maps photo by Dominique Sayo

Drangnes Area Lighthouses
Grímsey í Steingrímsfirði
1949. Active; focal plane 82 m (269 ft); flash every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Willis Chung has a view from the sea, Google has a distant 2024 street view from highway 645 on the mainland, and Google has a satellite view. Not to be confused with the much better known island of Grímsey in Norðurland Eystra (see the Northern Iceland page). Grímsey is an island off the north side of the entrance to the Steingrimsfjörður near Drangnes. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-006; VIT-137; Admiralty L4620; NGA 18656.
* [Malarhorn (2)]
1948 (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two flashes every 15 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 3 m (10 ft) 1-story concrete building; the light is displayed through windows in the front. Lighthouse painted yellow. A 2022 photo is available, Leon Baumgarten has a closeup 2023 street view, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the east side of Drangnes. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-123; VIT-138; Admiralty L4622; NGA 18660.
* [Hólmavik]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 3 m (10 ft) round lantern painted yellow. Google has a street view and a distant satellite view. Located on a hillside facing the harbor of Hólmavik. Site open, tower closed. VIT-139; Admiralty L4626; NGA 18664.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Northern Iceland | South: Reykjavik Area

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted September 11, 2006. Checked and revised April 6, 2026. Lighthouses: 36. Site copyright 2026 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.