Arnarstapi Harbor and Coastal Cliffs

This lovely hamlet at the foot of the Stapafell, an imposing hill of 526m, has a particularly beautiful view of the south coast of the peninsula. It was once a lively fishing village, as the harbor in the rocky bay still bears witness to. From the 1930s to the 1960s, people here mainly lived from the exploitation of pumice stone. The few houses are now only inhabited for part of the year, but the tourist future seems assured, because the hamlet, like Hellnar, is an excellent starting point for exploring the national park on foot.

Arnarstapi lies on the south side of the Snæfellsjökull volcano and has a strikingly eroded black cliff with caves and rocky gates. This one sees particularly well on a 3 km long hike to the neighboring Hellnar.
At Arnarstapi, the sea has reshaped the basalt columns on the beach, creating a variety of bays and caves that reach under the cliffs. Some of these caves are open at the top and in case of storm and high waves it foams up from them. Various rock pillars, former lava canals and remains of craters, stand in the sea and serve as a nesting ground for the many seabirds. In particular, one finds here gulls, kittiwakes and fulmars. Many Arctic terns also nest here.

Here, up at the small harbor, the beautiful hiking trail towards Hellnar begins, always following the coast and the lava formations ...