Hópsnes Peninsula
About Hópsnes Peninsula
Hópsnes is a low lava headland on the east side of Grindavík, on the south coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula. The spit is about 2 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, with the orange Hópsnes lighthouse at its tip and rusting shipwrecks scattered along the shore.
The headland formed about 2,800 years ago, when lava from the Sundhnúkur craters north of town ran into the sea. That same crater row has erupted again and again since 2023, so standing here you are looking at the older work of a volcano that is very much awake.
The square lighthouse went up in 1928 to guide fishing boats along this reef-lined shore. Wrecks from the 20th century still lie along the rocks, several with information signs that tell the story of the ship and its crew.
Hópsnes also explains why Grindavík has a harbor at all. In 1939 locals cut a channel through the reef into the Hópið lagoon behind the spit, and the fishing moved there, leaving the old landing on the headland behind.
A gravel road runs out to the lighthouse, a few minutes' drive from the town center, and Grindavík is about an hour from Reykjavík. Give yourself an hour to walk between the wrecks, and check the current hazard map first, since the town reopened to visitors in October 2024 but the area is still volcanically restless.
Good to know
Where is Hópsnes?
Hópsnes is a lava headland on the east side of Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It is about an hour's drive from Reykjavík and a few minutes from Grindavík's town center.
Can you see shipwrecks at Hópsnes?
Yes, the remains of several 20th-century shipwrecks lie along the shore of the headland. Some of them have information signs explaining what happened.
When was the Hópsnes lighthouse built?
The Hópsnes lighthouse was built in 1928. It is a square orange tower at the tip of the headland and still works as a navigation light.
How did Hópsnes form?
Hópsnes formed about 2,800 years ago when lava from the Sundhnúkur crater row north of Grindavík flowed into the sea. The same crater row has been erupting again since 2023.
Is Grindavík open to visitors?
Grindavík reopened to visitors in October 2024, but it remains a hazard area because of volcanic unrest. Check the current hazard map and any closures before you drive out to Hópsnes.
Trip planning — free, no commitment
Put Hópsnes Peninsula on your route
Tell us your dates, pace and can’t-miss list — a local planner builds the route, stays and tours around it, and stays a text away while you travel.