Hraunhafnartangi Lighthouse
About Hraunhafnartangi Lighthouse
Hraunhafnartangi is a low headland on the Melrakkaslétta peninsula in Northeast Iceland, about 12 km northwest of the village of Raufarhöfn, and home to the northernmost lighthouse on the Icelandic mainland. For a long time it was counted as the mainland's northernmost point. A 2016 survey found that the gravel spit at Rifstangi, a little to the west, reaches 68 meters farther north, so Hraunhafnartangi now ranks second.
The lighthouse is a white concrete tower about 19 meters tall with a red lantern room, built and first lit in 1951. Around it the land is flat, stony and wide open to the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Circle runs only a few kilometers offshore, which makes this one of the closest places on the mainland to the line.
Just south of the lighthouse is Þorgeirsdys, a cairn that tradition names as the grave of Þorgeir Hávarsson, one of the two sworn brothers of Fóstbræðra saga. According to the saga he was killed here in the early 11th century. Nothing has been excavated to prove it, but the low mound of stones is easy to find from the lighthouse.
Route 870 runs past the headland, and the lighthouse is a short walk from the road. The drive from Raufarhöfn takes about 20 minutes, and from Húsavík it is roughly two and a half hours around the Tjörnes and Melrakkaslétta coast. Give yourself 30 to 45 minutes on the headland, and come on a calm summer evening if you want the midnight sun low over the sea.
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Good to know
Is Hraunhafnartangi the northernmost point of Iceland?
Not quite. Hraunhafnartangi was long considered the northernmost point of mainland Iceland, but a 2016 survey found that Rifstangi, a little to the west, is 68 meters farther north. Hraunhafnartangi still has the northernmost lighthouse on the mainland.
Where is Hraunhafnartangi?
Hraunhafnartangi is on the Melrakkaslétta peninsula in Northeast Iceland, about 12 km northwest of Raufarhöfn. Route 870 passes close to the lighthouse.
How far is Hraunhafnartangi from the Arctic Circle?
The Arctic Circle runs only a few kilometers north of the headland, out at sea. To stand on the line in Iceland you need to go to Grímsey island.
When was Hraunhafnartangi lighthouse built?
The lighthouse was built and first lit in 1951. It is a concrete tower about 19 meters tall with a red lantern room.
What is Þorgeirsdys?
Þorgeirsdys is a stone cairn just south of the lighthouse that tradition identifies as the grave of Þorgeir Hávarsson from Fóstbræðra saga. The saga says he was killed at Hraunhafnartangi in the early 11th century.
How do you get to Hraunhafnartangi?
Drive Route 870 along the Melrakkaslétta coast, about 20 minutes from Raufarhöfn, and walk the short distance from the road to the lighthouse. Do not drive off the track, since off-road driving is illegal in Iceland.
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