Lóndrangar

About Lóndrangar

Lóndrangar are two basalt sea stacks on the south coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, standing about 75 and 61 meters high inside Snæfellsjökull National Park. Seen from the cliff path, the pair of black pillars rising out of the surf is one of the most recognizable sights on the peninsula.

The Lóndrangar cliffs are volcanic plugs, the hard cores of a crater that the sea has otherwise worn away, and the neighboring hill of Svalþúfa is thought to be a surviving piece of the old crater rim. The taller stack was reportedly first climbed in 1735, while the smaller one held out until 1938. In Landnámabók, the settler Lón-Einarr meets a troll sitting on the stacks, stamping its feet until the waves rise.

From late spring through summer, the stacks and surrounding cliffs fill with nesting seabirds, including kittiwakes, common murres, fulmars and puffins. Early summer is the busiest time on the ledges, and binoculars are worth packing.

Most visitors park at the small lot below Svalþúfa, just off Route 574, and reach the viewpoints in about five minutes. You can also start at the national park visitor center at Malarrif and walk east along the coast for about 1 km. Lóndrangar is roughly 2.5 hours' drive from Reykjavík, with Vatnshellir cave, Djúpalónssandur and Hellnar all a few minutes away.

There's no fee to see the basalt cliffs, and the viewpoints are open year-round. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. The clifftops are exposed, so keep well back from the edge in strong wind or icy conditions.