Iceland Peninsulas
87 mapped7 regionsSeals & sea cliffsMostly paved
Iceland's coast is shaped by big headlands — Snæfellsnes with its glacier-topped volcano, the Reykjanes peninsula around the airport, Vatnsnes for seals and the Hvítserkur sea stack, and the long Tröllaskagi between two northern fjords. Most end in -nes (headland) and pack sea cliffs, bird colonies and fishing villages into a compact loop, almost all on paved roads.
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What to see on the headlandsCoast & wildlife
Sea cliffs, bird colonies, seals and fishing villages
SealsVatnsnes (N)
VolcanoSnæfellsnes (W)
Bird cliffsMany headlandsAccessMostly pavedNotable peninsulas
The best-documented headlands, with region and directions.
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Tours near Iceland's peninsulas
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VehicleWhen & how to visit Iceland's peninsulas
The headlands make natural day loops off the Ring Road. Snæfellsnes is the classic — the Snæfellsjökull volcano and national park, Kirkjufell, black beaches and fishing villages, a long day or overnight from Reykjavík on paved roads. Reykjanes sits right by Keflavík airport, handy on the first or last day, with the Bridge Between Continents and geothermal fields. Up north, Vatnsnes is the seal-watching peninsula (Hvítserkur, Illugastaðir) and Tröllaskagi threads a scenic coast through single-lane tunnels. Summer gives the most reliable access and the busiest bird cliffs; keep your distance from seals and nesting birds.
The peninsulas of Iceland, compared
All 85 named peninsulas, ranked — our best-documented picks first. Tap any name for the full guide. Position and region come from Wikidata and OpenStreetMap.
| Peninsula | Region | Known for | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Bjargtangar | Westfjords | Worth discovering |
 | Dyrhólaey | South Coast | Worth discovering |
 | Elephant Rock, Heimaey | South Coast | Worth discovering |
 | Geirsnef | Reykjavík Area | Worth discovering |
 | Gelgjutangi | Reykjavík Area | Worth discovering |
 | Gufunes | Reykjavík Area | Worth discovering |
 | Hraunhafnartangi | North Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Ingólfshöfði | South Coast | Worth discovering |
| Langanes | East Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Laugarnes | Reykjavík Area | Worth discovering |
 | Melrakkaslétta | North Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Reykjanes | Reykjavík Area | Worth discovering |
 | Reykjanestá | Reykjanes Peninsula | Worth discovering |
 | Rifstangi | North Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Skagi | North Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Snæfellsnes | West Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Stokksnes | East Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Stórhöfði | South Coast | Worth discovering |
 | Tjörnes | North Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Tröllaskagi | North Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Vatnsnes | North Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Westfjords | Westfjords | Worth discovering |
| Þórðarhöfði | North Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Þórsnes | West Iceland | Worth discovering |
 | Álftanes | Reykjavík Area | Peninsula in Reykjavík Area |
 | Ártúnshöfði | Reykjavík Area | Peninsula in Reykjavík Area |
 | Dalatangi | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Drífa | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords |
 | Flateyjarskagi | North Iceland | Peninsula in North Iceland |
 | Fontur | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Geldinganes | Reykjavík Area | Peninsula in Reykjavík Area |
 | Gerpir | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Gjögurtá | North Iceland | Peninsula in North Iceland |
 | Grundartangi | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland |
 | Heggstaðanes | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland |
 | Hesteyri | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Horn | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords |
 | Hraunlandarif | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland |
 | Hvalnestangi | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Kaldbakshorn | North Iceland | Peninsula in North Iceland |
 | Kambanes | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Kjalarnes | Reykjavík Area | Peninsula in Reykjavík Area |
 | Klofningsnes | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland |
 | Kolbeinstangi | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Krossanes | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Krossnes | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland |
 | Rauðamelur | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland |
 | Reykjaneshyrna | North Iceland | Peninsula in North Iceland |
 | Rosmhvalanes | Reykjanes Peninsula | Peninsula in Reykjanes Peninsula |
 | Selatangar | Reykjanes Peninsula | Peninsula in Reykjanes Peninsula |
 | Seltjarnarnes | Reykjavík Area | Peninsula in Reykjavík Area |
 | Skálmanes | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords |
 | Skollanes | North Iceland | Peninsula in North Iceland |
 | Strákatangi | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords |
 | Súgandisey | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland |
 | Vattarnes | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords |
 | Vesturhorn | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
 | Öndverðarnes | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland |
 | Örfirisey | Reykjavík Area | Peninsula in Reykjavík Area |
| Barðsneshorn | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Blakknes | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords | |
| Borgareyri | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Bægifótshöfði | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Djúpahlein | North Iceland | Peninsula in North Iceland | |
| Fuglabjarganes | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Hestfall | North Iceland | Peninsula in North Iceland | |
| Innstavogsnes | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Kjalardalsnes | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Lambeyri | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Lambhaganes | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Langeyri | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords | |
| Lindahorn | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Naphorn | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Rauðavíkurhöfði | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Ritur | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords | |
| Seljaoddi | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Skolleyri | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Skorrholtsnes | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Sléttaeyri | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords | |
| Spillir | Westfjords | Peninsula in Westfjords | |
| Starmýrartangi | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Straumeyri | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Tjaldaneshyrna | West Iceland | Peninsula in West Iceland | |
| Torfuhorn | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland | |
| Æðarsteinstangi | East Iceland | Peninsula in East Iceland |
Peninsula
questions
What are Iceland's main peninsulas?
The best-known are Snæfellsnes in the west (with its glacier-topped volcano), the Reykjanes peninsula around Keflavík airport, Vatnsnes in the north (seals and the Hvítserkur sea stack) and the long Tröllaskagi peninsula between Skagafjörður and Eyjafjörður. This page maps the named peninsulas with their region.
What does '-nes' mean in Icelandic place names?
Nes means headland or peninsula, so most Icelandic peninsula names end in it — Snæfellsnes, Vatnsnes, Reykjanes, Seltjarnarnes. A point or cape at the tip is often a -höfði, -tangi or -horn.
Is Snæfellsnes worth visiting?
Snæfellsnes packs a lot into a compact loop — the Snæfellsjökull volcano and national park, Kirkjufell mountain, black-sand beaches, fishing villages and sea cliffs. It works as a long day trip or overnight from Reykjavík on paved roads.
Where can you see seals in Iceland?
The Vatnsnes peninsula in the north is the classic seal-watching spot, with haul-out beaches at Illugastaðir and Hvítserkur. Seals also haul out on many quiet coastal peninsulas — keep your distance and never get between a seal and the water.
Are the peninsulas easy to drive?
The main ones (Snæfellsnes, Reykjanes, Vatnsnes, Tröllaskagi) are on paved roads, though Tröllaskagi includes single-lane tunnels. Smaller headlands may end in gravel tracks. Check the map on each page for the route in.