Snaefellsjokull National Park

Background

History & Background

Snæfellsjökull National Park was established in 2001 as Iceland's fourth national park and the first to include coastal and marine areas. The volcano has been considered sacred and mystical for centuries, with many believing it possesses special spiritual energy. Eiríkur of Leirá, an 18th-century explorer, claimed to have reached the summit in 1753. The area has a rich history of fishing and farming settlements, with Arnarstapi and Hellnar serving as important trading posts for centuries.

Snæfellsjökull National Park, established in 2001, is Iceland's only national park that stretches from the coastline to mountain peaks. The park is dominated by the 1,446-meter Snæfellsjökull glacier-capped stratovolcano, which has been dormant since an eruption around 1,800 years ago. The glacier gained international fame as the entrance to the center of the Earth in Jules Verne's 1864 novel. The park encompasses a rich diversity of landscapes within a compact area: black sand beaches, dramatic sea cliffs and rock formations, lava fields, volcanic craters, and underground lava tubes. The coastline is particularly spectacular, with towering basalt formations like Lóndrangar and the historic fishing village of Arnarstapi. The area is rich in birdlife, seals, and wildflowers in summer. Clear days offer views across Faxaflói Bay to Reykjavík, 120km away.