Grotta Lighthouse

Grotta stands at the western tip of Seltjarnarnes, on the edge of the built-up area but facing open sea, and the island it occupies is joined to the shore by a spit that floods on every high tide. People are caught out by that regularly. The present lighthouse dates from 1947, replacing an earlier one, and the island is closed to visitors from 1 May to 15 July while eider and arctic terns nest. On the shore beside the path is Kvika, a small stone footbath fed with geothermal water, made by the artist Olof Nordal. The point is one of the standard places in the capital to look for the northern lights, being dark and facing away from the city.

What you actually see

• A lighthouse of 1947 - on an island cut off at high tide.
• A causeway that floods - twice a day, catching people out.
• Closed for nesting - 1 May to 15 July, for eider and terns.
• Kvika footbath - a stone geothermal basin by the path.

When to go

Year round, avoiding the closed nesting season for the island itself. Two hours.

Honest expectations

Check the tide before crossing - the water comes back faster than it looks. In the closed season you can only view from the shore. It is exposed and often bitterly windy. Parking is limited in the residential streets nearby.

Nearby

Central Reykjavik is fifteen minutes east; the coastal path runs from here.