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Lesa á íslenskuThis page is also written in íslenska.

Londrangar

Two volcanic plugs standing off a lava coast, left when the softer cone around them washed away.

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WhereWestern Region
Nearest cityHellnar about 8 km; Olafsvik about 25 km
Best seasonMay to September
Time to allowAn hour
Getting thereSignposted car park off road 574 in Snaefellsjokull National Park; short paths to viewpoints
EntryFree

Londrangar are two pillars of rock rising from the coast below Snaefellsjokull, the taller about 75 metres and the smaller about 61. They are the solidified insides of a volcanic crater: the loose ash and scoria that once surrounded them was stripped away by the sea, leaving only the dense plug rock. Both are climbed rarely and with difficulty, and the taller was first ascended in the twentieth century. Fulmars and other seabirds nest on the faces in summer. The farmland around them was traditionally left unmown and ungrazed in places out of respect for the hidden people said to live there, a belief recorded from the district.

What you actually see

  • Two plugs, 75 and 61 metres - the hard insides of an eroded crater.
  • Ash stripped by the sea - the reason the pillars stand alone.
  • Nesting fulmars - the faces occupied through summer.
  • Ground left unworked - the hidden-people tradition of the district.

When to go

May to September for birds and easy walking. An hour.

Honest expectations

You view these from a distance - approaching the base means crossing rough lava and the cliffs are unstable. Wind on this coast is severe and the viewpoints are exposed. The car park is small and busy midday. No facilities.

Nearby

Hellnar and Arnarstapi are east; Djupalonssandur is west.

What to pack for Londrangar

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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