The tip of Reykjanes, often called Reykjanestá in Icelandic is the most South-western tip of Iceland. You can climb up Valahnjúkur hill and enjoy the view out to sea where you can see Eldey Island and the surrounding area. The scenery is said to be one of the most interesting in Iceland.
At that location, The Mid-Atlantic Ridge marks the edges of two diverging plates. The ridge is made of rift sections that are off-set through fracture zones. Behind the Reykjanesviti lighthouse we can see the Gunnuhver geothermal area and the surrounding pillars of steam come from geothermal power plants that produce electricity by running the powerful steam through turbines in order to harvest the energy. Gunnuhver is an active geothermal area named after an angry female ghost, Gudrun. The story goes that Gudrun spirit was trapped in the hot spirits by a priest 400 years ago. Apparently Gudrun’s spirit was quite the nuisance which lead to the priest setting a trap for Gudrun near the springs so he could trap her there. A unique characteristic of Gunnuhver is that the groundwater here is 100% seawater, unlike other geothermal areas on the island.
Nearby Places
Gunnuhver, Reykjanesbær, Blue Lagoon