Dyrhólaey
Dyrhólaey is a landscape in South Coast, Iceland — about 180 km from Reykjavik and reached by a drive to the trailhead and a short walk in (footwear and weather check). Shoot it year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list, then use the GPS coordinates, parking notes, and nearby waypoints below to fold this stop into a longer photography route.
Access restriction
Dyrhólaey is one of the protected areas where flying a drone requires a permit.
- a drone flight needs a permit from Náttúruverndarstofnun
- permits are issued only for commercial work — research, monitoring, construction, film, news and professional photography — and never for recreational or educational flying
- commercial permits may be granted year-round
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Overview
Dyrhólaey, formerly known by seamen as Cape Portland, is a small promontory located on the southern coast of Iceland.
As a photography stop, Dyrhólaey is a landscape in South Coast, roughly 180 km from Reykjavik, reached by a drive to the trailhead and a short walk in (footwear and weather check). Plan the shoot year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list. The downloadable Landscape map pins exact GPS coordinates, parking, and nearby waypoints so you can fold it into a wider route instead of hunting for the pull-off on arrival.
Dyrhólaey sits inside the Iceland landscape photo map, alongside the other spots worth routing a day around.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A 120 m volcanic promontory on the south coast near Vík, formed in an eruption about 100,000 years ago. Its name — "door hill island" — comes from the sea arch standing off the point.
- Height
- 120 m
- Origin
- Volcanic, from an eruption about 100,000 years ago
- Arch
- A large black lava arch stands in the sea off the promontory
- Lighthouse
- Built 1927, at the top of the formation facing the sea
- Birds
- Atlantic puffins nest on the cliff faces in summer
- Road
- A steep switchback road, rebuilt and paved in 2022
Three distinct subjects share one headland — arch, lighthouse and nesting cliffs — so this is a location that rewards being treated as several stops rather than one viewpoint. Note that puffins are a summer presence only; an off-season visit is a landscape shoot, not a wildlife one.
SourcesDyrhólaey — Wikipedia
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (63.400, -19.127). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 03:02–23:32 (20.5 h). Evening golden hour 21:46–23:32, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.6 h of daylight (10:54–15:30), but the sun never climbs above 3.3° — the entire day is golden hour. Sunrise bears SSE, sunset SSW.
- Aurora
- Aurora-grade darkness Sep–Mar, peaking at 12.8 h a night in December. Not possible Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug — the sky never gets dark enough.
Bar height is daylight hours. Months marked • have enough astronomical darkness for aurora; the rest do not.
Questions & answers
Dyrhólaey is a landscape in South Coast, Iceland, approximately 180 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Landscape map.
The recommended season for Dyrhólaey is All. For light, plan around blue hour and the first hour after sunrise; Iceland's long shoulder-season twilight extends usable conditions on either side.
Drive/Hike access. Bring weather-appropriate footwear and check conditions before setting out. The downloadable GPS map puts the waypoint on your phone; your own app routes you to it from wherever you are.
Yes — Dyrhólaey can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.