Kleifarvatn Lake
Kleifarvatn Lake is a landscape in Reykjavik Area, Iceland — about 30 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.
Overview
Kleifarvatn is the largest lake on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, situated in the southern part of the peninsula.
As a photography stop, Kleifarvatn Lake is a landscape in Reykjavik Area, roughly 30 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.
Planning more than one stop? Open all 62 landscape viewpoints to put Kleifarvatn Lake on the same offline layer as everything nearby.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A deep lake on the Reykjanes Peninsula with no visible inflow or outflow — almost all of its water arrives and leaves underground. It has been measurably shrinking since the 2000 earthquakes.
- Size
- 7.36 km²; average depth 29 m, maximum 89.5 m (2012)
- Water
- No visible inflow or outflow; the water arrives and leaves underground
- Change
- Since the 2000 earthquakes at least 20% of the surface has gone; the level fell from 140 m (1975) to 135 m (2012)
- Geothermal
- High-temperature areas at Seltún/Krýsuvík and to the east; a 2012 survey confirmed a vent beneath the lake
A falling water line leaves shoreline that older photographs do not show, so foreground here has genuinely changed within living memory rather than being a matter of tide or season. The confirmed geothermal vent under the lake is also why the shore reads as volcanic rather than alpine.
SourcesKleifarvatn — Wikipedia
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (63.946, -21.964). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 03:02–23:55 (20.9 h). Evening golden hour 22:02–23:55, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.3 h of daylight (11:13–15:33), but the sun never climbs above 2.8° — the entire day is golden hour. Sunrise bears SSE, sunset SSW.
- Aurora
- Aurora-grade darkness Sep–Mar, peaking at 12.9 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
Kleifarvatn Lake is a landscape in Reykjavik Area, Iceland, approximately 30 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Landscape map.
The recommended season for Kleifarvatn Lake 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 — Kleifarvatn Lake can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.