Stafnesviti
Stafnesviti is a lighthouse in Reykjavik Area, Iceland — about 64 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
Stafnesviti stands in between the towns Sandgerði and Hafnir at Stafnes and was built in 1925
As a photography stop, Stafnesviti is a lighthouse in Reykjavik Area, roughly 64 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 Lighthouse 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.
Stafnesviti is one waypoint of many — you can load the Iceland lighthouse map before you leave signal.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A concrete lighthouse of 1925 on a concrete stall between Sandgerði and Hafnir. In 1928 the trawler Jón forseti ran aground here: fifteen of the crew drowned and ten were rescued, and wrecks at Stafnes led to the founding of the Life Saving Association of Iceland.
- Built
- 1925
- The tower
- The regional tourism board gives 8 m, concrete on a concrete stall, painted yellow; other published descriptions say 11.5 m and orange — treat both height and colour as unsettled
- Where
- Between Sandgerði and Hafnir, Reykjanes
- 1928
- The trawler Jón forseti ran aground here; 15 of the crew drowned, 10 were rescued
- What followed
- Shipwrecks at Stafnes led to the establishment of the Life Saving Association of Iceland
Published sources disagree on both the height and the colour of this lighthouse, which for a small tower is most of what decides a frame — worth looking before committing to a lens. The 1928 wreck is also the reason this coast reads as it does: it is the ground that prompted a national rescue service, and the sea here is the subject as much as the building.
SourcesStafnes — Visit Reykjanes
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (63.974, -22.762). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 03:05–23:59 (20.9 h). Evening golden hour 22:06–23:59, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.3 h of daylight (11:17–15:35), but the sun never climbs above 2.7° — 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
Stafnesviti is a lighthouse in Reykjavik Area, Iceland, approximately 64 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Lighthouse map.
The recommended season for Stafnesviti 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 — Stafnesviti can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.