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Villages · South coast

Arnarstapi

A harbour of black basalt under the glacier, with a stone giant, a rock arch and the best short walk on Snæfellsnes. Small enough to see in an hour; good enough to stay the night.

Updated 5 min read

Basalt stacks and still water at Arnarstapi, with Stapafell and the glacier behind
Chmee2/Valtameri, CC BY 3.0

What Arnarstapi is

Arnarstapi, sometimes called Stapi, was a trading post and fishing station with one of the best landing places “under the glacier”; the district governor once lived here. Its small-boat harbour, improved in 2002, is the only harbour on the south side of Snæfellsnes, and day boats still fish from it in summer. Very few people live here all year. In summer it fills with walkers, glacier tours and the tour buses that make it their stop on the south coast.

The village sits on lava below Stapafell, a pyramid of a mountain, with Snæfellsjökull rising behind it. The shore between Arnarstapi and Hellnar has been a nature reserve since 1979.

What to see

Everything is within a few minutes’ walk of the car park by the statue.

Bárður Snæfellsás

In the saga of Bárður Snæfellsás, a half-troll settler disappears into the glacier and becomes its guardian spirit. The stone figure above the car park, 6 m tall and built from nearly 300 tonnes of stone, is by the sculptor Ragnar Kjartansson (1923–1988) and was unveiled on 17 June 1985. It was commissioned as a memorial to a local family, Jón Sigurðsson of Bjarg, his wife Guðrún and their son Trausti.

Cliffs and birds

The cliffs around the harbour are columnar basalt, cut by grottoes and ravines. From spring to autumn they are full of kittiwakes nesting on narrow ledges, with fulmars along the shore and a large colony of arctic terns in the fields of the village itself. Terns dive at people who walk near their nests: stay on the path.

Basalt cliffs and a sea cave at Arnarstapi
dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0

Food, fuel and facilities

  • Eat: Snjófell, the restaurant at Arnarstapi Center (kitchen 11:30–19:30); Arnarbær, seafood and pizza, May–September 12:00–22:00; Stapinn, a small family restaurant. At Hellnar, the café Fjöruhúsið (seasonal).
  • Fuel: ÓB self-service at Snjófell, open 24 hours, petrol and diesel. Other stations are on the north coast at Hellissandur, Ólafsvík and Grundarfjörður.
  • Toilets: five public toilets by the road into the village, open 24/7.
  • Parking: by the Bárður statue and above the harbour. No national-park fee; the park starts further west.
  • Sleep: Arnarstapi Center (hotel, cottages, guesthouse) and its campsite, open from late May to September.
  • Shop: none in the village. Bring snacks and water with you.

Nearby

  • Rauðfeldsgjá, a narrow mossy gorge in the mountain east of the village, with a stream running through it. Wet and slippery; not one for icy days.
  • Glacier tours leave from Arnarstapi: snowcats to the top of Snæfellsjökull (March–July), a guided summit hike and buggy tours.
  • Lóndrangar, Vatnshellir and Djúpalónssandur, west along road 574 inside the national park.
  • Búðir and Ytri Tunga, east along the south coast: the black church and the seal beach.

Questions people ask

How far is Arnarstapi from Reykjavik?

About 192 km by road, via Route 1 to Borgarnes, then roads 54 and 574: about 2 h 50 min without stops.

How long should I spend in Arnarstapi?

Half an hour for the statue, the cliffs and Gatklettur. Two hours to walk to Hellnar and back with a coffee. Most day tours from Reykjavik stop for 30–60 minutes.

Is there fuel in Arnarstapi?

Yes: an ÓB self-service pump at Snjófell, open 24 hours, with petrol and diesel.

Is Arnarstapi in the national park?

No. Snæfellsjökull National Park begins a little further west on road 574, so parking at Arnarstapi does not need the park’s service fee.

Where can I eat?

Snjófell (kitchen 11:30–19:30) and, from May to September, Arnarbær (12:00–22:00, seafood and pizza), both run by Arnarstapi Center; Stapinn is a small family restaurant. At Hellnar, the seasonal café Fjöruhúsið. There is no grocery shop.

Can I stay overnight?

Yes: Arnarstapi Center has a hotel, cottages and a guesthouse, and runs a campsite from late May to September. There is no camping inside the national park.