Iceland Camper Road Trip - We'll Never Forget This Drive to the Volcano 🇮🇸🚐

Camper Road Trip Iceland – We Will Never Forget This Drive Up the Volcano

On this leg of our Iceland road trip, we explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula by camper van. Volcanic landscapes, seals at Ytri-Tunga Beach, the black church Búðakirkja, rugged coastlines, a secluded lighthouse, street art in Hellissandur, and the famous Kirkjufell await us.

Table of Contents

Peaceful Night & Start to the Day in Akranes

We spent the night at the campsite in Akranes – for the first time on this trip right by the water. After the many impressions of the last few days, we particularly enjoyed the peace and quiet. The night was wonderfully relaxing, and we slept really well.

In the morning, we started the new day at a leisurely pace. After our usual morning routine, we continued our journey, as today the Snæfellsnes Peninsula was on the agenda. This region is often referred to as "Iceland in miniature" because so many typical Icelandic landscapes are closely packed here: lava fields, volcanoes, coastlines, beaches, mountains, and small towns.

Our first destination was Ytri-Tunga Beach, known for its seals. But as often happens in Iceland, things turned out differently than planned along the way.

Drive into the Volcanic Area of Rauðháls

Along the way, we discovered a rugged and pristine volcanic landscape. The area seemed vast, silent, and almost deserted. Dark lava fields, reddish rock, and the open landscape immediately evoked that special Iceland feeling.

We spontaneously decided to stop here and drive further up. The Rauðháls area is part of the volcanically shaped landscapes on Snæfellsnes. The name roughly translates to "red hill" and perfectly matches the reddish colors in the ground.

This coloration is caused by oxidized iron in the rock. Especially in changing light, the colors appear particularly intense and show how strongly volcanism has shaped this landscape.

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Up the Crater with the Camper & Drone Footage

We continued our drive up into the volcanic area on a gravel road with the camper. The journey itself was a small adventure. The road led through lava fields and open landscapes, further and further away from the usual route.

Once at the top, an impressive view opened up over the lava fields and the vast Icelandic landscape. Rauðháls is not a classic single volcanic cone but part of a volcanic fissure system. Here, lava does not only erupt from a central crater but can emerge from several points through cracks in the earth's surface.

We also launched the drone here. Only from the air does it become visible how vast and pristine this area truly is. The lava fields stretch far across the landscape and show Iceland at its raw, untamed side.

                     

Ytri-Tunga Beach – Seals in the Storm

After exploring the volcanic area, we continued our journey and shortly thereafter reached Ytri-Tunga Beach. This beach is primarily known for its seals and is one of the best places on Snæfellsnes to observe the animals.

Unlike many other beaches in Iceland, Ytri-Tunga is not made of black lava sand, but of light, almost golden sand. This makes the beach visually special. In calmer weather, seals often lie on the rocks or in shallow water.

Today, however, the weather was anything but calm. The wind was strong, the sea rough, and the waves crashed powerfully against the coast. Nevertheless, we set off, hoping to spot some seals.

All the animals were in the water today. Heads repeatedly appeared between the waves. The wind and high waves seemed to barely bother them. For us, it remained a special moment, even if observation was a bit more difficult today.

                    

Black Church Búðakirkja in the Rain

After visiting Ytri-Tunga Beach, we continued to the black church of Búðir, the Búðakirkja. It is one of the most famous photo motifs on Snæfellsnes and stands solitarily in the open landscape.

The small wooden church dates back to the 19th century. Its black color comes from the tar-treated wood, which protects the church from the harsh Icelandic climate. Wind, rain, and salty air take a heavy toll on buildings here, so this treatment was particularly important in the past.

Formerly, the church belonged to a small settlement. Today, it stands almost alone in the landscape, making it especially impressive. It is precisely this contrast of a black church, vast landscape, and changing weather that makes the place so popular.

During our visit, however, it rained heavily. It poured so hard that we could only take a few quick shots and then drove straight on.

                    

Weather Change & Trip Aborted near Arnarstapi

In Arnarstapi, we actually wanted to continue driving up towards Snæfellsjökull. Snæfellsjökull is a glaciated volcano and shapes the entire peninsula. In good weather, it is visible from afar and is one of the most famous natural landmarks in West Iceland.

But the weather kept getting worse. Strong wind, rain, and poor visibility made the drive increasingly uncomfortable. We drove a bit further, but quickly realized that it made no sense under these conditions.

Safety comes first. So we turned around and slowly drove back to Arnarstapi. Such decisions are simply part of traveling in Iceland. The weather here can change completely within a short time.

We parked at the campsite in Arnarstapi and ended the evening quietly in the camper van. Outside, it continued to rain and storm, while inside we enjoyed the break.

                    

Lóndrangar View Point

It poured buckets during the night. However, drier weather was forecast for the next day. After coffee, we started directly into the new travel day.

Our first stop was the Lóndrangar View Point. The striking basalt cliffs rise directly from the coast and are among the most impressive rock formations on Snæfellsnes.

Lóndrangar consists of the remains of an old volcanic crater, which has been shaped over a long time by wind and sea. Today, the rocks stand like natural towers on the coast and offer an impressive view of the sea.

With a bit of luck, you can even spot whales here. Today, unfortunately, we weren't so lucky, but the rugged coastline, the sea, and the rocks still made the short stop worthwhile.

                    

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Saxhóll – Ascent to the Volcanic Crater

Next, we headed to the Saxhóll crater. This extinct volcano is around 3,000 to 4,000 years old and is also part of Snæfellsnes' volcanic landscape.

A staircase leads up to the crater rim. The ascent is quite manageable, but depending on the wind and weather, it can still be a bit strenuous. Once at the top, you are rewarded with a panoramic view over lava fields, the coast, and the surrounding landscape.

Saxhóll is a good example of how accessible some volcanic sites in Iceland are. You stand directly on the rim of an old crater and get an impression of the forces that shaped this landscape.

Even though we had seen several volcanoes and craters on this trip already, the stop was worthwhile. Especially the view from above makes this place interesting.

                    

Svörtuloft Lighthouse & Skarðsvík Beach

We made a detour to the Svörtuloft Lighthouse, also known as Öndverðarnesviti. The road there itself was a small adventure. It led through lava fields, past rugged landscapes, immediately giving the feeling of being far out on the edge of Iceland.

The Svörtuloft Lighthouse was built in 1931 and stands at one of the westernmost points of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Its striking orange color is no coincidence. It ensures that the lighthouse remains clearly visible even in fog, storms, and bad weather.

Around the lighthouse, the cliffs drop steeply into the sea. The coast is rugged, wild, and impressive. Such places truly show how untamed Iceland still is in many areas.

Nearby is Skarðsvík Beach. This beach is one of the few light sand beaches in Iceland. Amidst dark lava rocks, the almost golden sand appears particularly surprising. Despite the beautiful location, caution is advised, as currents and waves can be very strong here.

                    

Hellissandur – Street Art on Snæfellsnes

As we were in the vicinity, we made a stop in Hellissandur. The small town immediately surprised us. Everywhere we discovered murals on houses, garages, and facades.

Hellissandur is considered one of Iceland's street art centers. The large-scale artworks depict scenes from daily life, animals, nature motifs, and life by the sea. This gives the town a very unique character.

For us, Hellissandur was an unexpected highlight. After many nature stops, this place brought a completely different vibe to the day. The combination of a small coastal town, rugged surroundings, and colorful art truly thrilled us.

                    

Kirkjufell – last stop of the day

Our last stop of the day is Kirkjufell. The distinctive mountain is one of Iceland's most famous photo motifs and is instantly recognizable by its shape.

The parking lot is full today, and there's a lot of activity on site. Nevertheless, Kirkjufell remains a special place. The combination of mountain, water, landscape, and changing light makes it a subject many Iceland travelers absolutely want to see.

For that one shot, we even brave wet feet. Sometimes, that's just part of it. Even though it's much busier here than in many other places on Snæfellsnes, the moment remains impressive.

This concludes our day on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula – a day full of wind, weather, and special places.

                    

Our Conclusion

Snæfellsnes proves to be particularly diverse on this part of our Iceland trip. Volcanic landscapes, seals, black churches, rugged coastlines, lighthouses, street art, and famous photo spots are often only a few kilometers apart.

Especially the spontaneous drive into the volcanic area of Rauðháls, the seals at Ytri-Tunga Beach, and the grand finale at Kirkjufell will remain in our memories.

Iceland remains unpredictable – with changeable weather, spontaneous decisions, and moments you can't plan. That's precisely what makes this journey so special for us.

The accompanying video for this post

You can find the complete video for this travel day on our YouTube channel:

What's next?

The next section of our Iceland trip continues impressively. We bathe in a hot spring, see many seals along the way, stop at Dynjandi waterfall, discover our first whales, and end the evening with the Northern Lights.

If you would like to continue following our Iceland journey, feel free to check out the next posts and videos.

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