Reykjanes Peninsula
The Reykjanes Peninsula is a UNESCO Global Geopark in southwest Iceland, about 40 minutes from Reykjavík and directly adjacent to Keflavík International Airport, making it the first landscape most visitors to Iceland drive through. It is where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level, marking the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and the entire peninsula is a young, geologically active landscape of lava fields, volcanic craters, geothermal springs, and sea cliffs. Since 2021 the peninsula has experienced 12 volcanic eruptions in a period geologists have called the Reykjanes Fires, the first eruptions in the region in 800 years, and visits to recent lava fields have become one of Iceland's most distinctive travel experiences. The Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland's most visited attractions, is located here.
The Place Where Two Tectonic Plates Meet Above Sea Level, and Where Iceland's Most Active Volcanic Period in 800 Years is Playing Out
Reykjanes was designated a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2015 in recognition of its exceptional geological significance. The peninsula sits directly on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates, which normally runs along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean but emerges above sea level across Iceland. This makes Reykjanes one of the very few places on Earth where the diverging boundary between two major tectonic plates can be walked across. The Bridge Between Continents at Miðlína connects the two sides of a visible rift valley with a pedestrian bridge, allowing visitors to stand with one foot on each continental plate. In March 2021, the peninsula's Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted for the first time in over 800 years, beginning a period of activity that has produced 12 eruptions across several volcanic systems through to 2025. These eruptions have been effusive rather than explosive, producing slow lava flows that are accessible for guided viewing when active and leave dramatic new lava landscapes that remain accessible afterwards.
Beyond the volcanic activity, the peninsula holds a concentrated set of geothermal and geological features accessible within a relatively compact area. Gunnuhver is one of the most powerful geothermal hot springs in Iceland, a churning field of boiling mud, steam vents, and sulphur deposits at the southwestern tip of the peninsula near the Reykjanes Lighthouse, Iceland's oldest lighthouse built in 1878. Seltún, in the Krýsuvík geothermal area toward the northeast of the peninsula, is a more accessible and visually varied geothermal field with coloured soils, bubbling pools, and steaming fissures beside the dark lake of Kleifarvatn. Kleifarvatn itself is the largest lake on the peninsula, unusually deep for Iceland at 97 metres, and sits in a volcanic rift valley surrounded by lava. The Brimketill sea pool, a natural lava basin on the Atlantic coast, fills with seawater on high tides and offers an unusual bathing experience on calmer days.
The Blue Lagoon, Iceland's most internationally recognised geothermal attraction, is located at Svartsengi near Grindavík, fed by water from the Svartsengi geothermal power plant. It should be booked well in advance as capacity is managed and walk-ins are rarely possible. The town of Grindavík was significantly affected by the 2023 to 2025 eruption series and visitors should check current access conditions before including it in an itinerary. Reykjanes is about 40 minutes southwest of Reykjavík by car and is accessible as a half-day or full-day circuit from the capital. Most visitors experience the peninsula driving to or from Keflavík Airport, but the area rewards more deliberate exploration.
