Przewodnik turystyczny — Arnarnesviti Lighthouse

Arnarnesviti lighthouse on its cliff. Photo: Christian Bickel, CC BY-SA 2.0 DE

Arnarnesviti is a small orange lighthouse on the headland of Arnarnes, between Skutulsfjörður and Álftafjörður on the south side of Ísafjarðardjúp in the Westfjords.

It stands at the cliff edge above road 61, the Djúpvegur, between Ísafjörður and Súðavík, and marks the entrance to Skutulsfjörður and the harbour of Ísafjörður, the largest town in the region.

The name means "Arnarnes light"; Arnarnes is usually read as "eagle headland", from örn, eagle.

Key Takeaways About Arnarnesviti

• A 6 m orange concrete lighthouse of 1921 on a 60 m cliff at the mouth of Skutulsfjörður, still active (list number L4584).
• On road 61 roughly halfway between Ísafjörður (12 km) and Súðavík (9 km); no formal car park.
• Arnarnesgöng, Iceland's first road tunnel (blasted from 1947, widened to two lanes in 1995), passes through the rock at the foot of the headland.
• Midnight sun in June–July, northern lights September–March.
• Unfenced cliff edge; not open to the public.

Why visit Arnarnesviti

The lighthouse was built in 1921 and is still active. It is a short pyramid-shaped concrete tower, 6 m tall, painted orange with a red lantern house, and because it sits on a cliff about 60 m high its light is 64 m above the sea.

It is a sector light, showing white to ships in the safe approach and red or green where the light warns of land. In the official Icelandic lighthouse list it is number L4584.

Arnarnesgöng tunnel below the lighthouse. Photo: Bromr, CC BY-SA 3.0

What makes Arnarnesviti lighthouse a favourite with photographers is the setting rather than the building. The squat orange tower is the only man-made shape against layered basalt cliffs that rise steeply behind it, with the fjord mouth and the mountains of Snæfjallaströnd across Ísafjarðardjúp to the north.

In summer the midnight sun lights the headland from the north-west; in winter it is a foreground for the northern lights over the Djúp. The headland is also a place to watch the fjord traffic in and out of Ísafjörður, including cruise ships and the fishing fleet.

At the foot of the headland is a piece of Icelandic road history. Arnarnesgöng, the 30 m tunnel through the rock buttress Arnarneshamar (also called Arnardalshamar), was Iceland's first road tunnel.

Work on the Súðavík road reached the hamar in autumn 1946 and blasting began in 1947; the tunnel was single-lane until it was widened to two lanes in 1995. Road 61 still runs through it.

How to get to Arnarnesviti

Arnarnes is on road 61 (Djúpvegur) roughly halfway between Ísafjörður and Súðavík: about 12 km by road from Ísafjörður town centre and about 9 km from Súðavík. From Ísafjörður drive out of town along the shore of Skutulsfjörður, past the airport turning, and follow the road as it rounds the headland and passes through the short Arnarnes tunnel.

The lighthouse is on the seaward side of the headland above the road. There is no formal car park; find a place to pull fully off the carriageway near the headland and walk the last stretch along the cliff top.

From Reykjavík the drive to Ísafjörður is about 415 km on road 60 through the southern Westfjords, or about 455 km on road 61 around Ísafjarðardjúp, six to seven hours either way, so this is a stop on a Westfjords trip rather than a day trip. Ísafjörður also has daily flights from Reykjavík.

Road 61 is paved and open year-round, but the stretch around Arnarnes and on to Súðavík runs below steep avalanche slopes and can close in heavy winter snow. Check road.is in winter.

Best time to visit

June and July for the midnight sun; at 66°N the sun dips only briefly below the horizon around the solstice and the headland is lit late into the night. September to March for northern lights, with the darkest skies from November to February. The lighthouse itself can be visited at any time of year when the road is open.

Safety and practical tips

• The tower stands on an unfenced cliff about 60 m high. Keep well back from the edge, especially in wind, and keep children and dogs close.
• Do not stop inside or at the mouth of the tunnel, and do not park on the road; traffic between Ísafjörður and Súðavík is steady.
• The lighthouse is not open to the public and there are no facilities. Everything you need is in Ísafjörður or Súðavík.
• Winter winds funnel along the fjord and the cliff top can be icy. Wear spikes or stay on the road side in icy conditions.
• Drones should not be flown near the lighthouse without checking local rules, as the light is a working navigation aid.