Exploring the Big Monster Hvítserkur in Northwest Iceland

I'm taking you to the giant monster “Hvítserkur” in Northwest Iceland.

If you are driving from Reykjavík to North Iceland or vice versa, and if you have extra time, I recommend taking a detour to Hvítserkur in Vatnsnes peninsula.

You could also do a day tour from Reykjavík city. The one-way drive is about 230km. There is a big signal on the main road (NO. 1) pointing to where to turn. After that, you have to drive about 25km gravel road to your destination, but this is a tour you don’t want to miss.

Hvítserkur is a 15m high sea stack on the so-called Vatnsnes peninsula which also hosts a lot of beautiful seals. Of course, there is a fun story behind this monster as with so many wonders in Iceland. According to legend, Hvítserkur was an enormous troll on its way to destroy the cloisters bell nearby but the beast accidentally faced sunrise before arrival. As we know, trolls can´t survive in daylight. When you see this majestic cliff you can totally believe this story because it actually looks like a petrified monster. When I'm there I can also envision a big dinosaur, depending on the angle. I felt really small when standing next to this huge sea stack which again is a great reminder of how strong and big nature really is.

Access to Hvítserkur is very easy and there is a small path leading you down to the beach directly to the beast. In the summertime, this cliff, as so many sea stacks in Iceland, hosts many sorts of birds. If you look at the image you should be able to see tiny little people in front of it.  ​

​​​​​​See also:

Book your car to get there

Snæfellsnes tours in West Iceland

Ring road tours around Iceland