Northern lights in South Coast

Viewing spots

• Skógafoss The 60 m waterfall at Skógar on Route 1, with a large car park at its foot; the falls face south, so step back towards… Dark skyAbout 1 h 51 from the middle of South Coast
• Dyrhólaey A 120 m headland nature reserve west of Vík with a sea horizon on three sides and Mýrdalsjökull inland; the upper road… Dark skyAbout 1 h 37 from the middle of South Coast
• Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon about 100 m deep a few kilometres west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, reached year-round by small car on Road 206… Very dark skyAbout 8 min from the middle of South Coast
• Skaftafell (Vatnajökull National Park) The national-park visitor area below Skaftafellsjökull, open all year; the flat outwash plain in front of the centre… Very dark skyAbout 1 h 25 from the middle of South Coast
• Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon Iceberg lagoon beside Route 1 where calm water can mirror the aurora, with the ice-strewn beach across the road; one… Very dark skyAbout 2 h 18 from the middle of South Coast
• Seljalandsfoss Waterfall off Route 1 near road 249; one of the most visited stops on the south coast, with paid parking. Dark skyAbout 2 h 20 from the middle of South Coast
• Laufskálavarða Ring Road rest area where travellers build stone cairns, on the open plain between Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Very dark skyAbout 42 min from the middle of South Coast
• Foss á Síðu Waterfall dropping off the cliff right beside Route 1, with a small viewpoint parking area; in a strong display the… Very dark skyAbout 17 min from the middle of South Coast
• Fjallsárlón Smaller glacier lagoon ~10 km west of Jökulsárlón, with a car park and a short walk to the shore. Very dark skyAbout 2 h 04 from the middle of South Coast
• Sólheimajökull car park Car park at the end of the short road 221 below the Sólheimajökull outlet glacier, ~10 km east of Skógar. Very dark skyAbout 1 h 42 from the middle of South Coast
• Gígjukvísl bridge memorial Rest area by the twisted girders of the bridge destroyed in the 1996 glacial flood, on the open sandur west of… Very dark skyAbout 1 h 23 from the middle of South Coast
• Eldhraun moss-lava stop · Route 1 Free gravel stop on Route 1 in the moss-covered Eldhraun lava field (1783 Laki eruption), with viewpoints next to it. Very dark skyAbout 10 min from the middle of South Coast
• Hjörleifshöfði north car park Paid car park (P1) on the north side of Hjörleifshöfði, the hill on the black-sand plain east of Vík with the "Yoda… Very dark skyAbout 1 h 17 from the middle of South Coast
• Hjálparfoss Free car park (capacity 50) at the Hjálparfoss twin waterfall in the Þjórsárdalur valley, on the paved road towards… Very dark skyAbout 2 h 17 from the middle of South Coast
• Sólheimasandur Paid car park on Route 1 where the walk to the 1973 DC-3 plane wreck starts, on a wide glacial outwash plain with no… Very dark skyAbout 1 h 44 from the middle of South Coast
• Reynisfjara Black-sand beach west of Vík with basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks. For the aurora, stay up at the car… Dark skyAbout 1 h 33 from the middle of South Coast

Drive times are estimates from the middle of South Coast by straight-line distance, as the app estimates them before it knows your route; ferries and winter closures are not counted.

Good to know in South Coast

• Pick the clear gap on the IMO cloud map The south coast is often cloudy from the sea while inland valleys clear. The Icelandic Met Office aurora page shows forecast cloud cover by hour; drive along Route 1 towards the gap rather than waiting under cloud. Source
• Keep away from the surf at night Sneaker waves on the south-coast beaches, Reynisfjara above all, run far up the sand without warning. In the dark you cannot see them coming: watch from the car park or a headland, never at the water’s edge. Source
• Stop only where it is safe on Route 1 Route 1 is the only road along the coast and has few lay-bys. Pull into a signed car park, never onto the shoulder or a single-lane bridge, and check umferdin.is for wind warnings before crossing the sandur plains. Source

Nearby destinations

• Reykjavík 190 km
• Akureyri 210 km
• East Iceland 240 km
• Snæfellsnes 280 km
• Westfjords 350 km