Vestrahorn Mountain is one of the most photographed locations in Iceland.
Imagine this stunning landscape: the “Batman mountain” with steep slopes reaching a flat lagoon, a black sand beach and small black dunes.
Below is my guide to help you plan your visit to the Vestrahorn, Iceland with tips, map and photos.
Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Iceland:
My favorite platform to rent a car in Iceland: DiscoverCars
The unmissable boat tour: Whale Watching
Fun activity: Swimming in Silfra Fissure
My favorite places to stay:
- Reykjavik: see best rated hotels – e.g. Vintage Boutique Hotel
- Lake Myvatn: see best rated hotels – e.g. Hotel Laxa
- Vik area: see best rated hotels – e.g. Hotel Vik i Myrdal
Why visit the Vestrahorn Mountain in Iceland ?
What is Vestrahorn?
Vestrahorn, sometimes called Vesturhorn, is a dramatic spot where vertiginous cliffs meet a flat black sand beach.
Because of its shape from some angles, it is sometimes called Batman Mountain.
Plus, a lagoon forms at on the black sand. When there is no wind, you can enjoy magnificent reflections!
It is a magnificent sight, one of the highlights of South Iceland.
Geology of Vestrahorn mountain
Vestrahorn is a 454m (1490ft) high mountain.
It is surrounded by Eystrahorn and Brunnhorn (the 3 little summits stretching into the sea). All of them together are often what is referred to as Vestrahorn, even if technically it is just one summit.
All of them are made of gabbro and granophyre rocks (unstratified). This is quite a contrast with the rest of the island that is mostly basalt and lava rocks. Geologists estimate it to be between 8 and 11 million years old.
Because of its shape and structure, it is extremely difficult to climb.
History of the Stokksnes peninsula
- The area was one of the first settlements in Iceland by the people of Ireland and Norway
- In the 800, the Vikings settled here
- Since the second world war it is a military base and Nato radar station. If you walk to the end of the road you will see the fences.
Photography tips
- If you are a well-equipped photographer, you will need a wide angle. The sand dunes I will show further in this article make for a great foreground if you can’t have the reflections
- If you are not a photographer, know that I took the photos below and above with the Panorama option of the iPhone.
PLANNING TIPS & Map – Vestrahorn Iceland
Vestrahorn Iceland Map – Where is Vestrahorn mountain?
- Located on the South East Coast of Iceland, at the East end, so completely opposite to Reykjavik
- East of the town of Höfn
- 5km (3.1mi) from the Ring Road
- Below are maps to help you get oriented and locate the mountain and beach:
This location is included (with GPS coordinates, map of region and planning info) in my travel guide eBook that helps you easily plan your Iceland road trip:
Plan your dream trip in Iceland thanks to my guide
- 8 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 100+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
- Tips to make the most of your time
- 130+ original photos to help you choose
How to get to Vestrahorn Iceland
- Höfn to Vestrahorn = 20min drive
- Jökulsarlon to Vestrahorn = 1h15 drive
- Vik to Vestrahorn = 3h30 drive
- How far is it to Reykjavik – too far for a day trip – Reykjavik to Vestrahorn = 6h drive
- On the Ring Road, drive East past the town of Höfn. After 7 km (4.3mi) turn right (south) on to an unmarked dirt road just before the tunnel – Follow this road for over 5km (3.1mi) and you will reach a cafe with the statue you see in the picture in the next section
- Pay the fee in the box at the café
Need to rent a car in Iceland?
My tips:
- Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
- Prefer a compact car for the narrow streets in villages
- Consider their full coverage option – it for peace of mind!
- Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
Acces to Vestrahorn in Winter
With a good 4WD car, it is worth visiting Vestrahorn in Winter. Just be aware that the road will not be cleared, but it is not long and relatively flat. So, the drive to Vestrahorn in Winter is not too difficult.
Visit Tips
- Stop at the café and pay the admission fee – this is private land
- Then you can walk down to the black sand beach and lagoon or on the road towards the military road to reach the dunes.
- Be careful with the grass. It is critical to the sand dunes to avoid erosion. Pay attention where you walk
- Close to the cafe is the Viking village film set that you can visit
- And Check out my complete article on what to wear and pack for Iceland to stay warm and comfortable
Where to stay near Vestrahorn?
If you want to be able to photography it at sunset or sunrise, better to stay close to avoid too much driving.
I recommend staying in or around the town of Höfn:
- I stayed at the Hotel Edda Höfn, right by the water with mountains and water views. It was great – Check out photos and availability
- or check out the best customer rated accommodations in the area.
Where to stay in Iceland?
My favorites:
- Reykjavik, capital city: see best rated accommodations – or my article on where to stay
- Selfoss, between Golden Circle and South Coast: see best rated accommodations
- Vik, near waterfalls and glaciers: see best rated accommodations
- Höfn, gateway to the East fjords: see best rated accommodations
- Egilsstadir, between fjords and North Iceland: see best rated accommodations
- Reykjahlid, for the wonders of Lake Myvatn: see best rated accommodations
- Akureyri, capital of the North: see best rated accommodations
- Grundarfjordur, on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula: see best rated accommodations
Best time to see and photograph Vestrahorn
Best weather conditions for photography
The ideal is on a clear day to be able to see the top of the mountain. Clouds do tend to get stuck on the mountain. Have a look:
The other great weather condition to get, is when you have no wind.
No wind means that the water on the tidal lagoon is quiet, without ripple. And you can get awesome reflections…
Best time of the day
When looking at Vestrahorn from the Stokksnes beach, you are facing North.
Therefore it is not ideal for sunrise and sunset. However, you can always have better lighting at those hours…
If you can choose I also recommend visiting between mid to low tide, when the tide is receding.
Vestrahorn and the Northern lights
Vestrahorn is a great locations to capture the Auroras.
- Again you are facing North. But for the Northern lights, it is perfect!
- There is no light pollution in the area. But be careful when you try to get there, as there is no light…
- You just need no cloud over and high activity – Check out the aurora forecast at Vedur.is
Best months
Vestrahorn is magnificent all year long with or without snow.
But it is true that with
Viking café and Viking Village Film Set
When arriving at Vestrahorn. There is a café.
This statue is placed in higher ground, guarding the beach and the mountain.
A short walk away from the café is the Viking village film set that can be visited (the admission fee covers both the beach area and the village).
It was created in 2009/2010 for Icelandic film director Baltasar Kormakúr. But the movie was never shot.
But it gives you an idea of what the buildings looked like at that time, as they have been built with attention to details.
Stokksnes beach – Black sand beach + Lagoon + dunes
The Stokksnes black sand beach
The beach just in front of Vestrahorn is made of black sand. And it gets crashing waves from the Atlantic Ocean.
Why is the sand black?
With the volcanic activity in Iceland, the black sand and pebbles are tiny fragments from the basalt lava that covers the area. Discover other options on my article about black sand beaches in Iceland.
Stokksnes Lagoon (tidal flat)
But the most famous pictures of Vestrahorn are the ones with crazy reflections, and it can look like you are walking on water.
You need a receding tide and no wind.
Here is an example:
Like Kirkjufell, Vestrahorn is well photographed (although not as much as it is very isolated in comparison). I really recommend googling pictures of it and you will see that some are incredible with reflections and partial snow.
Vestrahorn and black sand dunes
At this end of the Stokksnes beach there are small dunes formed by the black sand. It makes for a great foreground.
They are not big but are covered with some dense grass is some places. Just be careful not to walk on the grass and disturb the place, otherwise it will not be able to stand against erosion.
Plan your trip to Iceland this Summer:
Want to see other highlights nearby?
- The famous Jokulsarlon lagoon and its iceberg – read article
- Diamond beach with icebergs on black sand – read article
- Fjallsarlon Glacial Lagoon, lesser know but as impressive – read article
- The Svartifoss waterfall and its basalt columns – read article
- The impressive waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss (read article) and Skogafoss (read article)
- The “feather canyon” of Fjadrargljufur – read article
- Or read my complete article about South Iceland
- Where to stay in Reykjavik: see my selection of best hotels.
Planning a trip to Iceland?
Check out my travel guide to help you plan:
Plan your dream trip in Iceland thanks to my guide
- 8 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 100+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
- Tips to make the most of your time
- 130+ original photos to help you choose
And keep track of your own trip!
Want to see more of Iceland’s beauty?
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I am trying to include this place in my plan. As I will be driving, it would be great if you could give me sine ideas on the road condition from Route 1 leading to the cafe. I am not a very skillful driver.
Hi Carol. It is a gravel road that can be quite bumpy. Not technical, you should be fine (at least in spring/summer). Just drive slowly and check out the wind index that should be indicated on road 1.
Thanks Claire. Your website is very helpful. I enjoy very much the research and pre-visit before my trip.
Thanks Carol. So happy you find it helpful.
Hi Claire! What a great blog! So helpful to prepare our trip in September. Just one question: how much is the fee to pay here in Vesturhorn? Thanks.
Hi Lou. I am very happy you are finding it useful. It was the equivalent of a few US dollars, less than 5, but I do not remember exactly as our bus driver paid. Have a great trip!
Merci beaucoup from Spain 😉
I am heading to Iceland mid sept and wondered whether it would be better (photographically speaking) to see these mountains at sunset or sunrise? As they are on the east end of Iceland, I would’ve thought sunrise, but can you get sunset photos here?
Dear Janet
It depends on the time of the year.
For every place where you are wondering that, I recommend you use the Photographer’s Ephemeris (https://www.photoephemeris.com/) to see the exact setting point at your exact date.
From what I am seeing, the orientation does not look ideal for the 15th of September.
However Iceland is beautiful in every direction so you can always find great views with good lighting 🙂
Happy travels!
Hi Claire, I love your website! very resourceful and valuable. Thank you so much for all the info! I research a lot from it for my upcoming trip in August 2019.
I’m still a little confused in regards to the time that we can spend there. From what I understood, we should drive to the cafe and then walk to the beach correct? How long is this walk?
Not very far. You can walk along the beach (depending on tide – roughly 500m to the water) or to the small dunes (700m)
Happy Travels!
Hi Claire, thanks for the detailed info.
One doubt, once tou play and pass the cafe, you drive up to the end of the road where the former military base is. Where do you leave the car there? Because I’ve heard that the sand there is very tricky and your car can get stucked. Is the road hard sand? Is good to leave ii in the road itself? Thanks!!
Hi
The road to the cafe is already bumpy.
You can park next to the cafe. And from there you can walk on the black beach to the dunes or on the road to the military base – It is not a long walk. Anyway there is not parking near the military base gate.
I wish you wonderful travels!