Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Hellnar is a small former fishing village on the south coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, about 193 km (around 2.5 hours) from Reykjavík and 5 km by road from Arnarstapi. It is free to visit and open all year. Most people spend 30–60 minutes here, or about 2 hours if they walk the coastal path to Arnarstapi and back.
Hellnar was once one of the busiest fishing stations on Snæfellsnes. Today it is a quiet cluster of houses above a small cove, with a café by the shore, a small church and a hotel. The coast here is basalt cliffs and rock formations, including Valasnös, a rock that stands out into the sea, and the Baðstofa cave.
The main reason to stop is the coastal path to Arnarstapi, about 2.5 km each way along sea cliffs, columnar basalt and arches. Seabirds nest on the cliffs in summer, often close enough to the path for good photographs, and the Snæfellsjökull glacier is often visible above the coast. The shore between Hellnar and Arnarstapi is a protected nature reserve, and Snæfellsjökull National Park begins just west of the village.
As people moved to the towns in the last century the fishing station emptied, and tourism slowly took its place. What you find now is the quiet of the countryside: a handful of houses, the sea and the glacier.
Hellnar has been a fishing station since at least the mid-1500s, and it was one of the busiest on the peninsula in the 1600s. The 1703 census recorded 194 people and 38 buildings here, including farms, fishing buildings and temporary huts for seasonal workers, far more than the few houses standing today. The church dates from 1945 and stands on the site of an earlier church from 1833.
The Valasnös headland has a cave known as Baðstofa, famous for the colours that shift inside as daylight and the sea change. A local link with the Vinland sagas: Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, who travelled to North America around the year 1000, is said to have been born nearby.
The path between Hellnar and Arnarstapi is one of the most popular short walks on Snæfellsnes. It is about 2.5 km each way and easy, on a mostly flat gravel and dirt path.
Stay well back from the cliff edge, especially in wind or wet weather, and keep to the marked path. Nesting seabirds are protected in summer, so keep dogs on a lead.
Hellnar is a good base for the western end of the peninsula. These stops are all close by or on your way.
Distances on Snæfellsnes are longer than they look. If you are driving the whole peninsula in a day, keep an eye on the time and the daylight.
There is a small café by the shore, a hotel in the village and free parking. The nearest larger shops and fuel are in Ólafsvík.
Hellnar has a hotel, Arnarstapi is next door, and Ólafsvík and Grundarfjörður further along the peninsula have more guesthouses and hotels.
Yes, mainly for the coastal walk to Arnarstapi and the cliff scenery, rather than the village itself, which is very small.
About 2.5 km each way, or 5 km return. Allow 45–60 minutes one way at an easy pace, more with stops for photos.
No, both the village and the coastal path are free to visit, and parking is free.
Yes, but the coastal path can be icy or exposed to wind, so check conditions and dress for the weather. The café is seasonal.
About 193 km, around 2.5 hours by car.
Arnarstapi is 5 minutes away by car, the Rauðfeldsgjá gorge about 7 minutes, and Lóndrangar, Vatnshellir cave and Djúpalónssandur are a short drive west inside the national park.
