Sometimes, when a volcano is erupting, Iceland doesn't need a lighthouse, but most of the time it does. This lighthouse is the oldest one on the land of fire and ice.
This is where it is. It's right out on the end of the Reykjanes Peninsula, recently the site of eruptions, and the nearest town is all-shook-up Grindavik. The Blue Lagoon isn't far away, either. If I visit Iceland, this will be on my list of places to see.
So what needs to be known about this one? The Lighthouse Directory provides:
"1929 (station established 1879). Active; focal plane 73 m (240 ft); two white flashes every 30s. 31 m (102 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern red. The modern 2-story keeper's house is occupied by a resident attendant. ... This light station, Iceland's oldest, is the landfall light for Keflavík and Reykjavík. The original lighthouse stood only eight years before being destroyed by an earthquake in 1887. Traditional in appearance, the current tower is probably Iceland's best known and most visited lighthouse. The area around the lighthouse is thermally active, and plumes of steam can often be seen in photos of the lighthouse. Located atop a hill (an inactive volcanic cone) near the southwestern point of the Reykjanes peninsula, about 16 km (10 mi) west of Grindavík and 20 km (13 mi) southwest of Keflavík."
And now, pictures!
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