Kleifarvatn

Reykjanesfólkvangur Reserve


This deep, brooding lake sits in a volcanic fissure, surrounded by wind-warped lava cliffs and black-sand shores. A walking trail runs around the edge, offering dramatic views and the crunch of volcanic cinders underfoot. Legend has it that a wormlike monster the size of a whale lurks below the surface – but the poor creature is running out of room, as the lake has been shrinking ever since two major earthquakes shook the area in 2000.

For a macabre fictional book on this event, seek out Arnaldur Indríðason’s thriller The Draining Lake (2004).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Reykjanesfólkvangur Reserve attractions

1. Seltún

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The volatile geothermal field Austurengjar, about 2km south of Kleifarvatn, is often called Krýsuvík after the nearby abandoned farm. At Seltún, the main…

2. Grænavatn

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Just to the north of the Seltún hot springs, this lake is an old explosion crater filled with gorgeous teal water, caused by a combination of minerals and…

5. Sívertsen Húsið

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In the 19th-century, merchant Bjarni Sívertsen lived in this beautiful home. He was the most important man in Hafnarfjörður and the house is decked out…

6. Bookless Bungalow

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No, not a house without books, but the former home of Harry and Douglas Bookless, Scottish brothers who ran a fisheries operation here in the early 1900s…

7. Beggubúð

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Built in 1906, Beggubúð was a household goods shop on the town's main street. It moved to its current site in 2008 and is laid out as it was in the early…

8. Siggubær

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With its tiny rooms, tin walls and everyday items dotted around (sewing baskets, armchairs), Siggubær provides an insight into life for a fisher's family…