Easy hikes and walks in Reykjanesbær

On the cliffs of Reykjanes, facing Eldey Island, stands this bronze sculpture: a great auk in its last refuge. It was here that the species became extinct in 1844, a victim of excessive hunting. Today, the statue not only commemorates a bird lost forever, but also sends a powerful message: protect what we still have. A silent pause, with sea, wind, and memory. 🌊🐦

The last inhabitants of the Gunnuhver geothermal field settled on this site in the 1930s. Here, on the now boiling-hot ground, stood the last house of the Höyer family. The foundations can only be guessed at in the smoke.

Gunnuhver is an area of mud pools and steam springs on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It is part of the UNESCO Global Geopark Reykjanes and is a protected area. However, the area is named after the witch Gunna, who is said to have once lived here. When Guðrun Önundardóttir, nicknamed Gunna, could no longer pay her landlord, Vilhjálmur Jónsson, her only possession, a cauldron. As a result, Gunna went mad and died. As her coffin was carried to the cemetery, the pallbearers noticed it becoming lighter and lighter. As they dug the grave, they heard a voice whispering: "Don't dig deep, I won't stay there long." The night after Gunna's funeral, her landlord was found badly injured and dead in a field with broken bones. His wife also died soon after. Gunna continued to haunt the area in the aftermath. She appeared to people, causing them to go mad or die. They sought advice from Pastor Eiríkur of Vogsósar. The magic-savvy pastor was supposed to banish Gunna's haunting. He gave them a ball of wool. Gunna was to grasp the loose end, then they were to roll the ball to a place where Gunna could do no harm. The ball of wool rolled into a spring. Gunna followed the thread and plunged into the spring, which has since been called Gunnuhver.

Below the new lighthouse stands the lighthouse keeper's house. The house has a beautiful sun terrace with a view of the cliffs and several information boards. It's a great place to linger. If the coffee machine is repaired, you can also enjoy a good cup of coffee...

About 15 km off the coast lies the rocky island of Eldey, a palagonite rock that likely formed during a volcanic eruption on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 1210-1211. Eldey covers just under 2 hectares and is 77 m high at its highest point. The island is considered a bird paradise. Since 1940, Eldey has been a protected area and may only be accessed with special permission. The now-extinct great auks once lived on Eldey. These flightless birds grew to about 85 cm in length and probably weighed around 5 kg when fully grown. The birds' bellies were white, their backs black, and they had a large patch of white feathers on the front of their heads – this made them visually similar to penguins, even though auks and penguins were not actually related.

Reykjanestá, also known as Valahnúkamöl, is the southwesternmost tip of Reykjanes, with a roughly 400-meter-long cliff. The town, like everything here, is of volcanic origin.

Right here, overlooking the island of Eldey, the Netflix film "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" was filmed in 2019. In the film, the two main characters Lars (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) perform the song "Volcano Man" here on the cliffs of Valahnúkamöl.

At the tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, below Valahnjúka, is the sculpture "Geirfuglinn" (The Great Auk) by American artist Todd McGrain. The sculpture is a tribute to the extinct Great Auk and is part of McGrain's "Lost Bird Project." The Great Auk was a flightless bird that lived in the North Atlantic and was a strong swimmer. The species became extinct in the mid-18th century due to overhunting. The sculpture depicts a bronze Great Auk facing the sea, looking toward the island of Eldey, where the last documented pair of Great Auks were killed. The work is intended to raise awareness of environmental problems and is a memorial to an extinct species.