On your tour of the Snafellsnes peninsula, make a detour to admire the Malarrif lighthouse in winter, surrounded by snow, and visit the small museum to learn more about the region. Here are our tips for your passage.
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
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Is the Malarrif lighthouse worth a visit in winter? Our opinion:
Yes, visiting the Malarrif lighthouse in winter is an experience we recommend. The iconic tower rises out of the frozen landscape, surrounded by snow-covered lava fields and towering basalt cliffs.
What’s more, the small museum/tourist office can offer you a pleasant break if the weather is difficult!
It’s one of the attractions of the Snaefellsnes peninsula.
Note: according to road signs, the spelling is Malarrif, even if you sometimes see the word Malariff on the internet.
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How to get to Malarrif in winter: access and map
Where is Malarrif?
- On the southwest coast of the Snaefellsnes peninsula
- Parking along the road to the end of the peninsula
- Near Londgrangar
- From Grundarfjordur = 50min drive
- From Borgarnes = 1h35 drive
- From Reykjavik = 2h50 drive
- Here is a map to help you find your way:
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On Route 1, no 4WD required, off Route 1, it depends on your plans.
How to get there? Winter access road
The lighthouse is accessible in winter.
It’s a short detour of less than 500m from the main road around the peninsula.
Normally, the roads are cleared quickly enough for access. But during snowstorms, roads may be closed at the last minute – always check the status of roads on Umferdin.
Parking
At the end of the road, you’ll find a free parking lot which is normally clear, and rather large.
It’s close to the lighthouse and the tourist office building.
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Useful tips: duration, schedules, difficulties…
Best time to visit, opening hours and prices
Access to the outside of the lighthouse and to the tourist office is free.
You can see the lighthouse at any time of day or night. In fact, it makes a good foreground under the northern lights.
It faces south, so you can also enjoy beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
The tourist office and its small museum have limited opening hours. Normally from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.
Length of visit and main difficulties
Allow 20-30 min.
Easy access to the Visitor Center.
UNFORGETTABLE ACTIVITIES IN winter
- Visit an ice cave
- Glacier hiking
- Whale watching (from Reykjavik, Husavik or Akureyri)
Malarrif lighthouse
The Malariff lighthouse stands like an unshakeable sentinel along the peninsula’s rugged coastline.
Its emblematic tower, all white with a red cap, is impressive.
The first Malariff lighthouse was built in 1917, but was relatively small. The current lighthouse replaced it in 1946. It is 20.2 metres (66 feet) high. Its light offers a range of around 11 nautical miles (approx. 18 km) – but we lack the sources to confirm this latter information.
Its shape is often described as rocket-like. We don’t find it too…
Snaefellsjokull National Park – Visitor Centre and Museum
Right next to the lighthouse you’ll find the visitor center: the “Gestastofa”.
The rangers are on hand to answer any questions you may have.
There’s also a small exhibition on the park’s history and nature.
The exhibition focuses in particular on the lives of the ancient fishermen who lived and worked around the glacier, and their use of nature as a means of subsistence.
It’s an interactive exhibition where you can touch, smell and listen…
View of the Londrangar peaks
From the area, you can also see a large rock formation protruding from the end of the lava field. These are, in fact, the summits of the two Londrangar basalt formations, 75 metres and 61 metres high. They’re at cliff level, and you can only see the top. This is quite surprising.
Find out more in our article on Londrangar.
By the way, here’s a photo of Londrangar where you can see the tiny white lighthouse in the background. After seeing the tower up close, the view is astonishing!
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View towards the Snaefellsnjökull glacier
And if you look inland, you’ll see the Snæfellsjökull glacier at the heart of the peninsula. It rises to an altitude of 1446m and is famous for being the starting point of Jules Verne’s Journey to Earth.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO iceland IN WINTER
- Best of
Iceland’s winter landscapes
Best things to do in Iceland in winter
The most beautiful waterfalls
Ice caves
Best excursions from Reykjavik
- Practical advice
Getting around (coming soon)
How to rent a car in Iceland
Winter driving tips
Where to stay in Iceland in winter
Itineraries: 3 days – 4 days – 5 days – 1 week – 10 days (to come)
- The must-dos
Reykjavik in winter
Golden Circle in winter
South coast in winter
Snaefellsnes in winter
Silver Circle in winter (coming soon)
Lake Myvatn in winter
Eastern Fjords in winter
Seljalandsfoss in winter
Jokulsarlon in winter
