Rauðfeldsgjá

Snæfellsnes Peninsula


Just north of Arnarstapi and Stapafell, on Rte 574, a small track branches off to the stunning Rauðfeldsgjá (pronounced roith-felds-gyow), a steep, narrow cleft that mysteriously disappears into the cliff wall. Birds wheel overhead, a stream runs along the bottom of the gorge, and you can slink between the sheer walls for quite a distance. The gorge figures in a dramatic part of the local saga of Bárður, described on a sign at the parking area.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Snæfellsnes Peninsula attractions

1. Snæfellsjökull

4.06 MILES

It’s easy to see why Jules Verne selected Snæfell for his adventure Journey to the Centre of the Earth: the peak was torn apart when the volcano beneath…

2. Vatnshellir

6.35 MILES

This 8000-year-old lava tube with multiple caverns lies 32m below the earth’s surface, 1km north of Malarrif. The pull-out is visible from Rte 574, and…

3. Malarrif

6.79 MILES

About 2km south of Djúpalónssandur, a paved road leads down to the rocket-shaped lighthouse at Malarrif, from where you can walk 1km east along the cliffs…

4. Snæfellsjökull National Park

6.88 MILES

Snæfellsjökull National Park encompasses much of the western tip of Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and wraps around the rugged slopes of the glacier…

6. Pakkhúsið

6.99 MILES

Mildly interesting display telling the story of the town’s development as a trading centre, and has an on-site handicraft shop and cafe (coffee included…

7. Djúpalón Beach

8.25 MILES

On the southwest coast, Rte 572 leads off Rte 574 to wild black-sand beach Djúpalónssandur. It’s a dramatic place to walk, with rock formations (an elf…

8. Saxhöll Crater

9.1 MILES

Southeast of the Öndverðarnes area, on Rte 574, follow the marked turn-off to the roadside scoria crater Saxhöll, which was responsible for some of the…