The remote 26m Reykjanesviti Lighthouse, built in 1908, is perched on Bæjarfell Hill. Walk the coastal edge and see the strangely shaped Valahnúkur cliffs formed from hardened volcanic layers (tuff, breccia and pillow lava) in an eruption in the early 1900s. Tuff consists of volcanic glass, which is the result of 1200°C magma cooling rapidly.
You can park close to the cliff and climb up for spectacular views of the coast and Eldey, 15km offshore and a popular habitat for cliff-dwelling birds like guillemots, gannets and kittiwakes. Also check out the bronze sculpture of a great auk, an ode to a now-extinct flightless bird that once nested here. The last two auks in the world are believed to have been killed in the mid-1800s on Eldey. The visitor center at Reykjanesviti has a small cafe.
