Lighthouses of Northern Iceland

Iceland is an island nation in the North Atlantic roughly 800 km (500 mi) northwest of Scotland. Settled by Norse explorers around 870, Iceland has had a legislature since 930 and has generally functioned as a self-governing commonwealth, but for centuries it was also part of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1918 Iceland was granted full autonomy and in 1944 it declared its independence as a republic.

This age includes lighthouses of two of Iceland's eight regions:Norðurland Vestra (Western Northland) and Norðurland Eystra (Eastern Northland). The north coast of Iceland faces the Greenland Sea to the north and the Denmark Strait or Greenland Strait, separating Iceland and Greenland, to the northwest.

In Icelandic the word for a lighthouse is viti (plural vitar); ey is an island, rif is a reef, nes is a cape, vík or flói is a bay, fjörð is a firth or fjord, sund is a strait, ána is a river, and höfn is a harbor. The Icelandic alphabet includes the old Norse letters "eth" (Ð and ð) and "thorn" (Þ and þ), which are pronounced with the softer and harder forms of the th sound, respectively.

Lighthouses in Iceland are regulated by the Icelandic Transport Authority (Samgöngustofa, or ICETRA), which also maintains and operates the major coastal lights. Local port authorities operate harbor lights.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. VIT numbers are from the Vitaskrá, the official Icelandic light list. Admiralty numbers are from volume L of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 115.

General Sources
Sjóminjasafn Íslands - Vitar
Posted by the Icelandic Maritime Museum (Sjóminjasafn Íslands), this site has small photos and historical notes for Iceland's lighthouses.
Isländische Leuchttürme
Photos of 70 Icelandic lighthouses by Klaus Huelse.
Online List of Lights - Iceland - West Coast and North Coast
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. The photos for this area are by Ronald Wöhrn, Erich Hartmann, and Eckhard Meyer.
Lighthouse Pages from Anke and Jens - Iceland
Photos and accounts (in English).
Lighthouses in Iceland
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Icelandic lighthouses / Íslenskir vitar
Flickr.com pool for photos of Icelandic lighthouses (well over 1000 photos).
World of Lighthouses - Iceland
Photos available from Lightphotos.net.
Icelandic Lighthouse Society (Íslenska Vitafélagið)
An attractive web site with several photo galleries; primarily in Icelandic.
Vitaskrá 2023
The official Icelandic light list can be downloaded in pdf format. Published by Landhelgisgæsla Íslands, the Icelandic Coast Guard.
Iceland Map and Satellite Image
From Geology.com.
GPSNauticalCharts
Navigational chart information for Iceland.


Skarð Light, Hvammstangi, Augsut 2023
Google Maps photo by Mustafa Bilal

Norðurland Vestra (Western Northland) Lighthouses

Norðurland Vestra has a population of about 7800; the largest town is Sauðárkrókur at the head of the Skagafjörður.

Húnaflói Lighthouses
The Húnaflói is the largest bay of Iceland's north coast, about 100 km (60 mi) long and 50 km (30 mi) wide.

*
Skarð (Vatnsnes)
1951. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); three flashes every 30 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 14 m (46 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Mustafa Bilal's 2023 photo is at the top of this page, Alberto Godino has a lovely view of the lighthouse, a 2021 photo is available, Michel Vanesse'has a 2018 photo, the Maritime Museum has a page for the lighthouse, Sergei Zajarin has a drone view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse has the same design as the 1949 Ædey lighthouse (see above). Located on a bluff marking the east side of the entrance to the Miðfjörður, about 11 km (7 mi) north of Hvammstangi. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-083; VIT-140; Admiralty L4628; NGA 18672.
* Skagaströnd Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (52 ft); green light occulting once every 5 s. Light mounted on the center of a strikingly modern concrete church tower. Arnbjörn Jóhannesson has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The front light is on a post. Located in the fishing town of Skagaströnd on the east side of the Húnaflói. Site open, tower closed. VIT-142.1; Admiralty L4632.1; NGA 18680.
* Kálfshamars (Kálfshamarsvík) (2)
1942 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); two long flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Guðmundur Reynir Kristinsson's 2023 photo is at right, the Maritime Museum has a page for the lighthouse, Kristinn Steinn Traustason has a 2022 photo, Wendy Crockett has a 2008 photo, Vilhjálmur Ingi Vilhjálmsson has a photo, Benjamin Rose has a 2021 closeup, and Google has a distant satellite view. This lighthouse marks the eastern entrance to the broad bay of the Húnaflói. The original lighthouse was similar to the surviving Straumnes Northwest lighthouse (see above). The present lighthouse was completed in 1940, but World War II delayed its lighting equipment. Located about 25 km (15 mi) north of Skagaströnd. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-058; VIT-147; Admiralty L4635; NGA 18684.

Skagafjörður Lighthouses
Skagatá (2)
1935 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Herdís Steinsdóttir has a photo, Trabas has Jim Smith's photo, Huelse has a distant photo, and Google has a satellite view. Skagatá is one of several very prominent capes on the north coast of Iceland. Located on the cape, about 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Sauðárkrókur. May be accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-082; VIT-148; Admiralty L4636; NGA 18688.
* Sauðárkrókur (Saudarkrokur) Range Front (1)
Date unknown. Inactive. Light formerly mounted on the roof of a church (not on the steeple). Google has a street view and Bing has a satellite view. The light was moved to a skeletal tower nearby (next entry). Sauðárkrókur, at the southwestern end of the Skagafjörður, is one of the largest towns of Iceland's north coast, with a population of about 2700. Located near the center of town. Site open, tower closed.
* Sauðárkrókur (Saudarkrokur) Range Front (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); continuous red light shown only when vessels are expected. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) triangular skeletal tower carrying a red triangular daymark, point up. Google has a street view and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. The rear light is on a post on a hill behind the town. Located off the Freyjugata about 100 m (110 yd) east of the church. Site open, tower closed. VIT-150; Admiralty L4640; NGA 18692.

Kálfshamars Light, Skagaströnd, June 2023
Google Maps photo by Guðmundur Reynir Kristinsson
* Hegranes
1937. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); one long (2 s) flash every 13 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. The Maritime Museum has a page for the lighthouse, Oli Arnar Brynjarsson has a very distant view from the sea, and Bing has a satellite view. The lighthouse was originally painted white with a red horizontal band; it was repainted in yellow in 1966. Located on a promontory at the southern end of the Skagafjörður, about 5 km (3 mi) east of Sauðárkrókur. Accessible by a walk of about 2 km (1.2 mi); Anke and Jens comment on the spectacular scenery. However, Radek Litersky found the area to be closed as a bird sanctuary in 2017. Site status uncertain. ARLHS ICE-046; VIT-154; Admiralty L4644; NGA 18700.
Málmey
1938. Active; focal plane 66 m (217 ft); two long (1.5 s) flashes every 15 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Bing has a satellite view. Málmey is a high island in the eastern entrance to the Skagafjörður; sheer cliffs surround it on all sides. Located on the southeast side of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-013; VIT-155; Admiralty L4648; NGA 18712.

Siglufjörður Area Lighthouses
Straumnes North
1942. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); flash every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse colored with gray and white vertical stripes; lantern painted red. Huelse has a closeup photo, another photo is available, Trabas has Wöhrn's distant view, and Bing has a satellite view. This is one of two Straumnes lighthouses in northern Iceland; the other one is listed above. Both lighthouses have unusual and striking designs. Located on a promontory facing the Arctic, about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Hofsós. Access is by a gated road but the lighthouse can be seen from a distance. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ICE-087; VIT-156; Admiralty L4650; NGA 18716.
* Sauðanes North
1934. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); three flashes every 20 s, white or red depending on direction. 10.5 m (35 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one end of a 1-story concrete keeper's house. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. A 2023 photo is at right, Saurabh Premraj has 2018 photo, the Maritime Museum has a page for the lighthouse, Andrew Linden has a 2022 photo, Lightphotos.net has a photo by Roy Wraanes, Trabas has Wöhrn's closeup photo, M.C. McCarron has a distant photo, and Google has a distant satellite view of the station. This is one of two Sauðanes lighthouses in northern Iceland; the other one is listed above. Located on a cape about 5 km (3 mi) northwest of Siglufjörður. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-125; VIT-158; Admiralty L4652; NGA 18720.

Sauðanes North Light, Siglufjörður, June 2023
Instagram photo by Lighthouses of Iceland
Selvíkurnef
1930. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 8 m (26 ft) stone tower, painted yellow. The lighthouse needs paint in a 2007 closeup photo, a second photo is available, Trabas has Wöhrn's photo, and Google has a satellite view. A 2023 photo shows the lighthouse is surprisingly poor condition. Located on the east side of the Siglufjörður opposite the fishing village of the same name. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-077; VIT-159; Admiralty L4654; NGA 18728.
Siglunes
1908. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story concrete keeper's house. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Björn Valdimarsson's 2023 photo is at right, Mustafa Bilal also has a 2023 photo, the Maritime Museum has a page for the lighthouse, Ingvar Hreinsson has a photo, another photo is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. A history of the station includes a 1912 photo showing the wood keeper's cottage formerly attached to the tower; it also shows the original daymark, white with a red horizontal band. This is the oldest lighthouse on Iceland's north coast, marking one of several very prominent capes on the coast. The lighthouse was originally equipped with a Fresnel lens that had served in the Reykjanes lighthouse (see the Western Iceland page) since 1897. Removed in 1992, the historic lens is now on display at the Herring Era Museum (Síldarminjasafn Íslands) in Siglufjörður. The Maritime Museum also has a page describing the 100th anniversary of the lighthouse, celebrated in 2008. Located on heights above the cape, about 6 km (3.5 mi) northeast of Siglufjörður. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-080; VIT-162; Admiralty L4656; NGA 18732.

Siglunes Light, Siglufjörður, August 2023
Instagram photo by Björn Valdimarsson

Norðurland Eystra (Eastern Northland) Lighthouses

Norðurland Eystra has a population of about 23,000. More than three quarters of the population lives in Akureyri, at the head of the Eyjafjorður.

Eyjafjorður Lighthouses

Brík
1966. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 4 m (13 ft) round white lantern mounted on a concrete base. Valerio Belloni has a closeup photo and Google has a distant satellite view. The lantern was prefabricated in Norway, where many similar lights are in use. Located on the west side of the entrance to the Olafsfjorður and Eyjafjorður about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of the fishing village of Olafsfjorður. Accessible by a path from the village. Site open, tower closed. VIT-163; Admiralty L4660.6; NGA 18736.
Hrólfssker
1951. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is described as gray by NGA but Thomas O'Neil's excellent photo shows it to be painted yellow with a red lantern. Trabas has Renate Riedel's photo. Located on a small island ("Rolf's Skerry") in the center of the entrance to the Eyjafjorður (the island does not appear in Google's satellite view of the fjord). Accessible only by boat; there are distant views from the mainland. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-052; VIT-165; Admiralty L4658; NGA 18740.
Hrísey
1920. Active; focal plane 114 m (374 ft); flash every 8 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. The Maritime Museum has a page with a photo, a 2008 photo is available, Andri Vidisson has a closeup, Trabas has Hartmann's distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Hrísey is an inhabited island in the Eyjafjorður; 7.5 km (4.7 mi) long, it is the second largest island of Iceland. The population is about 175. Located on a bluff on the northwestern side of the island. Anke and Jens found the area to be closed (private property). ARLHS ICE-051; VIT-166; Admiralty L4660; NGA 18752.
* Hjalteyri
1920. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 14 m (46 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. Andreas Köhler's 2025 photo is at right, Léo Guedes has a 2023 photo, Huelse has a closeup, Daníel Starrason has another good photo, Trabas has Hartmann's photo, and Google has a distant street view and a distant satellite view. Hjalteyri is a small village (population about 40) on the west side of the Eyjafjorður, about 20 km (13 mi) north of Akureyri. Located on the point of a spit that protects the village harbor. Site open; Anke and Jens visited in June 2008 and report tedhat the tower could be climbed, but the gallery seemed unsafe. When Andreas Köhler visited in 2025 the tower was closed and could not be climbed. ARLHS ICE-026; VIT-169; Admiralty L4666; NGA 18780.

Hjalteyri Light, Hjalteyri, September 2025
photo copyright Andreas Küohler; used by permission
* Svalbarðseyri
1920. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); one long flash every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Elva Björk Einarsdóttir's 2024 photo is at right, Stephen Bonnici has a 2022 photo, Lennox Head has a fine 2017 photo, Trabas has Wöhrn's photo, Raoul Brosch has a panoramic view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Svalbarðseyri is a small village on the east side of the Eyjafjorður, about 6 km (4 mi) north of Akureyri. Located on the shore on a promontory just north of the village. Accessible by road. Site open, and visitors can climb an external ladder to the gallery. . ARLHS ICE-096; VIT-174; Admiralty L4668; NGA 18788.
Gjögurtá
1970. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern mounted on a concrete base. Lantern painted white. Trabas has Hartmann's view from the sea and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. In 2025 erosion caused the lighthouse to lean ominously and plans were made to replace it. Located on the east side of the entrance to the Eyjafjorður. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-110; VIT-174.5; Admiralty L4657; NGA 18792.

Grímsey Lighthouse
*
Grímsey
1937. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white light, 4 s on, 16 s off. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Hilmar Thor Johannsson has a 2020 closeup Jón Ingi Cæsarsson also has a closeup photo, Shelley McIntyre has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Grímsey is an island precisely on the Arctic Circle, 41 km (25.5 mi) north of the mainland. The island has a permanent population of about 150 and is famous for its huge bird colonies. Grímsey is accessible by air or by ferry from Dalvik. Located on the southeastern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-007; VIT-175; Admiralty L4674; NGA 18796.

Svalbarðseyri Light, Akureyri, March 2024
Instagram photo by Elva Björk Einarsdóttir

Húsavík Area Lighthouses
Flatey (2)
1963 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Trabas has a commercial calendar photo and Google has a satellite view. Flatey ("Flat Island") is an island in Skjálfandi Bay. There was formerly a settlement on the island, but the last inhabitants departed in 1967. Ecotours visit the island today. Located on the east side of the island, north of the former settlement. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-005; VIT-176; Admiralty L4678; NGA 18800.
ex-Motorfyrskib III Donna Wood
1918 (Rasmus Møller Værft, Fåborg, Denmark). Decommissioned 1974. This is a Danish 20.4 m (67 ft) oak lightship converted to a 2-masted tall ship. Vessel painted white with gold trim. This lightship served most of its career on the Lappegrund station and the last four years at Halskov Rev. After conversion the ship was formerly based in Copenhagen and available for charter. Since 2015 the ship has been owned by North Sailing and based in Húsavík for tours of Iceland and Greenland waters. North Sailing has a photo of its arrival in Húsavík. Google has a 2023 street view and a satellite view. May sometimes be seen docked in Húsavík.
* Húsavík
1956. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); flash every 2.5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 12 m (39 ft) semicircular cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery inset in the top. Lighthouse originally painted yellow, but it has weathered to brown in the most of the available photos. Anderson England's 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has Meyer's closeup photo, Huelse has a photo, Kjarten Palsson has another photo, Agnes Heiða Skúladóttir has a 2009 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Húsavík is a fishing port on the east side of Skjálfandi Bay. With a population of about 2400, it is one of the largest and most accessible locations in northeastern Iceland. Located on a promontory on the north side of the entrance to Húsavík harbor, about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of town. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-054; VIT-177; Admiralty L4680; NGA 18804.
Lundey
1977. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white flash every 5 s. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern mounted on a concrete pad. Lantern painted white. Lundey (one of several Icelandic islands of that name) is a flat-topped island about 5 km (3 mi) north of Húsavík. The light is just barely visible near the left end of the island in a distant photo and Google has a satellite view. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ICE-095; VIT-182; Admiralty L4686; NGA 18824.

Húsavík Light, Húsavík, February 2023
Google Maps photo by Anderson England
* Tjörnes
1929. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. A very tall communications tower looms over the lighthouse, as seen in Huelse's photo and Youra Turceninoff's distant 2023 view. Google has a very distant street view and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks a prominent cape on the north coast, about 1 km (0.6 mi) northwest of Máná. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-092; VIT-183; Admiralty L4688; NGA 18828.
Mánáreyjar
1982. Active; focal plane 43 m (41 ft); white flash every 10 s. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern mounted on a concrete pad. Lantern painted white with a red roof. The lantern is barely visible in Eirik Einarsson's distant view and Bing has a satellite view. Mánáreyjar is a rocky island about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of Tjörnes. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ICE-014; VIT-183.2; Admiralty L4689; NGA 18832.
* Kópasker (Grimshafnartangi)
1951. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); one long (1.5 s) flash every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 14 m (46 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with narrow black vertical stripes, lantern red. Trabas has Renate Riedel's photo, Greta Marketa has a 2024 photo, Mustafa Bilal has a 2023 closeup, Lydur Gudmundsson has a photo, Martin Pohl has a 2021 photo, Petr Brož has a good 2009 photo, Huelse also has a photo, and Google has a very distant street view and a distant satellite view. Kópasker is a small fishing port on the east side of the Öxarfjörður and the west side of the Melrakkaslétta, Iceland's northeastern peninsula. Located on a promontory on the north side of the entrance to the harbor of Kópasker. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-043; VIT-184; Admiralty L4690; NGA 18836.
* Rauðinúpur (2)
1958 (station established 1929). Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); three white flashes, short-long-short (Morse code "R"), every 20 s. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Haraldur Levi Jonsson has a 2016 photo, Claus Görk has a closeup, Hilma Steinarsdóttir has a distant view, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a promontory at the northwestern corner of the Melrakkaslétta, Iceland's northeastern peninsula, marking the entrance to the Öxarfjörður. Accessible by road about 15 km (9 mi) north northwest of Kópasker. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-072; VIT-191; Admiralty L4696; NGA 18840.
* Hraunhafnartangi
1951. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); one long and one short flash every 30 s, white or red depending on direction. 19 m (62 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. The design of the building makes it appear at a distance to have one or more black vertical stripes on each face. Ólafur Gauti Sigurðsson's 2023 photo is at right, Huelse has a good photo, Marcel Clarijs also has a good photo, Trabas has Wöhrn's photo, and Bing has a satellite view. This is Iceland's northernmost lighthouse, standing about 800 m (1/2 mi) south of the Arctic Circle at the northeastern tip of the island. Accessible by road about 10 km (6 mi) northwest of Raufarhöfn. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-050; VIT-192; Admiralty L4699; NGA 18844.

Hraunhafnartangi Light, Raufarhöfn, August 2023
Instagram photo by Ólafur Gauti Sigurðsson
* Raufarhöfn
1931. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); three flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Danni Borgarinsson has a 2023 photo, Huelse has a good photo, Stefan M. Seydel has an excellent closeup, Trabas has Wöhrn's photo, Elva Bra has a fine closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Raufarhöfn is a fishing town near the northeastern corner of Iceland. Located on the east side of the entrance to Raufarhöfn harbor. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-073; VIT-193; Admiralty L4700; NGA 18848.
* Raufarhöfn Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); green light occulting once every 5 s. 3.5 m (12 ft) 1-story equipment shelter. The light was formerly displayed through a window, but it has now been centered on a red triangular daymark on a pole mounted on the roof. The rear light is on a short skeletal tower. Trabas has Wöhrn's photo, Huelse has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view and a 2024 street view of both range lights. Located on the south side of the harbor at Raufarhöfn. Site open, tower closed. VIT-194; Admiralty L4702; NGA 18856.
Melrakkanes
1956. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); flash every 12 s, white or red depending on direction. 12 m (39 ft) semicircular cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a cape about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Raufarhöfn, marking the northern entrance to the bay called the Thistilfjörður. Probably accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-068; VIT-197; Admiralty L4706; NGA 18868.

Langanesbyggð Area Lighthouses
Grenjanes
1945. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); one long (2 s) white flash every 20 s. 19 m (62 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. The design of the building makes it appear at a distance to have one or more black vertical stripes on each face. Arnaud van Beek's photo is at right, Ingvar Hreinsson has a 2001 closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. This is one of several lighthouses in Iceland that were built during World War II but not activated until the end of the war. Located on a cape at the east entrance to the Lónafjörður, about 5 km (3 mi) north of the fishing town of Þórshöfn. May be accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-042; VIT-205; Admiralty L4710; NGA 18900.

Grenjanes Light, Þórshöfn, August 2018
photo copyright Arnaud van Beek; used by permission
Langanes (Long Cape) (2)
1950 (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. A photo by Michael Brandes is at right, Trabas has Renate Riedel's closeup photo, Kristinn Vilhjálmsson has a closeup photo, Nunni Konn has a photo, Jirka Krcmar has a 2016 photo, Thierry Ruedin has a 2021 photo, Katy Nicolson has a 2009 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the end of Langanes, a long, narrow peninsula that projects from the northeastern corner of Iceland, posing a great hazard to navigation. Þorvaldur Jónsson built this and several other lighthouses in Iceland. Note: this is one of two Langanes lighthouses in northern Iceland; see near the top of this page for the other one. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ICE-111; VIT-206; Admiralty L4712; NGA 18904.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:


Langanes Fyr, Langanesbyggð, November 2019
Google Maps photo by Michael Brandes

Adjoining pages: South: East and South Iceland | West: Western Iceland

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted September 11, 2006. Checked and revised April 4, 2025. Lighthouses: 33; lightships: 1. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.