Sunrise at Seltjarnarnes: A brisk morning walk out of Reykjavík

On the way home from Nuuk, I took a four-day stopover in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. I had been there before, so I didn’t do many touristy things this time around. But on my last full day, I decided to get up bright and early in order to catch the sunrise at Seltjarnarnes, a place I’d never visited before.

Seltjarnarnes is a small municipality located west of Reykjavík with just over 4.400 inhabitants. It’s located on the tip of the peninsula with the same name, and is known as a popular nesting area for over 106 bird species. I was excited to finally get out in nature after being in the city for two days!

I was up and ready to leave the hostel by 8.30 AM, 1,5 hours before sunrise. It was perfect, as the 6 km trip was supposed to take about 1,5 hours, and I wanted to see the sunrise from Seltjarnarnes. My hostel is located close to the shore, so I walked there first and then started walking west along the coast. It was cold out, but nothing I couldn’t handle after having lived in Greenland for five months. The sky was clear and there were a few stars out, but they soon disappeared as the sun started emerging behind the mountains.

I got to Seltjarnarnes just in time. As soon as I took my last step, the sun rose. It was wonderful to feel some heat in my cold cheeks as I continued my walk around the peninsula. I really wanted to visit the tiny island of Grótta with a lighthouse from 1947, but unfortunately, the isthmus connecting the island to the peninsula was flooded due to high tide. That was the only disadvantage of going there early in the day.

Still, I was enjoying myself to the fullest, because I was finally away from the busy streets of Reykjavík. I was all alone, in complete solitude, and with nature all around me.

On my way around the peninsula, I saw quite a few of the nesting birds, especially by the frozen lake Bakkatjörn. I swear that their song was more beautiful than any music ever made by man.

Just over a kilometer from the isthmus, the Nesvöllur Golf Course is located, although it didn’t look much like it with all the snow. I was now at the end of the peninsula, so it was time to head back to the city.

But I still had over an hour left of walking and my legs were starting to get tired. I pushed through and made it all the way around the peninsula, back to the city limits and in through the center of Reykjavík. By the time I got back to the hostel, it was only 12.30 PM and I had already walked 13 kilometers that day! Not a bad way to end my time in Reykjavík!