Northern Lights Forecast for Kirkjufell

Northern Lights in Kirkjufell

Kirkjufell, “Church Mountain”, is a 463 m peak on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in west Iceland, just west of the fishing village of Grundarfjörður and about 180 km from Reykjavík, roughly two and a half hours by road. The usual aurora photo of Kirkjufell is taken from Kirkjufellsfoss, a small waterfall about 3 km west of the village. The falls lie south of the mountain, so when you frame the water with the peak behind it you are facing north, and a display rises over the summit.

Kirkjufellsfoss and the lights of Grundarfjörður

Kirkjufellsfoss is a short walk from its car park off the main road, with a trail around the falls. Grundarfjörður is about 3 km to the east, so the village’s lights sit off to the right of the classic frame rather than behind the mountain. In winter both the mountain and the falls are covered in snow and ice, and the path can be icy.

Climbing Kirkjufell itself is prohibited in winter. The mountain has had several fatal falls, and its steep sections are dangerous when wet.

Grundarfjörður, Arrowhead Mountain and Walter Mitty

Grundarfjörður has fewer than 900 residents and lies between the mountains and the sea, and Kirkjufell can be seen from almost anywhere in it. The harbor and the shore face north across the fjord, with the mountain off to the west, and the harbor is one of the ten largest quota-fishing harbors in Iceland. Kirkjufell is the “Arrowhead Mountain” that Jon Snow’s party heads for north of the Wall in Game of Thrones, and it is in the background in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty when Walter’s boat arrives at Grundarfjörður’s harbor. Stykkishólmur, with its well-kept old houses, is east along the north coast.

Djúpalónssandur and Snæfellsjökull National Park

For a sky with no village in it at all, Snæfellsjökull National Park covers the western tip of the peninsula, beyond Ólafsvík. The West Iceland tourist board points aurora watchers to Djúpalónssandur, a black pebble beach below the glacier, far from any town. The park’s information center is in Hellissandur, with a visitor center at Malarrif.