Is Dyrhólaey worth visiting?
The headland with the hole in it sits minutes from the black sand. Here is what you get up there and whether it is worth the detour.
Written with Björn Einarsson, Iceland South Coast tour guide and local specialist
The short answer
Yes, Dyrhólaey is worth visiting if you are already at Reynisfjara. It is a high headland with a huge natural sea arch, sweeping views along the black coast toward the Reynisdrangar stacks, and puffins on the cliffs in summer. Access is easy most of the year, though parts can close during the puffin nesting season or in bad weather. If you have an hour, the viewpoint pays it back.
The name means "the hill island with the door hole", and that is exactly what you are looking at: a great promontory of rock with an arch punched clean through it, big enough that small boats have sailed under it. Dyrhólaey stands just west of Reynisfjara, and the question most visitors ask is whether it is a separate trip or a quick add-on. It is an add-on, and a good one.
From the top you get one of the widest views on the whole South Coast. On a clear day you can see the black beaches running east toward the Reynisdrangar sea stacks off Reynisfjara, the surf lines curling in, and the green farmland and glaciers inland. It is the vantage point that makes sense of the coast you have been walking along at sea level.
What you actually get up there
Dyrhólaey is really two levels, and they offer slightly different things.
| Feature | What it gives you | Note |
|---|---|---|
| The sea arch | Huge natural rock "door" through the headland | Best seen from the viewpoints, not walked through |
| Upper viewpoint + lighthouse | Panoramic views along the black coast | Higher, windier, biggest sweep |
| Lower area | Closer look at the arch and shoreline | Easier access when open |
| Puffins (summer) | Nesting birds on the grassy cliffs | Roughly May to August only |
| The cliffs themselves | Dramatic drops and rock formations | Stay well back from the edges |
The puffins are a real draw from late spring into summer, and they are the reason a lot of people pair Dyrhólaey with the beach. Outside that window you come for the arch and the views, which stand on their own.
Access and closures
Here is the honest caveat. Dyrhólaey is not always fully open. During parts of the puffin nesting season the authorities sometimes restrict or close sections of the headland to protect the colony, occasionally in the evenings or for a stretch of days. The road up can also close in strong wind, which the South Coast serves up often, and the upper track is rough. None of this makes the visit not worth it, but it does mean you check conditions rather than assume.
If you would rather not gamble on the driving and the closures, the simplest way to see both Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara is the guided South Coast day trip, where the guide already knows what is open that day and works it into the route.
So, worth it?
If you have travelled two and a half hours from Reykjavik to stand on the black sand, spending another hour on the headland next door is easy value. You get the arch, the biggest coastal view in the area, and, in summer, the puffins, all within a few minutes of Reynisfjara. The only reasons to skip it are a genuine closure or truly foul weather that flattens the view. Otherwise, go up.
Common questions
Is Dyrhólaey worth visiting near Reynisfjara?
Yes. Dyrhólaey is a clifftop headland minutes from Reynisfjara with a huge natural sea arch, panoramic views along the black coast, and puffins in summer. If you are already at the beach, the short detour up to the viewpoint is well worth the extra hour.
Can you walk or drive through the Dyrhólaey arch?
No. The arch is a sea feature best admired from the viewpoints rather than walked or driven through. Small boats have historically passed beneath it, but visitors view it from the headland above and from along the coast.
Is Dyrhólaey ever closed?
Sometimes. Parts of the headland can be restricted during the puffin nesting season to protect the birds, and the access road may close in strong wind. Check current conditions before going, or take a guided tour where the guide already knows what is open.
How far is Dyrhólaey from Reynisfjara?
Only a few minutes' drive. The two sit side by side on the South Coast near Vik, which is why many visitors and guided day trips combine them. You can comfortably see both the black sand beach and the Dyrhólaey viewpoint in the same visit.