Arnarstapi Cliff Walk - Snaefellsnes peninsula

Between the small villages of Arnarstapi and Hellnar, you can find the Arnarstapi Cliff Walk, one of the prettiest hikes you can do in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This short trail will take you along the coastline where you will be able to enjoy the fantastic views of the cliffs and the natural rock formations along them. Do you want to know more? Then keep reading to find out everything there is to know about this beautiful hike!

Arnarstapi, One of Iceland's Most Beautiful Villages

Arnarstapi is a small village on the southern coast of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula that once used to be a big fishing hub. These days, there are only a few houses remaining, a small port, and the most beautiful scenic walk along the nearby cliffs. It is also one of the last villages before entering the Snaefellsjökull National Park.

Brief History of Arnarstapi

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Arnarstapi was a very popular region with many settlers. The region gave the perfect fishing conditions, with its natural harbor and its waters rich in herrings.

However, with the industrial revolution, Arnarstapi’s population decreased and people started moving to the capital, Reykjavik.

These days, Arnarstapi’s main economy is based on tourism and services. Its natural scenic views of the sea and cliffs on one side and the glacier on the other side, have made it one of the main sites to visit in the Sanefellsnes Peninsula. However, fishing and trade still play an important role in it as well.

Getting to Arnarstapi

Arnarstapi is located in the southern part of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, not far from Budakirkja, the famous black church.

The best way to reach it is by renting a car and driving there yourself. Especially if you want to do the complete hike between Arnarstapi and Hellnar. Many day tours to the Snaefellsnes peninsula include Arnarstapi but the time allocated to this stop is not enough to hike it.

The parking in Arnarstapi is right next to the small port (the exact location on the map below).

Driving times will depend on where you are driving from:

From Reykjavik, it will take you approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
From Grundafjordur, it takes approximately 40 minutes to drive.

Accommodation in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is not that big so no matter how many nights you’ve planned for, you can choose one location and make it your base. Here are some suggestions for different kinds of budgets.

Hellisandur Camping. If you are driving a camper van, this camping might be a good suggestion with beautiful views of the ocean.
Stod Guesthouse and Apartments. We stayed in this guesthouse in Grundafjordur and it was a good option. There was a shared kitchen available with everything necessary to save some money on meals.
Fosshotel Hellnar. If your budget is a bit higher, you can consider staying in this hotel with beautiful views over the Arnastapi cliffs.

Equipment Needed

This hike is very easy. The first half of the hike is even paved with wood to make it easier for the visitors to walk and admire the view. Because of this, you don’t really need any specific equipment. However, it might become handy to have the following:

Hiking shoes: Even though the first part of the hike is paved, the second part isn’t. It’s not really a challenging path either but some comfortable hiking shoes will not hurt.
Wind-resistant clothes: Even on a sunny day, you will be walking next to the ocean. Therefore, a wind-resistant jacket will be quite handy to protect you from the sea breeze.

Walking between Arnarstapi and Hellnar

Hike Summary

Trail Start/End: Arnarstapi Parking (exact location on map)
Distance: 6,2 km
Elevation Gain: 44 m
Route type: Linear route
Time needed: 2 hours (this will depend on how much you stop to admire the beautiful views)

Arnarstapi Village

This hike begins in the beautiful village of Arnarstapi. Even though it is quite small, it has a lot of charm. There are a few houses and buildings spread in front of the triangular mountain Stapafell and a cute little harbor. Just for the beautiful location, it is worth it to make a quick stop here.

The views were so pretty, we couldn’t resist starting to take photos even though the real hike had not started yet.

Pumpa Beach

Once we had admired the views from Arnarstapi, we were ready to properly begin our hike. To the right of the harbor, there is a small wooden path that we started following.

After approximately 500 meters, we arrived at Pumpa Beach. This is a small pebbled beach in between the cliffs. There is a small bench next to the trail where you can sit and admire it from above. However, it was such a nice sunny day and it looked so pretty that David insisted that we went down to it.

Going down was a bit difficult as there is a very small way but it was the best decision we could have taken. The beach was completely empty and it was so peaceful there. We spent a long time just enjoying it and relaxing.

Arnarstapi Stone Bridge

Not far from Pumpa Beach we found another one of Arnarstapi’s famous points, the stone bridge. This is a big natural bridge over the water, that has quite a drop.

On the other side, it looks quite amazing to be walking on this bridge over the sea. However, in reality, is quite wide and easy to cross. However, I would not cross it if the weather is not good.

Gatklettur

Following the trail, we reached the last highlight of Arnarstapi, Gatklettur. It is a stone arch through which you can see the waves crash on a stormy day.

After Gatklettur, we kept following the trail towards Hellnar. There are plenty of viewpoints along the way with amazing views of the cliffs. In addition, if you love birds you can also watch all the colonies of Arctic Tern that live on these cliffs.

Halfway through the trail, there is a small door and after that, the path is not conditioned anymore. Please make sure to close the door after you. This door and fence are to prevent animals from getting out of someone’s property.

Even though the trail is not paved anymore, the views of the ocean and the rocky cliffs were not any less pretty. We continued the trail all the way until we reached Hellnar.

At Hellnar we turned around and returned to Arnarstapi. This could be the only “bad” thing about this hike. However, the views are so pretty that I didn’t care at all.

This was one of my absolute favorite hikes of the Snaefellsnes peninsula and Iceland!

I hope you liked my blog about Arnarstapi. Let me know what you thought in the comments.

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Arnarstapi Cliff Walk – Snaefellsnes Peninsula