Reykjanes Peninsula Elopement

Where

South-west of Reykjavík – 30 to 60 minutes from the city

Best for

Elopements and small weddings close to Reykjavík and the airport

When

All year; lupines and green moss in summer, snow on the lava in winter

Good to know

Volcanic activity – some areas near Grindavík may be closed

Kleifarvatn

Kleifarvatn is the largest lake on the peninsula, about half an hour from Reykjavík along road 42. Its shores are black sand and strange lava formations, with bare mountains rising on every side, and on most days there is hardly anyone there. It is one of my favourite places for portraits close to the city – it feels much further away than it is.

Krýsuvík and the geothermal areas

Just south of the lake, the geothermal area at Seltún in Krýsuvík is a hillside of steaming vents and mud pools in shades of yellow, red and green, with a boardwalk through the middle. Further west, near the tip of the peninsula, Gunnuhver is another steaming area close to the coast. Both are dramatic backdrops for a few minutes of portraits – the smell of sulphur is part of the experience.

Strandarkirkja

On the south coast of the peninsula, in Selvogur, Strandarkirkja is a small white church standing on its own by the sea, surrounded by lava and, in early summer, by purple lupines. It belongs to the Church of Iceland and is used for services only occasionally, so your planner arranges a wedding through the parish. Alice and Freyr married there in front of sixty-six guests, had a prosecco picnic outside and then took everyone to a Viking-themed lodge for the reception.

Getting married by a volcano

Between 2021 and 2025 the Reykjanes peninsula had a dozen eruptions, first at Fagradalsfjall and later along the Sundhnúkur crater row near Grindavík. In April 2021 I filmed two grooms who hiked through snow to say their vows beside a flowing river of lava, with the glow of the crater behind them – a day I will never forget. I tell the whole story in a wedding by an active volcano.

An eruption is not something you can plan a wedding around. Eruption sites change by the hour, the authorities close areas whenever it is not safe, and in autumn 2026 the ground near Svartsengi was still rising, with another eruption considered likely but impossible to time. If there is an eruption when you are in Iceland and it is open to visitors, we follow the official guidance, go with an experienced local guide and keep a plan B. Even without an eruption, the young black lava fields all over the peninsula show how new this land is.

Practical notes

• Close to everything: Reykjanes lies between Reykjavík and Keflavík airport, so it works even for a short trip, on the day you arrive or the day before you fly home.
• Lava tunnel: Raufarhólshellir, a lava tube more than a kilometre long, is half an hour from Reykjavík and visited on guided tours – a sheltered option on a stormy day.
• Check access: before the day I check the current hazard map of the Icelandic Met Office and the police announcements for the Grindavík area.
• Wind: the peninsula is exposed and often windy; for guests, a warm place to go to after the ceremony matters.

See also my guides to a wedding in Reykjavík and to Þingvellir, and for the legal side, how to elope in Iceland.