Photograph Gardur Lighthouse, Iceland

If you are like most travelers to Iceland, your time is spent around the ring road and Reykjavik. For those with extra time to spare and seeking solitude not far from the city, the old lighthouses of Gardur are a great place to spend a sunset. 

On the far tip of Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula lies a 120 year old lighthouse which supported the fleet of fishing vessels that fed the city of Reykjavik for many years. The small town of Gardur, that lies just east of the lighthouse, and was home to a community of fisherman who harvested one of the most renowned fisheries in Iceland. With its reputation for swollen seas, this swath of ocean now holds a more demure reputation in Iceland, with it's highest concentration of shipwrecks.

In modern times, the area is still fished, though not as prolifically. Today the area is regarded as a birder's paradise, as it is a breeding ground for many northern Atlantic seabirds. 

The lighthouse now serves as a small romantic restaurant and closes just before sunset. For a night's stay, the campground provides easy access to sinks and bathrooms and has a sea wall to help protect against the wind. If one is so inclined, the spot also faces west by northwest and is an absolutely lovely place to take photos at the waining hours of the day.