Reykjavík · Iceland

Bridge between Continents · Reykjanes

Free car park at the footbridge across the rift between the North American and Eurasian plates: a flat, open lava field with a wide northern sky, close to the airport for a first or last night.

See tonight's live score and best time to go for Bridge between Continents in Aurora Atlas

Intercontinental bridge, near Hafnir. Eurasia to the left, Americas- to the right - panoramio
“Intercontinental bridge, near Hafnir. Eurasia to the left, Americas- to the right - panoramio” by Ainars Brūvelis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).

Why it works for the aurora

View
North over flat lava towards Hafnir and the sea; nothing high in the way..
Darkness
Very dark sky, grade 0 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. No towns or road lights nearby; the faintest aurora shows.
Aurora
Near the edge of the auroral oval: aurora on most active nights, low in the northern sky on quiet ones.

Getting there

Distance
About 59 km by road from Reykjavík (estimate), roughly 1 h 08 by car.
Parking
Free car park next to the footbridge.
Coordinates
63.8664, -22.6764 · Open in OpenStreetMap

Before you go

Volcanic hazard zone on the Reykjanes peninsula: follow safetravel.is closures and stay on the path.

Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Iceland before a night drive. See our winter safety note.

Spot information from openstreetmap.org.