Arnarstapi Arch

Gatklettur

West

Gatklettur, the basalt arch just outside Arnarstapi, is best seen from the coastal path rather than the road — at sea level the scale of the arch against open Atlantic water becomes clear in a way no roadside view conveys. Waves carved it by eroding weaker rock in the cliff face over centuries. Seabirds work the cliffs in summer, including puffins, fulmars, and Arctic terns, while eider ducks shelter in the harbor below a statue of the half-human, half-troll figure Bárður Snæfellsás. The marked coastal path linking Arnarstapi to Hellnar runs past the arch and takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours at a comfortable pace, passing sea stacks and blowholes. At Hellnar, a small café sits at the path's end with ocean views. The track is mostly flat but footing near cliff edges can be uneven in wet weather. Arnarstapi is about two and a half hours from Reykjavík via Route 54. Parking is available at the village. Entry is free and the site is open year-round, though midsummer gives the best wildlife activity and the most daylight to appreciate the Snæfellsjökull glacier visible to the west.

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