Saxhóll Steps

West

Around 396 metal steps spiral up the flank of Saxhóll, a cinder cone that erupted roughly 3,000 to 4,000 years ago on the western tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The staircase, which won the Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize in 2018, was built to protect the fragile volcanic surface from foot traffic. It wraps around the cone at a manageable gradient and most people reach the rim in about 10 minutes. From the top, views take in moss-covered lava fields, the glacier cap of Snæfellsjökull to the east, and the North Atlantic to the west. Saxhóll is technically two craters, though one was quarried historically. The intact cone is a classic bowl shape. The car park is at the base of the stairs directly off Route 574 (Útnesvegur); there is no entry fee. Steps can be icy in winter and wet weather. The crater sits within Snæfellsjökull National Park, a few kilometres from Djúpalónssandur beach and Vatnshellir lava tube. For anyone looping the peninsula, Saxhóll is an easy 20–30 minute stop that pays off well above its time cost.

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