The Snæfellsnes peninsula holds so much of interest that it is often nicknamed “Iceland in miniature”. Here you'll find a volcano and a glacier, lava fields, craters, waterfalls, black and white sand beaches, caves, striking mountains, quiet little fishing harbours, villages and towns, as well as dramatic rock formations and ice features stretching along the coastline.
Iceland has only three national parks: Snæfellsjökull National Park falls in between the other two in terms of size. It simply encircles the Snæfellsjökull glacier-volcano and extends to the coast — the only national park in Iceland to do so.
This national park covers 170 km2 and contains numerous exceptional sites, some tied to Icelandic culture and history. The most famous example is the saga recounting the adventures of Bárdur Snæfellsás. The national park is in fact home to many structures and place names dedicated to this half-man, half-troll figure.
The park's main point of interest is Snæfellsjökull itself. This 1,446-metre-high glacier sits atop a 700,000-year-old stratovolcano. The glacier's size is gradually shrinking and now covers around 12 km2, down from roughly 15 km2 at the start of the 20th century.
