Skógartorg

The lagoon was formed by outflow from the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant, which uses superheated water drawn from deep below the lava field. Its colour comes from dissolved silica and algae. People soon discovered that bathing in the water seemed to help skin conditions, and a spa grew up around it. The water is renewed regularly.

The two tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart at roughly two centimetres a year, and Iceland sits right where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above the sea. The visible fissures across Reykjanes are evidence of that movement. The bridge, completed in the early 2000s, was built as a symbolic link, and it honours the explorer Leifur Eiríksson.

The older lighthouse dates from 1897, while the taller, newer one was built in 1944 and still guides ships. The coast here has seen many wrecks over the centuries, which is why lighthouses were needed. A small folk museum nearby displays fishing tools, boats and engines that tell the story of the local community.