Overview
About Arnarstapi
A harbour in a volcanic coast
Around 150 people lived at Arnarstapi in 1707, when it was one of the ports within the Danish trading monopoly. Access to nearby fishing grounds supported the settlement, and the dock was improved in 1933 as boats became motorised. Along the shore, the sea has cut caves and narrow inlets into columnar basalt. Black-legged kittiwakes nest in the coastal ravines, while Arctic terns breed around the village.
A protected landscape with a saga guardian
The coast between Arnarstapi and Hellnar was protected in 1979 for its natural features and birdlife. Ragnar Kjartansson's sculpture of Bárður Snæfellsás stands near the shore. In the saga tradition, Bárður is part human and part troll and ultimately disappears into the glacier, becoming a guardian of the surrounding country. The sculpture gives this literary figure a visible presence within the landscape associated with his story.
Article reviewed .
