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Reykjanes Marketing
and Development Agency - TOURISM Reykjanes  From Hafnaberg the coastal path and main road continue south, but whatever the choice of route, the destination is the same - Reykjanes, the point from which the entire region takes its name and one of the Earth's great geological wonders. Out to sea, the jagged lines of the Reykjanes Ridge, one of the world's major fault lines, disappear abruptly beneath the waves past the flat-topped island of Eldey, while ashore on the valley floor, the tectonic plates of Eurasia and North America split, the Old World meets the New, and the visitor can, quite literally, stand astride two continents. Above the shore at Sandvík, the twin craters at Stampar testify to the area¹s fiery origins, an impression confirmed by the large crater row running from southwest to northeast. Although the last eruption here was in the 13th century, earthquakes are common, and the lighthouse on the clifftop, Iceland¹s first, was destroyed by one in 1887, only 9 years after its completion. It ruins have since been moved to a more stable site further away from the clifftop, while its replacement, built in 1908 and now automated, stands on safer ground further up the valley. The geothermal area at Reykjanes is one of the most powerful in Iceland, and great care should be taken when walking round the hot springs, one of which, Gunnuhver, is a viewpoint. Several well-marked walking trails fan out from the area, with options including the hills Skálafell and Háleyjarbunga, or the longer hike over the lava fields and Eldvörp crater row to Grindavík and the Blue Lagoon. 
 The Reykjanes Tourist Board Hafnargata 57 IS-230 Reykjanesbær Iceland Tel. + 354 421 6760, fax + 354 421 6199 rtb@rnb.is |
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