Holmsberg Lighthouse

When engineer Axel Sveinsson designed this lighthouse in 1956, he apparently liked the blueprint so much he built six identical twins across Iceland. Originally painted white, Hólmsberg got a sunny yellow makeover in 1964, perhaps to stand out from its siblings. At just over 9 meters tall, it sits on treacherous cliffs near the Icelandic Silicon Corporation’s Bakki plant, which opened in 1979 to turn quartz into metallurgical-grade silicon for export.

Hólmsberg is one of thirteen lighthouses guarding the Southern Peninsula’s notoriously dangerous waters, where the Atlantic meets volcanic rock in spectacular fashion. The Reykjanes Peninsula has claimed countless ships over the centuries, making these modest towers critical lifelines for vessels navigating Iceland’s southwestern approach. The grounds are free to roam, though the lighthouse itself remains locked: a working beacon still doing the job Sveinsson intended seven decades ago.