Hvalnes Lighthouse

Hvalnes Lighthouse springs into view like a tangerine beacon clinging to Iceland’s rugged East Coast, planted on a modest headland just below the dramatic silhouette of Mt. East Horn Perched there since 1955, this orange tower—standing at a respectable 11.5 m (38 ft)—blinks two bright white bursts every 20 seconds from its lofty 29 m (95 ft) vantage, helping guide ships along Iceland’s southeastern coast.

Below, the Hvalnes Nature Reserve unfolds its cinematic scenery—inky black beaches, foamy waves, and the sharp, silent presence of Mt. East Horn: a chunky gabbro-granophyre mountain flecked with shiny quirks of gold, silver, and mercury, where moss delicately decorates mostly bare rock.

Back in the day, seasonal fisherman would flock here—its offshore riches practically beckoned them to set up shop. Just southward lies Hvalnes Cove: a black-sand stretch officially stamped as a trading post in 1912.

And here’s a delightfully bizarre footnote to history: in 1627, Algerian pirates raided the cove—only to find the human coast deserted, as everyone was off grazing their summer flocks.