Snæfellsjökull National Park

Snæfellsjökull National Park is the tip of the peninsula, and on a route plan it is the half-day between Arnarstapi and Ólafsvík rather than a single stop: route 574 loops round the cape past the black beach at Djúpalónssandur, the Saxhóll crater steps, the Malarrif lighthouse and visitor centre, and the lava fields below the glacier. Two hours covers the drive and two short walks; a full day adds the longer coast trails.

The practical line, from the Environment Agency's page read today: "In general, it is not permitted to stay overnight and put up a tent within the National Park"; walkers and cyclists carrying all their gear may camp one night at defined sites, and groups of more than three tents or stays of more than one night need a permit. Drones are banned along the coast below route 574 from 15 April to 15 September. The visitor centre is at Malarrif (+354 436 6888) and the park office at +354 661 1500; toilets at the visitor centre and the main car parks. No fuel inside the park; Arnarstapi and Ólafsvík are the two fuel points either side.

The glacier: road 570 over its shoulder is a summer track for 4x4s only, opened by the Road Administration when the snow allows, and the ice is crevassed. Safetravel.is: "You should never go on a glacier without experience or the proper equipment"; a certified guide "is highly recommended".

Quiet except for late morning in July; the cape is windy at any season and Djúpalónssandur has the same surf as the south coast beaches, so stay off the wet sand.