Diving Reykjanes | Geothermal Lakes, Seals & Wrecks

About Reykjanes Peninsula & South-West Iceland

The Reykjanes Peninsula is Iceland’s geothermal frontier, a windswept lava landscape fringed by the North Atlantic and threaded with volcanic heat. Just south of Reykjavik, it offers the country’s most accessible ocean diving: kelp forests, seal colonies, current-swept drift walls and geothermal lakes. Kleifarvatn is a deep volcanic lake where underwater hot springs bubble gas through black sand, while Garður near Keflavik is the seal-diving capital with shallow sandy bottoms and abundant flatfish. Reykjanes drift dives sweep along walls coated in anemones and sponges, and a cluster of small wrecks off St. Nikulás act as artificial reefs. The peninsula is easy to reach, dramatic and less crowded than the famous fissures, making it a superb base for cold-water training and macro photography.

Highlights

• ✓Garður (Gardskagi): seal-diving capital with shallow sandy reefs
• ✓Kleifarvatn: a geothermal lake with bubbling underwater vents
• ✓Reykjanes Drift Dives: current-swept walls with anemones and sponges
• ✓St. Nikulás Wrecks: scuttled boats and a US Navy craft as reefs
• ✓Strandarkirkja: a shallow kelp forest good for training and macro

Getting There

The peninsula is 30–60 minutes from Keflavik Airport and Reykjavik via Route 41/43. Dive centres operate from Garður, Sandgerði and Reykjavik, with short drives to each site and easy shore entries.