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Grindavik Lighthouse, Iceland

Stay in Grindavík: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Grindavík

Watch this spot We email you when Grindavik Lighthouse is worth the trip.

Grindavík apríl 2025
Grindavík, the nearest town, 3 km away. Photo: Steinninn, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Grindavik Lighthouse

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (172°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (352°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits expert surfers. It works in 4–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 17). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 6°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 12°C in August, its warmest (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves). For expert surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and October, with about 2 good days in 7; in July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Grindavík, 2.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 9°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 11 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to KEF, direct. About 8 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → KEF · Skyscanner from about £315 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 40 min from the airport to Grindavik Lighthouse.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in GrindavíkAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Grindavík · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Grindavík · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Grindavik Lighthouse on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct1614 ft11 smushy4,585kJ9°C
Mon 19Oct1517 ft11 smushy6,815kJ8°C
Tue 20Oct3511 ft9 scrumbling1,690kJ7°C
Wed 21Oct507 ft8 scrumbling654kJ5°C
Thu 22Oct317 ft9 scrumbling592kJ6°C
Fri 23Oct347 ft8 smushy619kJ5°C
Sat 24Oct275 ft7 smushy186kJ4°C
Sun 25Oct203 ft9 shollow141kJ3°C
Mon 26Oct274 ft9 shollow234kJ5°C
Tue 27Oct234 ft8 shollow158kJ6°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to KEF, then 40 min by road. About 11h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Grindavik Lighthouse

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 11 ft at 9 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Grindavik Lighthouse

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, wind 6 kn (12 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Grindavik Lighthouse

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 9 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Grindavik Lighthouse

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, wind 9 kn (16 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to KEF, then 40 min by road. About 11h door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Grindavík each day: Grindavik Antenas, Grindavik Lighthouse.

The trip from Grindavík, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £770–£1,450 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to KEF, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£315–£650
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£35–£60
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£770–£1,450

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Grindavík

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.