Grótta, Iceland
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Reykjavik, 7 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: RKV (RKV), 6 km.
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About Grótta
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NW (300°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (120°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 900 m out (1 in 92). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 4°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). No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Reykjavik, 7 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: RKV (RKV), 6 km.
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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From Chicago: about 11 h 15 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
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 returnAdGetting there. 55 min from the airport to Grótta.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Reykjavik, 7 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: RKV (RKV), 6 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Grótta · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Grótta · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Grótta on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Grótta does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 19Oct | 0, too big | 9 ft11 ssoft | 1,677kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 26 knots | 8°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 13, poor | 6 ft9 ssoft | 405kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 6°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 57, good | 4 ft8 ssoft | 207kJ | offshorewind from the east, 4 knots, offshore | 3°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 43, fair | 3 ft9 ssoft | 142kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 10 knots, offshore | 4°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 43, fair | 3 ft9 ssoft | 136kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 4°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 33, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 76kJ | offshorewind from the east, 11 knots, offshore | 4°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft7 smushy | 13kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 4°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 9, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 27kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 6°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 15, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 20kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 6°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 today, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to KEF, then 55 min by road. About 11h 15 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Grótta
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Grótta
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Grótta
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctSurf Grótta
Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Grótta
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to KEF, then 55 min by road. About 11h 15 door to door
Rough cost
About £640–£1,225 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to KEF, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | £315–£650 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £70–£115 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £155–£290 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £65–£105 |
| Total | £640–£1,225 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
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