World Art Utopia

Hvítserkur

Hvítserkur, a dark basalt sea stack standing in calm water off a pebble beach on the Vatnsnes Peninsula, Iceland, with two arches at its base that make it look like an animal bending down to drink.
Artwork FileVatnsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Hvítserkur

SeenJun 2026

Natural rock formation · Vatnsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0), as also published on Street Art Utopia.

Hvítserkur is a 15-metre-high sea stack just off the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes Peninsula in north-west Iceland; shaped by centuries of wave erosion, the basalt formation resembles a giant creature drinking from the ocean. Source Source Checked Visit North Iceland counts it among the region’s best-known landmarks. Source Source Checked

Seen Jun 2026: the newest dated source we found is a Vísir report of 24 June 2026 on plans for a service house, footpaths and stairs at the rock. The photo above was taken on 15 July 2024. Source Source Checked

More photos

Hvítserkur seen from above in July 2019, the dark basalt stack standing at the tip of a black-sand spit in pale blue water.
2019 From the bluff, with a black-sand spit reaching the rockPhoto: Alexander Grebenkov / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Aerial view of Hvítserkur in July 2023: the basalt stack standing in the sea off the green Vatnsnes coast, with a wooden viewing platform on the bluff in the foreground.
2023 From the air, with the viewing platform on the bluffPhoto: Eysteinn Guðni Guðnason / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

💡 4 things to know

  1. A troll caught by the sunAccording to local folklore told by Visit North Iceland, Hvítserkur is a petrified troll from the Strandir region who set out to destroy the church bells at Þingeyrarkirkja, but was turned to stone by the first rays of the morning sun. Guide to Iceland tells the same story with the bells of the Þingeyrar convent. Source Source Checked
  2. Propped up with concreteWikipedia says farmers worried that the sea-worn “troll” might topple reinforced its base with concrete in the mid-20th century. According to Guide to Iceland, the rock was so unstable in 1955 that locals started a collection to save it, and a hole in its right-hand “legs” was filled with concrete. Source Source Reported
  3. Named for a white shirtAccording to Guide to Iceland, fulmars nest on the rock in summer and their guano leaves it half white, hence the name: “hvít-” means white and “-serkur” a long shirt. Source Reported
  4. Crowds and new facilitiesVísir reported on 24 June 2026 that the landowners and the municipality of Húnaþing vestra have begun planning a service house, footpaths and stairs down to the shore, paid for in part by parking fees; a tourism farmer at nearby Ósar estimates about 150,000 visitors over the summer. Source Reported

📍 Where it is

Just off the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes Peninsula in north-west Iceland, by road 711. Source Source Checked

Open in Maps

Opens Google Maps at Hvítserkur, just off the Vatnsnes shore.

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 1955

    Locals start a collection to save the rock · Guide to Iceland

  2. 201913 Jul

    Photographed from the bluff · Wikimedia Commons

  3. 202320 Jul

    Photographed from the air · Wikimedia Commons

  4. 202427 Jun

    Photographed on an overcast day · Wikimedia Commons

  5. 202415 Jul

    Photographed in calm water · Wikimedia Commons

  6. 202624 Jun

    Plans for a service house and paths · Vísir

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark dated records and reports.

🗞️ In the sources

Vísir24 Jun 2026

„Ég hugsa að það gætu verið um 150 þúsund manns sem eru að heimsækja Hvítserk yfir sumartímann.“

“I think there could be about 150,000 people visiting Hvítserkur over the summer.” Knútur Arnar Óskarsson, tourism farmer at Ósar.

Read the source →

Guide to IcelandUpdated 27 Jan 2026

“Hvítserkur was in danger of sea erosion, and its base had to be strengthened with concrete.”

Read the source →

✅ The facts

Type
Basalt sea stack Source Source Checked
Height
15 metres Source Source Checked
Shaped by
Centuries of wave erosion Source Checked
Base
Two holes Source Source Checked
Offshore
Some 50 metres (Guide to Iceland) Source Reported
Thickness
Only 1–2 metres (Guide to Iceland) Source Reported
Road
Route 711 Source Checked
Summer visitors
About 150,000, a local farmer’s estimate (Vísir) Source Reported

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 4 November 2026. How we verify art