The Reykjanes Lighthouse is Iceland's oldest lighthouse. It was built between 1907 and 1908 instead of the old lighthouse that had been built in 1878 but was destroyed by an earthquake eight years later. At the time, it was the most advanced and expensive structure to be built in Iceland.
The current Reykjanes Lighthouse was designed by the Danish architect Frederik Kjorbo and the Danish engineer Thorvald Krabbe. It is a 26.7-meter-high concrete construction with traditional looks. The lighthouse was illuminated in 1929. Its focal plane measures 73 meters above sea level. The light characteristic is "Fl(2) 30 s", i.e., a group of two flashing lights every 30 seconds.
An antenna for the transmission of DGPS signals in the long-wave range is mounted on the rooftop.
Until 1999, there was a lighthouse keeper on location. He lived with his family in the house next to the lighthouse, along with his assistant and his family. It was not an easy life as the raging storms were often too strong for anyone venturing outdoors. The lighthouse keeper and his assistant could be stuck in the lighthouse for days on end. Which, of course, was quite inconvenient because "there was no way their women could attend to them."