Name and Location

Streiti Lighthouse, also known as Streiti Viti or Streiti Light, is located near Breiðdalsvík village in the municipality of Fjarðabyggð, East Iceland. The lighthouse sits on a low rocky outcrop called Streiti, guarding the inner approach to Breiðdalsfjörður.

Construction and History

The exact date of construction is not officially documented, but it is likely that the lighthouse was built in the mid-20th century when many Icelandic minor lights were erected. The lighthouse has been fully automated since its commissioning, with no resident keepers.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a minor steel or concrete tower standing 22 meters above base level. The exact construction material and date are not publicly documented.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse emits a group-flashing light characteristic, with three flashes every 20 seconds. The light colors and sectors are green for bearings 176° to 217° and 340° to 3° (range 12 nautical miles), white for bearings 217° to 222° and 281° to 340° (range 14 nautical miles), and red for bearings 222° to 281° and 3° to 38° (range 12 nautical miles). The visibility range is 14 nautical miles for the white sector, and 12 nautical miles for the green and red sectors.

Accessibility and Visiting

The tower and lantern are closed to visitors, but the grounds are unguarded and can be approached on foot. From Breiðdalsvík village, drive east on Route 761 for approximately 2 km until a turning leads to the shoreline. A short gravel track leads to the base of the structure.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse overlooks the inner arm of Breiðdalsfjörður with mountains such as Helgustaðafjall in the distance. The surrounding landscape is rugged, with black volcanic rock, scattered sea cliffs, and tussock grass. Seabirds nest on nearby cliffs, and Arctic foxes occasionally traverse the shoreline.

Anecdotes and Folklore

The local name "Streiti" refers to the drift-prone rocks that once made this approach notoriously tricky in heavy seas. According to local fishers, a small cargo schooner ran aground here in the 1950s in dense fog – no lives were lost, but the wreck remains a dive site.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is an active light, fully automated and unmanned. It is managed by Isavia (responsible for coastal lights in Iceland) and has a nautical chart reference of L 4749.2 (US NGA Publication 115).

Further Information

• For further information, please refer to the US NGA Pub. 115: Sailing Directions (Enroute) – Iceland, Greenland, Jan Mayen and Svalbard (2010), OpenNav: L 4749.2 Light List entry, Wikidata: Q3378409, and Icelandic Coast Guard/Isavia publications on aids to navigation.