Dverghamrar, meaning Dwarf Rocks, is a cluster of columnar basalt beside the Ring Road in South Iceland. It lies a short distance east of Kirkjubaejarklaustur, close to Foss a Sidu across the road. The site is protected as a natural monument and sits just off Route 1 with a small parking area and a short path.
What and where Dverghamrar is
Dverghamrar is a group of basalt formations in South Iceland. The rocks stand beside the Ring Road, which makes the site easy to place on a South Coast route without needing a detour description beyond what is known here.
The location is close to Foss a Sidu, with the waterfall across the road. It is also a short distance east of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. In practical terms, this is a roadside natural site with a defined access point rather than a place reached by a long walk.
How the basalt columns formed
The formations at Dverghamrar are columnar basalt. They are made of symmetrical hexagonal pillars created as thick lava cooled and contracted.
That cooling process is what gives the rock its regular, geometric structure. The pattern is not carved or built. It formed naturally as the lava mass lost heat and split into columns. Dverghamrar is also protected as a natural monument, which reflects the significance of the formation itself.
The dwarf folklore behind the name
The name Dverghamrar means dwarf cliffs. A related meaning given for the site is Dwarf Rocks.
The name comes from a folk belief that dwarves and other hidden beings lived in the rocks. That story is part of how the place has been understood in local tradition, and it is the reason the rock formation carries this particular name.
Visiting Dverghamrar and nearby Foss a Sidu
Access is straightforward from Route 1. The site sits just off the road and has a small parking area and a short path.
Foss a Sidu is nearby, across the road from Dverghamrar. That makes the two places part of the same immediate stop area in geographic terms. For live conditions before setting out, check safetravel.is and road.is.
Adding Dverghamrar to a south coast tour
If you want to compare options that cover this part of Iceland, see South Coast tours.
Dverghamrar is beside the Ring Road in South Iceland and close to Kirkjubaejarklaustur, which is why it often comes up when people look into places along the wider South Coast region. The compare page is the place to review available tour options for that area.
Allow time for the road
Check the Driving Distance Calculator when deciding how Dverghamrar basalt columns in Iceland belongs in the rest of your itinerary.
