Strandarkirkja Church
Strandarkirkja Church
This small, isolated church has no parish yet is considered to be one of the wealthiest in the country. For centuries people in crisis have believed that praying in the church and donating money will help them.
The story goes that sailors were saved from drowning by an angel with a light that guided them to safety during a storm. They vowed to build a church where the angel stood on the shore – Strandarkirkja translates as ‘Church on the Shore’.
The current church, built in 1888 and restored in 1996, can be visited. On a hill nearby is a sculpture of the angel and across from the parking area steps lead to a viewing platform over Engilsvík (angel’s bay) where the sailors came ashore with their celestial guide.