Garður

Garður
Town
Aerial view of Garður in 2022
Garður
Coordinates: 64°04′N 22°38′W / 64.067°N 22.633°W / 64.067; -22.633
CountryIceland
RegionSouthern Peninsula
ConstituencySouthwest Constituency
MunicipalitySuðurnesjabær
Government
 • MayorMagnús Stefánsson
Population
 • Total
1,957[1]
Postal code(s)
250, 251[1]
Websitesvgardur.is

Garður (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈkarðʏr̥] ) is a town in southwestern Iceland on the Southern Peninsula, bordered by the Faxaflói Bay. As of 2026, the town has a population of 1,957.[1] It is part of the municipality of Suðurnesjabær, formed in 2018 when it merged with Sandgerði.[2]

Garður was mentioned in the Book of Settlement when Ingólfur Arnarson, the first settler in Iceland, gave his cousin Steinunn Gamla this area of land.[3]

The town has two lighthouses. The older of the two was built in 1897, and the younger in 1944. Today there is a restaurant located here, known as The Old Lighthouse Cafe/Rostin Restaurant which serves a small menu of meals. A new one was built in 1944.[3]

The local sports club is called Víðir. Their football team played the 2011 season in the men's third division. They last played in Iceland's top tier in 1991.[4]

Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, co-lead singer of the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men was born in Garður on May 6th 1989.[5] In an interview, she says: "I grew up in Garður and I can definitely say growing up there molded my creativity."[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Population by postcodes, sex and age 1998-2026". Statistics Iceland. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  2. ^ "Við áramót | Suðurnesjabær". 2019-01-22. Archived from the original on 2019-01-22. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  3. ^ a b c Svavarsson, Einar Páll (2022-11-04). "Suðurnesjabær village". Hit Iceland. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  4. ^ "Iceland 1991". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  5. ^ "Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir". Discogs. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  6. ^ "Garður". Island Songs. Retrieved 2026-01-16.