By Monika
Best Black Sand Beaches in Iceland – a Practical Guide
Iceland is famous for many natural wonders and black sand beaches also make that list – unique stretches of black volcanic soil, each beautiful in its own way.
If seeing at least one black beach during your trip to Iceland is on your “must do” list, this article is for you!
Below you’ll find descriptions of the most famous black beaches in Iceland. You can easily visit them as you drive along the Ring Road or with many great tours. Most can be seen as a day trip either from Reykjavik or Vik.
Let’s get to it!
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Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Some call it “the queen of black beaches in Iceland”. It’s one of the most famous, if not THE most famous black sand beach in Iceland.
Where is Reynisfjara Beach?
Reynisfjara Beach is located along the South Coast of Iceland, just a short drive (about 13 minutes, 11 km) from the southernmost point of Iceland, a village called Vík.
It takes about 2 hours 30 minutes (188 km) to reach it from Reykjavik.
How to get to Reynisfjara Beach
By car:
The easiest way to get to this beautiful beach is by car. It’s an easy and very scenic drive along the Ring Road.
The parking lot for the beach is well-marked and large. When we were there in 2022 there was only one lot, however, as of July 2023, a new parking lot was added due to the number of tourists visiting this popular destination. The fee is 1000 ISK for the lower lot (P1) and 750 ISK for the upper lot (P2), and the best way to pay it is via the Parka.is app or on the payment website for P1 and P2.
The fee is for a 3 hour visit and you have up to 24 hours after you leave to make the payment.
Good to know: Next to the parking lot, you’ll see “Black Beach Restaurant”, a very nice, low-key, cafeteria-style place serving burgers, salads, soups, fish’n’chips, and a daily choice of dessert. The food is really good, and they have free restrooms for customers! As we know, it’s a hot commodity in Iceland!
With a tour:
You can also reach Reynisfjara Black Beach by joining one of many day tours from Reykjavik.
Most South Coast tours include it in their itineraries and the ones listed below also have scenic stops at other famous attractions of this area:
- From Reykjavík: South Coast Waterfall, Black Sand & Ice tour – includes the South Coast waterfalls, a visit to Sólheimajökull glacier and a stop in Vik.
- From Reykjavík: Waterfalls, Black Beach & Glacier Day Trip – this tour has an option of a glacier hike.
- From Reykjavik: South Coast, Plane Wreck, & Beach ATV Tour – with this tour you’ll also visit the Sólheimasandur plane crash site and go for a thrilling ATV ride on a black beach!
Best time to visit Reynisfjara Black Beach
You can visit this beautiful beach year-round. As I mentioned above, it is easily accessible from the Ring Road.
However, if you’re self-driving in the winter months, be sure to check the most up-to-date weather forecast and current road conditions.
Helpful hint: this advice is valid for visiting any location in Iceland any time of the year, and definitely applies to visiting all of Iceland’s beaches described in this article.
Reynisfjara Beach is a popular destination, so if you’d like some more solitude, visit early in the morning or later at night, especially during the Midnight Sun season (usually mid-June through July)
About Reynisfjara Beach
Reynisfjara Beach is best known for a wall of unique hexagonal basalt columns lining the cliff wall. It’s a very unique feature – some people even compare it to a huge church organ.
➡️ UPDATE: Due to severe erosion, a large portion of the cliff has recently collapsed and changed the landscape of this iconic spot. You can still visit Reynisfjara, just pay attention to barriers, closures, and warning signs! You can learn more here.
Standing tall from the ocean floor are the stunning Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks, which according to Icelandic local folklore are trolls, who were stealing a ship and got caught in a daylight sun which turned them to stone.
If you walk along the beach during summer months, between May and August, especially early in the morning or later in the evening, you may be able to spot some puffins nesting in the nooks and crannies of the cliffs.
You can also see nearby Dyrhólaey Cliffs from the shore with their famous stone arch – another great spot for puffin watching and another amazing place worth visiting while you’re in the area.
Another magnificent feature of Reynisfjara Beach is the Hálsanefshellir Cave – a large cavern made of twisted basalt columns, creating a one-of-a-kind black half-shell wall.
It’s just a few steps away from the basalt columns wall. Please know that you should only go inside at low tide! At high tide the entrance is usually flooded, and the waves can be too high to safely visit the cave.
A word of caution – this beach is well known for its beauty but also for being dangerous at times.
It’s here that you may encounter the so called “sneaker waves” – powerful, fast rising sudden waves that can cover the beach quickly, create strong currents and sweep you into the ocean. So, enjoy the stunning scenery but be very careful!
Never turn your back on the ocean and watch the water line on the black sand – stand well away from it for your safety!
Inspired to visit? Read more about this stunning beach and must-know safety tips in my detailed guide to Reynisfjara!
Where to stay near Reynisfjara Beach?
The closest and most convenient place to stay near Reynisfjara is the town of Vik, with hotels and guesthouses, but also a campsite.
Need more ideas for your Iceland itinerary? Read my guide to other amazing attractions of Iceland’s South Coast.
Diamond Beach
As I mentioned earlier, each black sand beach in Iceland has its own amazing features that put its visitors in awe. That is SO TRUE for Diamond Beach!
Where else are you going to see a vast black beach lined with chunks of crystal-clear icebergs washed ashore? They really do look like diamonds (hence the name!), especially on a sunny day when they sparkle in stark contrast with the black sand.
The icebergs float to the shore from the nearby Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, which is located just across the street from the beach. They are taken there by the Jökulsár glacial river.
Take your time to walk around and get some fun photos!
Where is Diamond Beach?
Diamond Beach is also located along the South Coast of Iceland.
It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from Vik and about a 4.5-hour drive from Reykjavik. It’s also only an hour away from the town of Höfn, located further down the Ring Road.
How to get to Diamond Beach
By car:
Diamond Beach is very easily accessible from the Ring Road, and the best way to visit it is by car.
There are large parking lots right next to the beach on both sides of the single-lane bridge spanning above Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
You pay only one daily fee for all three lots, either through the parka.is app, official payment website or onsite at the pay stations near the bathrooms at the main Jökulsárlón Lagoon lot. The cost is 1000 ISK per car.
Good to know: There are no facilities on the beach lots!
Helpful hint: set aside some time to visit the glacier lagoon as well, if only for a quick stop. It’s just too spectacular to miss!
With a tour:
You can also get to Diamond Beach by joining a guided tour.
You can option of a day tour from Reykjavik if your itinerary only allows one day on the South Coast of Iceland:
- From Reykjavik: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach – this tour will take you to the south coast waterfalls and Vik, and also has an option to include a boat tour at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
- Reykjavik: South Coast, Diamond Beach, and Jökulsárlón Tour – this tour includes a scenic stop at the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano on your way to the Diamond Beach.
If you have more time in your trip plan, take a look at this 2-day South Coast tour, as it offers visits to many South Coast attractions, Diamond Beach of course being one of them.
Best time to visit Diamond Beach
Diamond beach is accessible year-round and is beautiful in any season.
Just take necessary precautions if you visit in the winter – always check the weather and the road conditions before you start driving.
Inspired to visit? You’ll find a lot more information about this spectacular beach in my detailed guide to visiting Diamond Beach.
Where to stay near Diamond Beach?
The closest place to stay near Diamond Beach is Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon (only 20 minutes away) or Hotel Skaftafel (a 40-minute drive). At about an hour away in either direction Höfn and Kalfafel offer good options as well.
Stokksnes Beach/Vestrahorn
Stokksness Beach is located at the base of Vestrahorn Mountain – a famous distinctly shaped saw-tooth mountain on the South Coast of Iceland.
Where is Stokksnes Beach?
It is just a short detour from the Ring Road.
It’s about a 1 hour 10-minute drive from Diamond Beach and only 20 minutes away from Höfn. It is a longer, almost 6-hour drive from Reykjavik.
How to get to Stokksnes Beach
The only way to get here is by car. Other than booking a private tour with a custom itinerary, I wasn’t able to find day tours including this attraction on their list.
But, as I mentioned earlier, diving the Ring Road on the South Coast of Iceland is easy and very scenic.
Helpful hint: for best Google Maps navigation, enter “Viking Café and Guesthouse” as your destination (read below why it’s best). Just entering “Stokksnes” is too vast of a term for Google, and you may end up in the wrong place.
After you turn from the Ring Road, a winding track will take you down to the parking lot and the Viking Café. That’s where you pay the entry fee of 900 ISK per person.
You’ll be entering private property, and the fee helps maintain all tourist attractions located there. Then you’re free to roam, hike and admire the stunning landscapes of the area.
About Stokksnes Beach
Drive to the end of the access road, to the farthest parking lot – that’s the best spot to start exploring the area and the best vantage point to take in the incredible views.
On a clear day, the mountain will reflect in a tidal lagoon, creating a spectacular view – one that this particular beach is most famous for.
The other distinct features, unique to Stokksnes Beach are the black sand dunes covered by spiky grass clusters– you won’t see them anywhere else!
Inspired to visit? You’ll find a lot more information about this incredible place in my Guide to Vestrahorn.
Where to stay near Stokksnes Beach and Vestrahorn?
Viking Café and Guesthouse is a great place to stay, as it is located right on the property, and very close to the main attractions of this area. Höfn is another great option, offering various accommodation choices.
Djúpalónssandur Beach
Also known as the “Black Pearl Lava Beach “, this black sand beach has a lot to offer but is most famous for its stunning basalt rock formations.
Where is Djúpalónssandur Beach?
Djúpalónssandur Black Sand Beach is located on Snæfellsnes Peninsula, a very picturesque area in West Iceland, sometimes called “Iceland in miniature”.
How to get to Djúpalónssandur Beach
By car:
The best way to reach the beach (and the entire Peninsula) is by car.
It’s easily accessed from Reykjavik by driving the Ring Road west, though the Hvalfjordur tunnel (the fastest and easiest way to get across the fjord) and then following rt. 54.
It takes about 2 hours 45 minutes to get to Djúpalónssandur Beach parking lot from Reykjavik.
With a tour:
You can also visit Djúpalónssandur Beach by joining one of many great day tours to Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
- From Reykjavik: Snæfellsnes Peninsula Full-Day Tour – includes all the highlights of Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
- From Reykjavik: Snæfellsnes Full-Day Tour with Homemade Meal – this tour also includes a homemade meat at a local ranch.
- Snaefellsnes Peninsula and Kirkjufell Small-Group Tour – the same great itinerary, but in a smaller group.
About Djúpalónssandur Beach
The parking area for this beach is large and free, with free restrooms for visitors.
From the parking lot you just follow a slightly downhill path through a small lava field. The first thing you’ll see as you go down towards the beach is a rock with a hole in it, through which you can peak at the lagoon on the other side of it and at the Sneafellsjokull glacier. The arch is called Gatklettur.
Further down the path, to the right there is a small freshwater lagoon (Djúpalón Lagoon) with pieces from the shipwreck of a British trawler, Epine GY7, from 1948, scattered on the beach there.
Then you finally get to the beach! You’ll notice that it’s not the fine-grain sand you’re used to under your feet. This beach is made of small black pebbles called Djúpalónsperlur (“Pearls of Djúpalón”). They are protected so please resist the temptation to take one home as a souvenir!
As you walk down towards the ocean, you’ll see the dramatic lava formations the beach is known for. The best-known ones are the Kerling – “a troll woman”, and the Söngklettur – “a singing rock”.
According to the legend Kerling is supposed to be a troll woman turned to stone at daylight and the Söngklettur is said to be the “church of the elves”.
On your way back towards the car you’ll also come across the “lifting stones”– four differently sized stones used to measure the strength of the fishermen in the past. If a man couldn’t lift the second lightest one, he was deemed unfit for the life at sea.
Inspired to visit? Read my Complete Guide to Snæfellsnes Peninsula to learn more about other natural wonders of this area!
Where to stay near Djúpalónssandur Beach?
Arnarstapi, Hellnar, Hellissandur and Rif are all great towns to stay in, giving you a chance to enjoy the rest of Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
FAQ:
Black sand of Icelandic iconic black beaches was formed by past volcanic activity. Hot lava solidified in contact with cold ocean water. Then over time, volcanic rocks broke into smaller and smaller particles, in some areas forming tiny pebbles called “pearls” and in others actual sand-like grains.
The short answer is NO – for so many reasons! The water is freezing year-round, the currents are very strong, and the calm look of the ocean is usually very deceiving, potentially covering an undertow just off the shore. Attempting to swim at black sand beaches in Iceland can be life threatening!
While not illegal, it’s not recommended. As tourists, we should do our best to leave Icelandic nature untouched and unaffected by our visits. Besides, some rocks, including the abovementioned Djúpalónssandur Beach black lava pearls are protected and should be left undisturbed.
Iceland’s black sand beaches are beautiful in any season and accessible year-round. However, it’s always a good idea to check the roads and weather conditions before you drive.
Do you have a favorite black sand beach in Iceland? Let me know in the comments!
Need some help incorporating Iceland’s Black sand beaches into your trip? Check out these amazing Iceland itineraries for inspiration!
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About Monika
An avid traveler and a passionate trip planner, mildly obsessed with being organized and prepared 🙂
Well aware of how precious travel time is, I’m here to share my experience and help you get the most out of your vacation time.
“Taking the hassle out of trip planning”
