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By Monika

Your Complete Guide to Diamond Beach in Iceland.

Diamond Beach is a unique black sand beach in Iceland, best known for the icebergs scattered on its shore, sparkling in the sun like real diamonds.

Let me give you all the information you need to visit this beautiful beach – where to find it, how to get there, and how to get the most out of your visit.

I hope that after reading this guide you’ll get inspired to add Diamond Beach to your Iceland road trip itinerary!

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About Diamond Beach

As I said earlier, Diamond Beach is a stretch of volcanic black sand, lined with pieces of icebergs that had floated over from the nearby Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.

The proper Icelandic name for Diamond Beach is actually Breiðamerkursandur, as the icebergs that you see on the black sand come from Breiðamerkurjökull glacier – an outlet of Vatnajökull glacier – the largest glacier not only in Iceland, but in the entire Europe. 

Jökulsárlón lagoon was formed at its base and the icebergs you see floating on the lagoon water break off that glacier tongue.

It’s also known as Fellsfjara. However, even in Google Maps, you’ll find it just by typing the name it’s best known for: Diamond Beach.

Where is Diamond Beach?

Diamond Beach is located within Vatnajökull National Park, along the South Coast of Iceland and it’s very easily accessed from the Ring Road. 

It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from Vik and 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.

It sits just across the street from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Make sure you also stop by the lagoon – it’s an amazing, unique pace, and being so close to Diamond Beach it’s definitely a must-see.

 READ MORE: “An Ultimate Guide to Visiting Glacier Lagoons in Iceland”.

How to get to Diamond Beach in Iceland?

By car

The best way to reach Diamond Beach is to self-drive.

As I mentioned above, it’s quite a long drive from Reykjavik, so I wouldn’t recommend it as a day trip from the capital city area. You’re much better off adding it as a stop on at least a two-day tour of Iceland’s south coast, maybe spending one night in Vik or Höfn to break up the drive.

That way you can incorporate other wonderful attractions of this stretch of the coast – glaciers, waterfalls, and other black sand beaches.

With a guided tour

If you don’t have a rental car or just simply are not up for a long drive, you can join a guided tour.

There are actually day tours from Reykjavik with Diamond Beach in their itinerary, so if you’re short on time, it’s a great option!

Best Diamond Beach tours

• From Reykjavik: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach – with this tour, you will also see the famous waterfalls of the South Coast and have a stop in the village of Vik. You have an option to add a boat tour on Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
• Reykjavik: South Coast, Diamond Beach, and Jökulsárlón Tour – this tour also includes the famous Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in its itinerary. Add a lagoon boat tour at an additional cost.
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Boat Tour from Reykjavik – includes even more waterfalls and a Jökulsárlón Lagoon boat tour.

For a more leisurely-paced experience, book a two-day tour of the South Coast or a multi-day tour of Iceland.

Parking and facilities

Both the beach and the parking lots are located by the main road – you can see it on your right side if you’re coming from Vik/Reykjavik and on your left if you’re traveling from Höfn. 

There are two large parking lots right next to the beach on either side of a bridge spanning Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.  

Sometimes the Diamond Beach lots serve as overflow parking for Jökulsárlón Lagoon at its busiest time.

You pay only one fee of 1000 ISK for the day for all three lots, either through the Parka.is app/website or onsite at the pay stations at the main lagoon lot so it does make sense to visit the glacier lagoon too, even if just for a quick stop. It’s just too spectacular to miss!

Helpful hint: If you also plan to visit Skaftafell National Park the same day and park in the Skaftafel Visitors Center parking lot, you’ll get 50% off the parking fee at the second location.

There are no facilities at the beach lots, however there are restrooms, a cafe and usually at least a couple of food trucks at the main glacial lagoon parking lot.

Please note: to get across the street from the lagoon you can either drive or take a short walk across the street. To get from one Diamond Beach parking lot to the other, you have to drive over the bridge. Pay attention here as it is a single-lane bridge and it’s a long one. Make sure it’s clear before you enter!

Why is Diamond Beach so unique?

Each black sand beach has its own amazing feature that put its visitors in awe. The same is true for Diamond Beach!  Where else are you going to see a wide stretch of black sand lined with chunks of crystal clear or blue-tinted icebergs washed ashore, that – as the name suggests – truly do look like diamonds? 

You can hold some of the smaller pieces and take a closer look at how clear and clean they are!

The first time we visited the day was clear and sunny, the ice pieces sparkling in the sun on the black sand at low tide. We could get close to the larger pieces, some of them as tall as us!

My second visit was during an extremely windy day at high tide, so the bigger pieces of ice were in the water, with the waves washing over them. It was still beautiful!

Depending on the weather, the wind, and the tides, some days the icebergs may be scattered only on one side of the beach or sometimes both. It’s easy to spot that from the main road and decide which parking lot to use. 

Best time of year to visit Diamond Beach 

The beach is accessible year-round. It can be a great place to watch the Northern Lights in the fall or winter months due to the remote location and low light pollution.

You can combine your visit to Diamond Beach with a visit to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where you can book a boat tour between the icebergs in the summer or a tour to another natural attraction – an ice cave – in the winter.

In the summer months, the beach can be very busy as it has become a very popular attraction in Iceland.

During the Midnight Sun months (usually May-June) you can come after the crowds leave and have the beach to yourself! It’s a great opportunity for some amazing photography!

Always remember to check the weather forecast and the road conditions if you’re self-driving. 

Is Diamond Beach safe?

Yes! Of course, you always want to respect nature and keep a safe distance from the ocean, especially at high tide. However, there are no “sneaker waves” here (like at Reynisfjara Beach) for you to worry about. 

Please don’t try to go in the water to swim or to chase ice chunks! The water is freezing, and you can get hurt by the icebergs floating and flipping in the water.

Stay on the shore and enjoy one of the most unique black beaches of southeast Iceland. 

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Is Diamond Beach worth visiting?

It absolutely is! To me Diamond Beach is a must-visit. It’s one of those one-of-a-kind, unique places in Iceland that you should definitely try to incorporate into your travel itinerary!

Find out how we incorporated Diamond Beach into our Ring Road itinerary here!

How much time do I need to visit Diamond Beach?

You should allow at least 30 minutes for your visit to see the icebergs. It all depends on the weather, how many ice chunks are on the shore, and how busy the beach is. Sometimes you have to wait a few minutes to get to that one huge ice piece that is just calling you for a photo!

Where to stay near Diamond Beach?

You have many options of hotels near Diamond Beach.

The closest ones are listed here and displayed on the map below:

We stayed at the Hali Country Hotel, only about 15 minutes from the Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and it was great. If you’d like a hot tub to soak in after a long day, Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon or Hótel Jökulsárlón are great choices, too.

Höfn and the Viking Café and Guesthouse are also great options, only about an hour away.

Nearby attractions

• Vestrahorn and Stokkssnes Beach
• Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon
• Múlagljúfur Canyon
• Skaftafel Visitors Center hikes – Svartifoss and Skaftafellsjökull glacier
• Skaftafel glacier hiking and/or ice climbing
• Ingólfshöfði Puffin Tour

Inspired to visit? Read more about the nearby glacier lagoons and other incredible glacier attractions.

👉 Don’t forget TRAVEL INSURANCE! I don’t travel without it. Get a quote from my personal #1 choice – Travel Guard – or check more options here!

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