Black beaches in Iceland are stunning and should not be missed! These beaches were formed when nearby volcanos erupted causing lava to cross the beach. The lava cooled when coming into contact with the icy seawater and over time wore apart into black sand.
There are five accessible black beaches in Iceland. The three most popular beaches include Reynisfjara located on Iceland’s south coast, about 2.5 hours away from Reykjavik. It's popularity stems from not only it's amazing beauty, but the unusual geological rock formations called basalt columns found here as well.
The basalt columns look like they’ve been carefully and precisely hand-carved. However, the perfectly angular shapes are the result of basaltic lava that cooled at just the right temperature to form a phenomenon known as columnar joints. They are quite a popular backdrop for selfies!
Solheimasandur is another popular black beach. This one is located near Skogafoss Waterfall when heading towards Vik from Reykjavik and requires a 2-mile hike to visit. Atop the black sand are the ruins of a wrecked airplane that crashed here a few decades ago. Amazingly, everyone survived.
The third popular stop is Dyrholaey, located very near Reynesfjara. Unlike the other black beaches in Iceland that you can walk on, Dyrholaey offers a birds eye view from a high-level rock with arches and astounding viewpoints. In addition to one of the best views of black sand beaches in Iceland, Dyrholaey is also home to the puffin, a species of seabird, nesting during the summer.
To my surprise, I learned that the black beaches in Iceland are actually quite dangerous. Iceland’s beaches are so dangerous, in fact, that people die every year when visiting them. The danger comes not from the beach itself but from the deadly “sneaker waves.” These large waves come with no warning, knocking unexpected people down and dragging them out to sea. It is best to heed the warning signs and stay far from the water.
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