Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. Stunningly Beautiful but Potentially Fatal

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach is one of the must see places when travelling around the Icelandic south coast. This beautiful black sand beach, with its stunning basalt stacks and world famous sea stacks called Reynisdrangar, is one of the most photographed locations in Iceland. If you’ve seen any pictures from Iceland, I would put money on some of them being from this amazing beach. Am I right?

World Famous Trolls

According to one of the local folklore, Reynisdrangar came to be when a few trolls were trying to pull a ship from the ocean to the shore. As you may know, trolls can’t stay out in the sun as the sunshine will turn them into stone. That is exactly what happened to these poor trolls. They didn’t finish their task before sunrise and have been standing there on the shoreline ever since. Maybe a shame for them but nevertheless a pretty sight for you as a visitor at the beach. These trolls are now possibly the most photographed trolls in all of Iceland. If not the world.

Easy Access to the Black Sand Beach

Reynisfjara Beach isn’t the only black beach in Iceland. Far from it. Most of our beaches are black but Reynisfjara is without a doubt one of the most beautiful ones. It’s also easily accessible and conveniently located by the Ring Road. The beach is about two and a half hours drive from Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. It’s a very popular destination among visitors which again means you might have to share it with a lot of other people while you’re there. Unless you visit early in the morning or in the evening. Then you should at least be free for the tour buses and the crowds they bring.

Beautiful But Potentially Fatal

Although this gorgeous black beach doesn’t necessarily look like it, a visit here can actually be fatal. Even on a beautiful and very still day. Very dangerous so called sneaker waves, sometimes rush high up the shore where they have caught people off guard and dragged them out to sea where they have drowned. Several people have been caught by these waves in recent years and gotten killed. Because of these awful accidents there are many warning signs in the area which you should NEVER EVER ignore. The last time someone died in this tragic way was in June 2022 and in November 2020 before that. So please be very careful and never turn your back to the sea. You never know when it’s going to creep up on you.

View from Above

What about viewing Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach from above? There are two ways to do that. One is to climb Mount Reynisfjall which is the small mountain that towers above the beach. The hike starts in the small village called Vík right next to the beach. Vík is a 10 min drive from Reynisfjara. There is a road leading up the mountain from the village where you can walk up to the top. When you reach the top, the trail to the edge where you can view the beach, is marked. I haven’t done this hike yet but it’s on my todo list. If you’d like to try it out, please ask for some more detailed information at the tourist centre in Vík. I actually think you can start your hike from there.

Paragliding over Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

The other option is to go paragliding from Mount Reynisfjall. I recently found out you can do that as a passenger. How genius is that? Then you don’t need to know how to do it, you just show up and start flying! I think it’s incredibly exciting and can’t wait to get a chance to test it out. Look forward to telling you all about that experience when I finally do.

The paragliding season in Iceland is from May to September. If you’re interested in trying this activity in Vík you can book it here:

True Adventure

Reynisfjara is one of these places that is always enjoyable to visit, no matter the season. But please remember, it’s also one of the most dangerous places you can visit on your trip around Iceland. The power of the ocean should never be underestimated.

Have you ever visited Reynisfjara? If you have, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section down below. Tell me about your experience. Did it meet your expectations?

If you are interested in further reading about what to do in the area you can find some ideas here:

25 things to Do in Vík Iceland

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Until next time!