Reynisfjara black sand beach is in the South coast of Iceland. The most familiar sight of the area is without a doubt Dyrhólaey arch and the Reynisdrangar basalt rock formation.
Where is it?
Reynisfjara beach is right next to the village of Vík. It is in the middle of the South shore of Iceland, around 2,5 hours drive from Reykjavík city. The drive to Vík is very scenic so we would recommend taking enough time to enjoy the drive. The beauty of the Iceland ring road is that so many sites are visible from the main road. On route you will find Seljalandsfoss waterfall and Skógarfoss waterfall, Westman Islands (if the sky is clear), Eyjafjallajökull glacier, Mýrdalsjökull glacier and multiple black sand beaches. Further South is the Vatnajökull National Park, Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
Picture by South.is
Sneaky waves
Reynisfjara is as dangerous as it is beautiful. The area is known among the locals for very strong currents and “sneaky waves”. You can walk down to the beach and admire the rock arch and formations up close but stay safe. You shouldn’t go anywhere near the ocean as strong waves can come out of nowhere and knock you of your feet.
Picture by South.is
Filming in Reynisfjara
This scenic place has been used for many movies such as Russell Crowe’s Noah, Star Wars and Game of Thrones. In fact many locations for the “North” in the Game of thrones universe have been filmed in Iceland.
Picture by efitimonholiday.com
Where to stay
There are number of good camping areas along the South coast. Staying in the lovely village of Vík is a good option to get a sense of an authentic Icelandic place. Further South is Kirkjubæjarklaustur. There are a number of nice hiking spots close to the camping area leading to hidden waterfalls. If you are looking for a more “arctic” environment you can stay at Skaftafell. Nestled under Vatnajökull glacier (the largest glacier in Europe) Skaftafell is a great place to stay. There are a number of activities like hikes, glacier tours, glacier caves and mountain biking.
Cover photo by Lennart Heim on Unsplash
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