Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Reynisfjara, near the village of Vik, is the most famous black sand beach in Iceland, a dramatic shore of jet-black volcanic sand backed by a cliff of hexagonal basalt columns, with the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rising offshore. Wild, beautiful and moody, it is a highlight of the south coast, and its powerful surf is genuinely dangerous.

What you'll find

• The black sand - the jet-black volcanic beach.
• The basalt columns - the cliff of hexagonal columns and the cave.
• Reynisdrangar - the pointed sea stacks rising from the waves.
• Vik and Dyrholaey - the village and the nearby cliff arch and puffin colony.

When to go

Year-round; the beach is dramatic in any weather, and moody storms suit it. Puffins nest on the nearby cliffs in summer.

Things to know

The sneaker waves here are notoriously powerful and unpredictable, and people have been killed, so never turn your back on the sea and keep well up the beach. Since a death in August 2025 the cave and the basalt columns are closed whenever the beach is under a red warning, and in February 2026 weeks of heavy surf brought down part of the columns and eroded the beach badly, so the shore may not match older photographs. It is a busy stop in season. The wind and cold can be fierce.

Nearby

Vik village and the Dyrholaey arch are close; the Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss falls lie back west.

Key facts