Solheimasandur Plane Wreck

In November 1973 a United States Navy DC-3 came down on the black sand of Solheimasandur after running into trouble - fuel icing is the usual account - and the crew all survived and were rescued. The aircraft was stripped of anything useful and the fuselage left where it lay, and it has sat on the sand ever since, wingless, riveted aluminium slowly going soft in the salt air. Driving to it was stopped years ago after damage to the land, so it is now a walk of about four kilometres each way across flat black sand with no shelter, or a ride on the shuttle bus that runs from the car park.

What you actually see

• A DC-3 fuselage on black sand - stripped, wingless, left where it landed.
• A crash everyone survived - the crew rescued in November 1973.
• Four kilometres each way - the walk in across open sand.
• A shuttle bus alternative - for those who would rather not walk it.

When to go

Year round, though the walk is exposed and grim in winter. Three hours.

Honest expectations

There is no shade, shelter or water on the walk and it is dull in both directions. In winter it can be genuinely dangerous in wind. The wreck is busy with people queueing for photographs. Driving out to it is prohibited.

Nearby

Skogafoss is west; Dyrholaey and Vik are east.