Leave Reykjavik as early as you can; you do not want to rush this incredible drive. Continuing along the coast, the next stop is Skogafoss, a waterfall reminiscent of a perfect wide curtain. Reynisfjara is found around 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavík, and is a popular stop-off for those taking a s… There are lots of golden circle tours out of Reykjavik. The drive from Reykjavík will take about 5 hours without stopping, but only about 1 hour from Höfn, again, without a stop.. The drive from Egilsstaðir to Vatnajokull National Park is about 4 hours. This beach is the kind of masterpiece that only Michelangelo could have painted! Affordable family travel in the U.K and worldwide. A beautiful beach to visit, but not where I chose to sun tan. We think we missed so many things due to a lack of time, we are going back this April. Map Made Memories is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you’re visiting from Reykjavik, you will hit Reynisfjara before you enter the fishing village of Vik. Shoot across the Black Sand Beach on a ATV/Quad bike and an inland trail in between lyme grass covered dunes on the way back. You wouldn’t think that there’s any camping areas here, but there is one. Like most natural attractions in Iceland, Reynisfjara is hard to miss. It is only about 50 km from Reykjavik City Center. A day trip to the South Coast of Iceland is one of the most beautiful drives you will experience — covering stunning waterfalls, gorgeous green cliffs, rolling lava fields, and black sand beaches. In the end we were lucky. It is located near the town of Hofn in the east coast of Iceland. We visited on a cloudy day and were unable to see the infamous volcano but there is an information board with photos showing you what you can see on a clear day – and what you could see at the time of the 2010 eruption. In the oasis of Skaftafell , there is a beautiful little forest where camping facilities are found. We are Jana & Berglind. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Hotels with Complimentary Breakfast in Vik. ... followed by an ATV ride on the black sand beaches in Þorlákshöfn.} See the spouting geyser and hot springs of Iceland's Golden Circle, as accompanied by local guides. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Are you allowed to take some pebbles and sand home with you? If you want to drive all the way to the Glacier Lagoon, make it a two day trip with an overnight stay. Absolutely beautiful picturesque beach. Weather Today. Its location makes it the perfect stopping point on a southern road trip from … Reynisfjara is 180km from Reykjavik – or a two and half hour drive. After your ATV ride you will be dropped back to your hotel in Reykjavik by the ATV operator. The route is well signposted, in excellent condition and has sparse traffic for most of the journey. Though the distance may look like 2 hours on the map, in Iceland it seems you always see something else you want to see on the side of the road, like a waterfall, (At least 2 on the way to the black sand beach) or Glacier. © 2018 - Map Made Memories. Suffer from incurable itchy feet and fear of flying. Start off at the Lava Centre to … Here are some sights to see on the way to the Park. No zip lines, no climbing, no ‘waterfall view restaurant’ – Skogafoss is now as it would have looked to the first human eye. Map Made Memories uses cookies to provide you with the most relevant information. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Beach and the view of the rocks is stunning. The first major stop outside of Reykjavik is a trio of pretty waterfalls, the most impressive of which is Seljalandsfoss. But of course, the aurora is a bit fickle about where and when it's seen - no guarantees. Black Sand Beach: Worth the drive from Reykjavik - See 3,966 traveler reviews, 3,738 candid photos, and great deals for Vik, Iceland, at Tripadvisor. This would be a decent area because there are no large towns or light pollution nearby. The Diamond Beach is located just across from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, about 370 km from Reykjavík and about 80 km from Höfn. As you leave Reykjavik, you’ll drive on a road through an immense lava field covered in a carpet of bright green moss. These cookies do not store any personal information. The free car par is also set well back from the water. As this comes to an end make sure you stop in the lay-by to take in the view before you descend the mountain and drive along the coast. The beach has massive basalt stacks, a wild Atlantic ocean, and stunning landscape. Taking a Black Sand Beach Tour in Iceland. Report inappropriate content . It may also throw up some sightseeing ideas you may not have considered. The most spectacular black sand beach in Iceland can be found on the south coast, just off the Ring Road, 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Reykjavík. The final stop on this Reykjavik to Vik drive is one of Iceland’s most famous Black Sand beaches – Reynisfjara. In 1991, National Geographic voted Reynisfjara as one of the Top 10 non-tropical beaches to visit on the planet. The Diamond Beach by Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is in South-East Iceland, 371 km (230.5 mi) from Reykjavík and 80 km (49.7 mi) from Höfn. Reynisfjara black volcano beach on Iceland’s South Coast is one of the most unique black sand beaches in the world. With its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches. So my recommendation is to take your time and enjoy what you can while you are there. You can walk a rocky shoreline to get near the base of the powerful Falls but be prepared to get wet from the spray. 740 Reviews . That's a good idea and will serve you well. Located at about 180km south of the Capital city of Reykjavik, this is a stopping point on the southern coast, offering a black sand coastline with a tinge of tropical magnificence. overcast clouds. Waterfalls, ocean views, and black sand beaches, this is the perfect day trip. But it was approximately a 2 hour drive from Vik to Reykjavik. There's lots of tour companies though that make stops all along the Ring Road and the Golden Circle. Make sure you see the impossibly geometric basalt columns at Gardar cliff near the Reynisdrangar sea stack. Put the four-wheel-drive to use, drive through streams and around glaciers. Required fields are marked *. Visiting the black sand beach in Vik is definitely a must. I suggest the drive to Vík and back, easily doable in one day. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. See all. Half way down the beach is a large vaulted cavern called Hálsanefeshellir (obviously incredibly difficult to pronounce). These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Heading south-east from Reykjavik, Route 1 cuts through dramatically contrasting scenery. Barely 2 and a half hours drive from the capital takes to the point, and the road leads to the world-famous 120-meter promenade at Dyrhola Peninsula. If you don’t want to drive or would prefer to take a tour, there are a number of black sand beach tours and tours of Southern Iceland that stop at Vik Beach. We loved the wild, beautiful scenery along this remote stretch of Iceland and would have liked to have travelled further to the Jokulsarlon iceberg lagoon. There are plenty of signs directing you to the black sand beaches from Route 1. You also do not want to travel in darkness, not only will you be missing out on stunning scenery but roadside lights are non-existent for the majority of this route. Some wonderful lava formations. The Diamond Beach is a strip of black sand belonging to the greater Breiðamerkursandur glacial plain, located by Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon on the South Coast of Iceland. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. ... As great as Vik is, the drive from Reykjavik is just as great. Zoom in to see updated info. Though the distance may look like 2 hours on the map, in Iceland it seems you always see something else you want to see on the side of the road, like a waterfall, (At least 2 on the way to the black sand beach) or Glacier. The ocean crashes over the black sand beach of Vik. Again, Iceland shows it is in a league of its own in looking after its natural wonders. You can see the Northern Lights from anywhere in Iceland, although the south coast does seem to get good feedback. As noted above, the Golden Circle should be done on the way, but one thing we learned on our September 2016 trip to Iceland and our trip around the ring road is this. It takes a day to visit the site and return to Reykjavík, with … Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. … A place of stark, wild beauty, this black-sand beach on the south coast is one of Iceland’s most photogenic locations. ... must-do Golden Circle with some the most famous sights of Iceland along with the South Coast including a visit to the black sand beach and some of Iceland's most beautiful waterfalls. Reynisfjara is an easy destination to drive to as there is only one route, Route 1. Where is the Best Black Sand Beach in Iceland? All these are between Reykjavik and Reynisfjara, in fact quite close to Reykjavik. On the way, you’ll pass some stunning sights, including, Skogafoss Waterfall, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and … Coal-black coarse sand washed by silver-tipped Atlantic waves and stunning blue and white icebergs sitting on the shore like precious giant diamonds. The Diamond Beach is located at a pretty deserted area, with glaciers and black sand surrounding you. We were there in early September 2016 and seeing the northern lights was a bit 'hit and miss'. If you read more about holidays in Iceland you'll see lots of references to the 'Golden Triangle' where you can see a massive waterfall, geysers, and the ancient site of Iceland's 1000 year parliament. There are plenty of sights to see along the way. Join us on this one hour tour, where you will drive towards and on the black beach by Þorlákshöfn, to enjoy the extent of the Atlantic Ocean coastline. You can check the distance on Google Maps, so I suggest you do so. Iceland’s black sand beach Reynisfjara. More look than touch, it was created by lava flowing into the ocean which cooled almost instantly as it touched the water. Reynisfjara Beach is a natural black sand and pebble beach with some larger boulders. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Your email address will not be published. Skogafoss is beautiful, a waterfall straight from a fairy tale. A long strip of black sand under the rocks and impressive cliffs overlooking Vík.The scenery is really beatiful and will give you some great photos.