Black Sand Beach Of Reynisfjara And Basalt Columns

Located in 180 km southeast of Reykjavik, not far from the village of Vík and near Dyrhólaey, the black sand beach of Reynisfjara stretches for approximately 5 km and is the most unusual and famous place in Iceland. But, how did the beach's sand emerged?

Black sand beach of Reynisfjara came into being due to the lava of a volcano nearby. There were many eruptions for hundreds of years of the beach's existence, therefore, a large amount of lava had reached the ocean where it cooled down. Oceanic waters, in turn, milled it into little black pieces and was throwing them on the shore. Thus, the black sand beach of Reynisfjara appeared.

Swimming in this place is not as comfortable as it may seem at first glance, as it is the wettest place in Iceland and the normal weather there is very cold sometimes with fog. Saying nothing about the fact that for 340 days a year, there falls the rain. Nevertheless, this does not stop travelers, and in spite of such conditions the place is visited by numerous tourists from all over the world every year.

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Another result of the impact of seawater is that some coastal rocks were transformed into amazing formations the so-called Reynisfjara basalt columns.

Also, close to the village of Vik, there is a mountain named Reynisfjall, that is known among ornithologists for a large number of birds of various kinds that inhabit the crevices of it.

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Although the beach is not a comfortable place for swimming, it constantly ranks high among the best beaches in the world, as its atmosphere and unusual sand attract not only tourists but also filmmakers. One American magazine named "Islands Magazine" even called the black beach one of the most beautiful beaches on Earth.

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Location: The village of Vik in Myrdalur on Iceland's South Coast