Reynisfjara: Explore the Stunning Black Sand Beach in Iceland
Have you seen the pictures of the majestic basalt pillars with the stunning black sand beach in Iceland and wanted to go, but didn’t know how with kids? Visiting Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and Hálsanefshellir Cave is one of my favorite things our family did during our week in Iceland.
You read about people dying in the huge “sneaker waves” that crash into Reynisfjara Beach, but it is a safe and incredible place to visit if you follow the warning signs. We saw people tempting fate while we were there, and thankfully none of them got hurt.
In this post, I will tell you how to safely visit Renisfjara Black Sand Beach in Iceland and enjoy your time while you are there.
Getting to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Iceland
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach is located 117 miles (188 km) southeast of Reykjavik in Iceland and 7 miles (11.3 km). It takes about 2.5 hours to drive from Reykjavik, but the drive is 100% worth it, especially if you stop and see some of the amazing waterfalls along the way.
My favorite waterfalls along the southern coast of Iceland are Gljufrabui Waterfall and Kvernufoss Waterfall. They are not far off the road and make for great stops to break up the long drive to the beach.
You will turn off of Route 1 (commonly called The Ring Road because it goes all the way around Iceland), and turn onto Route 215 Reynishverfisvegur. This is a paved road and it meanders through the countryside with fields on both sides.
After driving on Reynishverfisvegur for 2.6 miles (4.2 km), you will come to Reyniskirkja, a picturesque little church that is worth the stop to get some pictures of.
The parking lot for the black sand beach is another 1 mile (1.7 km) down the road.
**Pro Tip: The speed limit feels very slow for the road, but make sure you follow it. You don’t want your vacation to cost extra because of a speeding ticket.
Cost of Visiting Reynisfjara
Free. It does not cost anything to visit Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and Hálsanefshellir Cave. In addition, it does not cost anything for parking.
Parking for Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
The parking at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in Iceland is free. It is a hard-packed gravel parking lot with an area of loose-gravel for overflow parking.
Where to Eat Near The Black Sand Beach in Iceland
On the north side of the parking lot for Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach is the Black Sand Restaurant…and it has a restroom! We visited the black sand beach late in the evening because we were staying on Utah time and the restaurant was closed. If you want to eat here, make sure to check when they are open.
My recommendation is to eat at Black Crust Pizzeria in Vik once you are done exploring the basalt columns, beach, and cave.
Accessibility
Unfortunately, this area is not accessible for wheels. The gravel parking lot is not smooth and the black sand is deep and loose.
Best Time to Visit Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in Iceland
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach should be on your list of places to visit as part of your complete itinerary while visiting Iceland. It is another adventure outdoors, so hopefully Iceland is nice to you and gives you good weather when you visit. We decided to explore Iceland in June because the summer is usually more pleasant and we wanted our kids to be comfortable exploring outside with minimal whining.
Iceland is so far north that the sun does not set in June, which is another reason we decided to visit in June…we could explore late into the night and still see everything. My husband switched jobs and only had 1 week of vacation instead of the 2 that we were planning on, so we decided to visit Iceland and stay on Utah time to bypass jet lag.
I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to see the Northern Lights than on the beach. If it is your goal to see the Northern Lights and don’t want to brave the Icelandic winter, Spring and Fall are the best times to visit as it is dark, but the weather isn’t usually as extreme.
Winters in Iceland can be fierce, especially with the wind and snow. If you are visiting in winter, it is worth getting a tour to do all of the driving so you don’t have to stress about the weather.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in Iceland
The trail to the beach is easy to find as it is marked by large black lava rocks. There is a large sign with information about the different safety zones. A light indicates the safety of the waves and there are zone signs down the beach letting you know how far you can go safely. There is also a floatation ring on the sign should anyone not follow the posted recommendations and get pulled out into the ocean.
The trail is made of black sand and can be tricky to walk on for little legs because the sand is deep. As you go along the trail the green cliff gives way and you all of a sudden see Iceland’s famous basalt columns.
To the left of the basalt columns, there is a large indentation in the rock. You may think that you have found Hálsanefshellir Cave, but that isn’t the case. The cave is farther down around the corner and is much deeper.
Basalt Columns at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach Iceland
The peculiar cliff formation at the black sand beach in Iceland is such an amazing sight to see. It looks like a bunch of square pillars all stacked together. My kids loved climbing up and down on them.
They also make for a really cool family picture, but unfortunately, we were there late in the evening and there were not very many people there to take our picture. When we finally found someone to take the picture, the kids were over wanting to get their picture taken. Maybe we can try again next time we visit.
Hálsanefshellir Cave
Hálsanefshellir Cave is located around the corner of the basalt columns to the east. It is located in the yellow zone, so you can only visit it at low tide when the green light is on. The ceiling of the cave is the same square pillars as the surrounding cliffs and is really spectacular to see.
There are large rocks to climb on just outside of the cave and our kids loved climbing on everything and playing in the black sand. Thankfully the black sand isn’t as fine as white sand, so it was pretty easy to clean out of shoes, socks, and pants.
Puffins at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
The cliffs above the Hálsanefshellir Cave are home to a large colony of puffins! We enjoyed watching them come back in from the ocean and go to their nests.
Puffins are usually in Iceland from April until September. The best time to see puffins is early in the morning before they go out fishing for the day or in the evening when they are coming back in from the ocean.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach Safety
The ocean is powerful and nothing makes me feel small as much as watching the waves crash into the beach. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach is known for its “sneaker waves”. These large waves do not look like much, but they suddenly grow and smash into the black sand and carry people out to sea every year.
There are signs all along the pathway to the beach telling you how to stay safe while still enjoying the beauty of the beach. Follow the directions and stay in the safe zone. The lights on the signs will signal which zone you can safely explore.
We made sure to tell our kids that we would not be going near the water before we even got to the beach. They understood the rules and we did not have any problems while we were there. Thankfully they were too busy climbing the columns and playing in the sand to want to go near the water. It also helped that it was cold and they had their coats on.
What to Pack
Coats– You never know what the weather is going to do in Iceland. You always want to be prepared for whatever you might encounter.
Rain jacket– Iceland is known for its crazy wind. A rain jacket can protect you against the wind and any surprise showers that come along.
Sturdy shoes– The deep black sand is challenging to walk in, so you want to make sure that you have supportive shoes. Dallas and I wore our hiking boots, which was great and we managed to keep sand out of them for the most part. The kids wore their rain boots, and even with the added height, they still managed to fill their boots up with sand.
Camera– You definitely do not want to forget your phone or a camera. There are so many beautiful things to take a picture of while you are here.
Snacks– Reynisfjara Beach is not very close to anything. If you don’t want to have to buy food at the Black Beach Restuarant, make sure to pack some snacks for the car ride.
Is Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach Iceland Worth Visiting?
Absolutely!!! We loved every part of this stop on our Iceland trip. The basalt columns are amazing to see, Hálsanefshellir Cave is unreal, and it is always great to see puffins. Add in the bonus of climbing and jumping and getting sand everywhere, this is the perfect stop for families.
Recreate Responsibly
Please remember to recreate responsibly so that other people can enjoy it after you. Be respectful to the nature you come in contact with. Take only pictures and memories, leave only footprints….as best as you can. Sand tends to work its way into everything.
