The Black Beach of Reynisfjara
8 July 2019
Vik is a small seaside village right on the Ring Road at the southernmost coast of Iceland. The Ring Road climbs up a hill and passes between mountains rising on either side, then as the road crests and starts to descend, the village and sea pop into view. It’s a stunning sight for sure. We stopped in town for a few supplies, then back up the hill to follow a small side road down to Reynisfjara beach, the real draw of this area.
The seaside around Vik has several natural wonders right in this small area. From the Reynisfjara black sand beach, Hálsanefshellir basalt cave, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks, and the view of Dyrhólaey in the distance, the coast here is a spot where it’s well worth spending some time. We parked by the café and headed down to the beach!
Reynisfjara is a beach on Iceland’s southern coast, but this isn’t a white sand and umbrella kind of beach. The volcanic sand and stones are ink black, making the beach look like it is covered in coffee grounds rather than sand. It’s a complete inverse from the beach colors we are used to, like looking at a negative from a photo. It is a stunning contrast from our expectations as you walk along the shore. The sea here is rough, with powerful crashing waves. Reynisfjara is actually considered Iceland’s most dangerous beach because of the strong undercurrent and the deadly “sneaker waves”- large forceful waves that crash suddenly, harder and further inland than the rest of the regular waves, unexpectedly catching people who thought they were beyond the waterline and dragging them out to sea. Despite the signs and warnings, tourists frequently get too close to the water, and some are killed as they are dragged out by the powerful sea. Still, the beauty of the place draws you in, but like any beautiful natural place, you need to keep your wits about you, heed the warnings, and don’t ever turn your back to the sea.
We walked across the black sand of Reynisfjara as the clouds were gray overhead and a mist hung in the air. The whole environment is dark and imposing, like the beach is aware of how dangerous it is. A writer working on a fictional story could easily feel the inspiration here for approaching the villain’s lair. But despite the dark and ominous nature of the beach, it is still so very beautiful. In the distance we could see the Dyrhólaey cliffs further up the coast, the large towering rock formations extending far out into the ocean. As we continued along the black sand, we found ourselves between two splendors of nature. On one side of the dark beach was the powerful sea, pounding onto the sand and rocks with an angry roar. On the other side were towering Basalt columns, rising out of the beach to stand a few stories tall. Basalt is amazing in its geometric shape, looking more artificial than natural. The columns were spectacular! Much larger than I had imagined, some of the columns were sharp in their geometric shapes, while others were smooth from being weathered by the wind and sea. Nature is so stunning at times it leaves you speechless.
Caves have formed in many parts of the volcanic stone and basalt cliff. There are many smaller caves, but the largest one is known as Hálsanefshellir. At its highest point, the roof is about 2 stories tall, patterned in the amazing geometric shape of the dark basalt. Walking inside is like going into a large room looking out to the sea. If I had a huge house, I would do one of the rooms just like this, from the geometric pattern to the half-dome shape to the sheen on the black rock, Hálsanefshellir is impressive. It is captivating to stand inside this cave, pillars of rock hanging over your head and looking like they shouldn’t really be suspended in the air like they are.
We followed the basalt cliffs around, climbing on the stones and finding the most unique patterns and textures. We peeked into some of the small caves, unable to see far inside as they were covered in darkness. This land has sparked legends of trolls, and it is easy to see why. Surely if a troll lived anywhere, it would be inside one of these caves. We walk along the dark sand and feel the sharp rocks, hearing the sea crashing beside us and echoing off the basalt walls. There is a small pile of bones on the beach, and another skeleton further down. Clearly evidence of trolls. We climb through some of the caves, the overcast sky not sending enough light to make the black stone cave anything but pitch dark. Hmm…. crouched down inside the dark cave makes me feel like I’m playing the part of a cave troll…
Further down the beach, giant spires of rock protrude from the ocean and climb to the sky like an evil fortress. These are the Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks. Beautiful yet imposing, Reynisdrangar is like something from a fantasy story. Sharp towers of black rock emerge like daggers from the sea, as birds swirl around the spires and waves pound the sides and send salt spray high into the air. It is so easy to understand how all the legends and myths came from this landscape. It’s also a bit overwhelming just how much there is to see along this small stretch of beach. Everywhere you turn, you are greeted with wonderment and awe. I climbed up on some rocks to get shots of the sea stacks and watched as the rough sea slammed against them and slashed into the sky. Maybe the sea stacks are nothing more than eroded rock, but they fill you with a sense of mysticism, foreboding, and dark fantasy.
The power and the dark beauty of Reynisfjara inspires the imagination to soar!
