If a crowded white sand beach in the Caribbean is starting to sound like the same old cliché vacation destination, then a crowded black sand beach in Iceland must be just the opposite.
For one, the sand is black; that’s definitely the opposite of white sand. And it’s cold! (Being in Iceland, what did you expect?) But undoubtedly, if there’s one thing Reynisfjara Beach is not, it’s cliché.
Here are some things to ponder regarding visiting Reynisfjara Beach which, beyond any questioning, make it anything but ordinary.
1. You might think you’re on Middle Earth.
Or in a Salvador Dali painting. But neither J.R.R. Tolkien nor the famous 20th-century surrealist painter have conjured the vision of walking on a beach of glittering black obsidian sand that stretches on for miles.
Just like in “The Hobbit” novel, legend holds, there were three trolls here at Reynisfjara beach that inadvertently came in contact with sunlight and turned to stone. So goes the story explaining the origins of the towering stone sea stacks protruding from the ocean, visible from the Icelandic shore.
Not to be bound by Tolkien’s Middle Earth, Reynisfjara Beach also played as a backdrop for the “Game of Thrones,” “Star Trek,” and “Star Wars” universes. The iconic hexagonal basalt columns were the scenery of an alien planet in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Compared to the standard white sand beach, Reynisfjara seems like another world. It’s surreal.
2. Make no mistake, it’s dangerous.
For anyone seeking a place to sunbathe and relax with a pina colada, Reynisfjara may not be your beach. But should you choose to visit, the Icelandic authorities want you to heed the warnings and not gamble with your life. It’s near Vik in Iceland, which sounds cold, and there’s no doubt that it’s just that—cold. But it can get a lot harsher.
Far from the crystal-blue waters of the Caribbean, swimming is out of the question at Reynisfjara Beach. The water is rough and hazardous to one’s health. Yes, there have been fatalities, and the authorities don’t want people in the water. There is a particular kind of wave called a “sneaker wave” that can unexpectedly rush up and hit the sides of those hexagonal basalt column cliffs, taking down anyone who happens to be clambering on their sides, whether they’re seeking a better view, taking a selfie, or just toying around recklessly with their lives.
Red warning lights have been installed to tell visitors when the water is particularly dangerous and to warn them when going near the shore is prohibited. The fair-weather beach vacationer best heed those red lights and stay away.
Don’t go swimming. Don’t climb on the cliffs. Heed the red lights. The black sand beach in Iceland is a dangerous place.
3. It’s lava.
Apparently, all that black sand came from a volcano. Such an exotic beach as Reynisfjara begs the question of how it came to be. The geological explanation tells that a volcanic eruption brought molten lava spewing into the frigid Atlantic Ocean, and the extreme cooling of the molten stone turned it into volcanic glass called obsidian. Then, over many eons, erosion pummeled that black obsidian into sand, which comprises Reynisfjara Beach today.
Those twisting hexagonal basalt cliffs formed similarly. Gleaming lava cooled rapidly upon hitting the water, causing it to shrink and crack in a strangely uniform manner.
4. It’s for the birds.
The gorgeous and all-too-adorable puffin bird nests amid the coastal cliffs at Reynisfjara. Forming large colonies on rocky shores, breeding here in late spring, and feeding by diving down into the sea for food, these extremely photogenic birds, bearing black and white feathers and flashy red beaks, are a rare sight that will appeal to bird watchers and photographers. Or anyone seeking a unique selfie.
Alongside the rare puffins at black sand beach, the Arctic tern, plover, and sandpiper also congregate, among other migratory birds.
5. It’s beautiful.
Of this, there’s no doubt. The beauty of the black sand beach in Iceland shares that affinity with its white sand counterparts in the Caribbean. Sure, it’s cold. It can be deadly and inhospitable. But there is no disputing the handsome majesty and natural beauty of Reynisfjara, with its towering cliffs, sea stacks, and black tuxedo of a shoreline. There’s little wonder why it was named one of the world’s best beaches by National Geographic.
Exhibiting the raw power of nature, fresh Arctic spray, and awesome geological forces that created it, the black sand beach inspires sublime imagination, conjuring alien worlds. Its gorgeous avian inhabitants are endearing. Definitely not your ordinary cliché beach, Reynisfjara holds peerless vacation potential.
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