Diamond Beach

About this place

Diamond Beach is a black volcanic sand beach on the Breiðamerkursandur plain in southeast Iceland, where the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon meets the sea, about 52 km west of the town of Höfn in a straight line. It is named for the glittering chunks of ice scattered across its sand. The beach lies on a glacial outwash plain in Hornafjörður municipality, formed over recent centuries by the Breiðamerkurjökull, Fjallsjökull and Hrútárjökull glaciers, outlets of the great Vatnajökull ice cap. Ice breaks off the glacier front into the lagoon, currents carry it out to sea, and the waves wash it back onto the shore. Pieces of ice of every size lie scattered on the black sand, some clear as crystal and some blue or white, sparkling in the sun as white Atlantic waves break over them. The shapes and numbers change every day, so the scene never repeats. Visitors walk among the ice on the beach and take photos, especially at sunrise and sunset when the ice glows, then cross the road to the Jökulsárlón lagoon next door. The waves here are strong and sudden, so stay back from the water and do not climb on the ice.