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Iceland’s most popular black beach, Reynisfjara or Reynisdrangar (called the Black Sand Beach) is located in the south of the country. Because it is so accessible and popular, it is one of the most popular beaches in Iceland.

In addition to its breathtaking vistas, Reynisfjara is one of the most accessible beaches in Iceland.  It is the best place in Iceland to witness columnar basalt on a black beach!

How to reach Reynisfjara beach in Iceland?

Reynisfjara black beach is located on the south coast of Iceland, approximately 2.5 hours from Reykjavik.

The capital, Reykjavik, is about 187 km from Reynisfjara, so you can plan a day trip if you want to.

The beach is easy to get to, and the small fishing town of Vik is situated close by.

Iceland has one main highway called the Ring Road, which makes it easy to get around the whole island. If the weather is favorable, it takes around 2.5 hours to drive to the beach along the Ring Road.

When coming from Reykjavik, you’ll pass through Reynisfjara before reaching Vik, the  little fishing community.

Reykjavik to Jökulsárlón may be reached in just two and a half hours by car from either coast, making it an ideal pit stop for a southern road trip.

Actually, it is impossible to overlook Reynisfjara. There are numerous signs along Route 1 that point you toward the black sand beaches. It’s a 10-minute detour off the main route if you follow the signs for Route 215.

Before you reach Vik, you must turn right down a narrow, potholed road that leads to the water’s edge.

For those who don’t own  a car in Iceland, hitching or joining a popular South Coast Day Tour from Reykjavik is another popular option you can use.

 Why is Reynisfjara the most visited black sand beach in Iceland?

Reynisdrangar is so hypnotically beautiful that it was used in Season 7 of the HBO show Game of Thrones. You can see it in a few scenes that were filmed ‘North of the Wall.’

At Eastwatch-by-the-Sea in season seven, Reynisfjara is the site where the wall across Westeros is built.
As they prepared to continue north, Jon Snow and his hunters landed here.

There are thousands of seabirds that nest on the sea stacks themselves.

There are puffins, fulmars, and guillemots here, so it’s a must-see place for anyone who likes to watch birds.

Incidentally, the first thing you see when you hit the beach is a group of rocks in a sea stack formation, called Reynisdrangar; just off the shore.

Local legend says that these big basalt columns used to be trolls trying to pull ships from the ocean onto land. But these trolls were naive and went out too late at night. When the sun came up, the trolls turned into stone.

But Reynisfjara isn’t the only beach on the island with black sand. Here are less touristy and still stunning beautiful black beaches in Iceland.

Reynisfjara Beach (Pictures)