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Black Sand Beach, Vik

4.7
#1 of 11 in Beaches in Iceland
Beach · Nature / Park
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Perhaps one of Europe's most untraditional beaches, Black Sand Beach is covered completely in black stones and sand. This beach it is one of the wettest places in Iceland; and its beauty ranks with exotic beaches around the world. Islands magazine has listed it as one of the top ten beautiful beaches. Large columns of black basalt line the coast, sculpted over the years. Those who are brave can be seen climbing up for a photo opportunity. You won't want to swim here, though; the absence of landmass from here to Antarctica means these waters are strong and cold. The winds from the coast are quite powerful as well, so be sure to wear extra layers. Use our Vik trip planner to add Black Sand Beach and other attractions to your Vik vacation plans.
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Black Sand Beach reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
4,096 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • Note there are two sides to this beach, the part out front of the town/shops, then another the other side of the cliffs with the cave. Visited both as part of a tour. Amazing just lots of crowds... 
    Note there are two sides to this beach, the part out front of the town/shops, then another the other side of the cliffs with the cave. Visited both as part of a tour. Amazing just lots of crowds...  more »
  • The two distinctive features of this beach are the black sand and the basalt columns. They look like nothing I’ve seen anywhere else and make this beach look like something from another planet. There....  more
    The two distinctive features of this beach are the black sand and the basalt columns. They look like nothing I’ve seen anywhere else and make this beach look like something from another planet. There....  more »
Google
  • Incredible! It's unreal! The dark sand contrasts so well with the water and the white caused by the smashing waves, it's both beautiful and brutal! The geological formations are also wonderful, it's amazing what nature can do! It's so, so pretty, you can't miss it. No drones allowed.
  • This beach was among my highlights of Iceland! Beautiful basalt columns - we walked along to the end of the beach and there were lots of different types of the basalt columns as they had formed which were really cool to see. The black sand is just amazing too and so different to every other beach I’ve been to!

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