The Diamond Beach

About The Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach is the popular name for Fellsfjara, the black sand shore on the south side of Route 1 directly opposite Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in Southeast Iceland. Icebergs calve from Breiðamerkurjökull into the lagoon, drift out through the short channel under the Ring Road bridge, and are pushed back onto the beach by the waves. The result is a shoreline scattered with ice blocks of every size, from fist-sized pieces to chunks taller than a person, sitting on dark volcanic sand.

The ice changes constantly. Some pieces are clear as glass, others milky white or streaked with black ash, and older ice that has lost its air bubbles can look deep blue. How much ice lies on the beach depends on tides, wind and how active the glacier has been, so two visits a few hours apart can look quite different. Seals are often seen in the channel and just offshore.

The beach is open all year and free to walk on, and it is part of Vatnajökull National Park. There are two car parks, on the east and west sides of the river mouth, and they share a payment zone with the Jökulsárlón lagoon car park: a passenger car pays ISK 1,040, valid for all three lots until midnight, through the Parka app or on-site machines. Toilets and a café are at the lagoon car park on the other side of the bridge; walk under the bridge rather than across it.

Sunrise and sunset give the best light on the ice, and winter adds low sun all day, though roads can be icy. The Atlantic surf here is strong and sneaker waves can reach far up the sand, so keep well back from the water and never climb onto icebergs at the waterline, which can roll or be dragged out to sea. Jökulsárlón is roughly an hour's drive west of Höfn and about five hours from Reykjavík, and Fjallsárlón lagoon is ten minutes further west.