Djúpalónssandur

Pick up the smallest of the four stones at the bottom of the path. Easy. Now try the next one. Most of us manage that too. The third one is where the grunting starts, and the fourth, a rounded boulder of about 154 kilos, mostly just sits there looking at you. Back in the days of the fishing stations, it might have decided whether you got a job.

Djúpalónssandur (anglicised Djupalonssandur) is a black pebble beach on the south-west tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, inside Snæfellsjökull National Park. It's wild, dark and noisy, with jagged lava formations, rounded black pebbles that clatter as the waves drag them back, and the glacier looming behind you on a clear day.

Tours that visit Djúpalónssandur

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Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour

11 hours · From Reykjavík

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Snæfellsnes Peninsula Small Group Tour

11 hours · From Reykjavík

4.9(364)

From 19.490 ISK

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Snaefellsnes Peninsula Adventure: Small Group from Reykjavik

11 hours · From Reykjavík

4.9(937)

From 18.900 ISK

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Snaefellsnes Peninsula tour in Spanish: Small group from Reykjavik

11 hours · From Reykjavík

4.9(937)

From 18.900 ISK

Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour from Grundarfjordur Port

5 hours · From Grundarfjörður

4.4(173)

From 26.240 ISK

Grundarfjordur Port: Small Group Snaefellsnes Peninsula from Cruise Terminal

5 hours · From Grundarfjörður

From 25.340 ISK

What to see at Djúpalónssandur

The walk down starts with Nautastígur, a path that winds through tall, twisted lava rocks, past two small freshwater ponds, to the beach. At the bottom are the lifting stones: four rocks that fishermen here used to test their strength. The names run from Amlóði, "weakling", at around 23 kilos, up to Fullsterkur, "fully strong", at around 154. The story goes that the stones sorted out who was strong enough to row.

Scattered along the beach are rusty pieces of iron. They belong to the Epine GY7, a British trawler from Grimsby that ran aground nearby in a storm in March 1948. Fourteen of the crew died and five were rescued. The wreckage has been left where it lies, as a memorial. Please don't climb on it, or take any of it home.

Same goes for the pebbles. They're smooth and pretty and people have filled their pockets with them for years. Leave them where they are.

Is Djúpalónssandur safe?

This is not a paddling beach. Djúpalónssandur has powerful, unpredictable waves, including sneaker waves that run much further up the shore than the ones before them, and the steep pebble beach makes it very hard to get back up if you're knocked over. Keep well back from the water line, never turn your back to the sea, and keep children close. The paths and rocks can be slippery, especially in winter.

Pro tip: if you have 30 to 40 minutes spare, walk the trail over the headland to Dritvík, the next cove along. It was once one of the busiest fishing stations in the country, with dozens of boats working from the bay, and today you'll probably have it almost to yourself.

How to get to Djúpalónssandur from Reykjavík

Djúpalónssandur is roughly three hours' drive from Reykjavík, on the western tip of Snæfellsnes, a short hop from Arnarstapi and Hellnar. There's a car park at the top of the path. Plan on around 45 minutes for the beach and the stones, or an hour and a half if you add Dritvík.

It works year-round, though winter days are short and the wind at the tip of the peninsula can be strong enough to knock you sideways. Check road.is and the forecast before you go.

Djúpalónssandur is a regular stop on Snæfellsnes day tours, alongside Kirkjufell, Arnarstapi and the glacier. Tours that include Djúpalónssandur are below.