Djúpalónssandur
Djúpalónssandur is a black basalt pebble beach on the southwestern tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, within Snæfellsjökull National Park, reached through a lava field of jagged rock formations. Swimming is prohibited due to dangerous currents and rogue waves, but visitors can walk among the smooth 'Djúpalónsperlur' pebbles and lava sea stacks.
Region
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Coordinates
64.7520° N, 23.9023° W
Important to know
- High danger
- Dangerous currents, rogue waves, loose pebbles, lava rocks, and preserved metal wreckage make the beach hazardous near the shoreline.
Plan the stop
- Allow
- 45 min
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · Limited
- A paved path leads from the car park to an overlook of the beach, but the beach itself is loose black pebbles and lava rock that cannot be crossed by wheelchair.
- Limited mobility · Limited
- The overlook is reachable, but descending to the pebble beach and moving across loose stones is difficult for limited balance or stamina.
- Sensory · Partial
- Surf roar, wind, dark lava formations, and loose stones create a rugged sensory environment.
- Cognitive · Partial
- The path is clear, but the surf danger and prohibited swimming need to be taken seriously.
Why it matters
The beach was once the site of Dritvík, one of Iceland's busiest fishing stations in the 18th-19th centuries, and four historic lifting stones (Steinatök), ranging from 23 to 154 kg, remain from when fishermen had to prove their strength to be hired on a boat crew. Rusted iron wreckage scattered on the sand is a preserved memorial to the British trawler Epine, which ran aground and sank there in 1948.