How To Visit Diamond Beach, Iceland

Last Updated on: 15th May 2024, 11:42 am

If you are heading to Iceland, then a trip to Diamond beach is an absolute must! Diamond Beach is the name given by tourists for the area. But the Icelandic names for the area are Breiðamerkursandur, Fellsfjara, Fellsfjara Eystri, and Vestri-Fellsfjara. Diamond Beach is easier for the tourists to say, and it got its name from the huge icebergs that wash up on the Black sand. The icebergs look like diamonds against the dark sand and it is pretty awesome to see in real life.

A little further on from Diamond Beach, literally across the road is also the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where you can see where the icebergs break off and end up on Diamond Beach. If you are lucky, you will even see some seals whilst you are there!

How To Get To Diamond Beach

Iceland is huge! It is over twice the size of the UK. But only 330,000 people live there, and much of the land is unhabitable. So to get around the country, you need to follow the ring road, that goes all around the coast in Iceland. If you decide to drive, make sure you have a phone, backup power banks and clothes to keep you warm if you break down in a remote area.

To get from Reykjavik, you can hire a car and drive the ring road. It will take you about 5 hours to drive there on a clear day. But if you are driving, you can stop whenever you like. Or you can book a bus tour like we did through Get Your Guide. It was easy to do, and we booked it to collect us from our hotel. You simply show the driver your ticket and grab a seat. We were lucky as our bus wasn’t too busy and we were able to sit on a seat on our own.

The tour guide will chat with you about the area that you are travelling through. They will tell you about volcanoes you are passing and other geographical facts.

Places To Visit On The Way To Diamond Beach

As I said earlier in this article, if you drive, you can break the journey on the way. This is also the same for a coach trip to Diamond Beach. You will get to stop at some beautiful places on your trip. Here are some places you can stop.

Vik

A small town in Iceland is famous for Reynisfjara Beach. But you need to be careful if you go down on the beach because Reynisfjara is known for its sneaker waves. These sneaker waves come out of nowhere and can sweep you of your feet. You don’t want to end up being pulled out to sea. There are also some restaurants to eat in if your visit coincides with lunch or dinner.

Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss waterfall can be found in the Southern part of Iceland. It is right by Route 1 and the road that leads to Þórsmörk. This will likely be part of a bus tour to Diamond Beach. You can walk behind this waterfall, but make sure you go in the right weather and you wear waterproof clothes. If you get wet on your trip out, you might not get dry again.

Hvolsvöllur

Hvolsvöllur is a small town in southern Iceland where about 900 people live. You can find it along the Ring Road. Hvolsvöllur is a great place to stop for lunch as it has restaurants and shops. Hvolsvöllur is also close to many popular places to visit like Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls. As well as Þórsmörk Nature Reserve. If you are doing the Golden Circle Tour, you can also stop here for a break in the journey.

Skógafoss

Skógafoss waterfall is one of the biggest and most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland, with a drop of 60 meters and a width of 25 meters. There is a little river to walk alongside to get there from the car park and a bridge to stand on in front of the waterfall to get the best photos. You can find this waterfall on the Ring Road or Route 1.

Mountains And Glaciers Along The Ring Road

There are so many places along the way to Diamond Beach to stop and admire the surrounding mountains, volcanoes and glaciers. They are great Instagram picture stops as the traffic is far and few between. You can stop and have a picnic in the warmer weather, or just sit in the car and admire the area.

Lava Fields On The Way To Diamond Beach

Most of Iceland is uninhabitable because of the lava that has spilled from the volcanoes over the past thousands of years. But this lava now makes some amazing views, as it is covered in moss. It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. You cannot walk on these lava fields as the lava is so unpredictable, and it can break underneath your feet, causing you to fall through it. The Lava is also slippery where the moss grows.

We Booked through Get Your Guide but the tour company was Bus Travel Iceland. If you want to do the Golden Circle Tour You can find details here too