Finding Diamonds on Iceland’s Diamond Beach | Travel Guide
Iceland’s Diamond Beach is a must-visit attraction when you are travelling along the Ring Road, and this guide will tell you why!
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If this is your first time hearing about the Diamond Beach, here are two fun facts to start off with:
- Its Icelandic name is Breiðamerkursandur, referring to a black volcanic sand beach covered in “diamonds” (more on that below).
- The Diamond Beach is located across the road from the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, which is another attraction you can’t miss.
Sneak Peak
At the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, you can get on a zodiac boat and zoom around glistening 1,000 year old icebergs, see the glacier walls that inspired The Wall in HBO’s Game of Thrones and spot wild baby seals sunbathing on icebergs or swimming in subzero waters. Interested to learn more? Get the full details on what the Jökulsárlón zodiac boat tour is like by reading my post here (click The (glacier) Wall above)!
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Are those diamonds real?
The “diamonds” on Iceland’s Diamond Beach refer to pieces of 1,000 year old icebergs that calved off from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, which is an outlet glacier of the largest icecap in Europe – Vatnajökull.
These newly orphaned icebergs then float into the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon before ending up into the open Atlantic Ocean.
Breiðamerkursandur became known as the Diamond Beach because while some of these glacials icebergs in the Atlantic Ocean, others ended up being washed ashore.
Breiðamerkursandur (I won’t even try to pronounce this!) is also known as Fellsfjara, or Eystri-Fellsfjara / Vestri-Fellsfjara, depending on which part of the Jökulsá glacial river you happen to be at.
Diamond Beach is a catchy name for tourists and I have to admit, far easier to remember, so we are going to stick to that!
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TL;DR No, those diamonds aren’t real. But they sure look like it! |
Things You Didn’t Know About Iceland’s Diamond Beach
- Iceland’s Diamond Beach (not to be confused with the Diamond Beach in Nusa Penida) never looks the same. Just like the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, this landscape is ever-changing due to the icebergs that constantly flow out of the lagoon and get washed onto the shores;
- It is FREE to visit;
- No opening / closing time;
- There is plenty of parking space beside the Diamond Beach;
- There are NO TOILETS!!! Instead, head over to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon public area just across the bridge – there are plenty of free toilets available
- There are lots of tourists on the beach (no surprise);
- People have gotten engaged on this black sand beach!!
- Sometimes, you might end up looking a bit ridiculous trying to capture all the varying diamonds glistening on the black sand beach.
WARNING
Take photographs of the iceberg, but don’t do anything beyond!! Learn from “Iceberg grandma”, a 77 year old lady who sat on a throne-like iceberg and got swept out into the Atlantic Ocean! The waves are DANGEROUS with a mind of their own.
As a general rule of thumb, never turn your back on them as they can sneak up fast and strong. The water temperature is below freezing given that this area is fed by the glacier lagoon. We little humans won’t be able to last more than a handful of minutes before getting hit with a lethal bout of hypothermia.
Beware the weather (general warning that applies throughout Iceland). Despite going at the height of summer in July, I still found Iceland to be VERY cold. The winds were fierce. Oh, and you might want to ditch your hats unless it’s a beanie!
Finding the Northern Lights
If you are visiting Iceland during winter, head to the Diamond Beach to hunt for the Northern Lights!
However, don’t forget that an Icelandic winter means that you will have just 4 hours of sunlight in a day. Couple that with the lack of lamp posts along Iceland’ Ring Road, and you can imagine how dark (and dreary) it will be. Exercise all safety precautions and have at least a headlight or two with you when venturing to the Diamond Beach.
A good northern lights forecast mobile app to download is Veður, one of 13 FREE mobile travel applications that I recommend every Iceland traveller download in this post.
Planning Your Trip to the Diamond Beach
I would definitely pair a visit to the Diamond Beach (at the very least) with a zodiac boat tour either the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon (an experience I have written about here) or Jökulsárlón’s little sister, the Fjallsjökull Glacier Lagoon (a smaller, less commercial experience).
Budget around 30 minutes for the Diamond Beach. However, it is easy to wander around and spend much longer to capture this black sand beach in all its glacial wonder.
Most people will tell you that the easiest way to get around Iceland, including to Breiðamerkursandur, is by driving. I concur. Iceland is a vast country and a week isn’t enough to see everything in just the South West of Iceland. With driving, you can decide on what to see and how long you spend at each location.
I would strongly recommend spending at least 2 days in this area for the glaciers, black sand beaches and waterfalls. It was by far one of the most unique and memorable parts of our trip. You don’t want to feel too rushed.
If you do opt to travel from Reykjavík, it is a 5 hours’ journey (370 kilometers) along Ring Road #1. For more information on the various transportations available from Reykjavík, read my Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour post HERE.
Guided Tours that include Iceland’s Diamond Beach
I would be remiss to not point out some amazing tours by Guide to Iceland that you can consider. Most itineraries pair the Diamond Beach with nearby attractions. Have a read and see if any of these tours suit your needs!
And if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. I promise to respond!
Private Luxury Diamond Beach and Glacier Lagoon Day Tour
This is a sharpshooting trip that hits all the major spots: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the Diamond Beach. Departing from Reykjavík, you get to request for an itinerary tailored made just for you (and your group).
This is a waterfall/glacier centric itinerary that departs from Reykjavík. See waterfalls (Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and Skógafoss Waterfall), the black pebble beach Reynisfjara (spot the puffin birds!), Reynisdrangar, Skaftafell, and the Diamond Beach. Finally, round your two days off with a visit to a natural ice cave within the Vatnajökull glacier.
It doesn’t get more exciting then that!
This tour covers ALL the major highlights along the South Coast of Iceland. Amongst others, they include the Þingvellir UNESCO World Heritage Site, Haukadalur, Gullfoss, Kerið, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skógafoss Waterfall, Reynisfjara, Reynisdrangar, Skaftafell, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the Black Diamond Beach.
Conclusion
And that’s it! A short and simple guide to visiting Breiðamerkursandur.
Let me know what you think in the comments below. And if you’ve visited the Diamond Beach, let me know what you thought of the experience!
TL;DR
Make Breiðamerkursandur a brief 30 minute pitstop in your Iceland travels. Other nearby landmarks include the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.
If pressed for time, skip the Diamond Beach. Focus on Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, which has far more impressive icebergs in the lagoon. Personally, I would highly recommend the zodiac boat tour!
On a final note, try Magma Hotel if you intend to stay around the South Coast Iceland area for at least one night. I stayed here for 2 nights and absolutely LOVED it!
CLICK HERE if you want to book a night’s stay at Magma Hotel 🙂
If you are looking for ideas on what else to see when exploring Southern Iceland, check out my travel posts below:
- Top 120+ Travel Tips to Iceland
- Things to do in Reykjavik, Iceland
- Glacier Hiking at the Sólheimajökull Glacier | Adventure Travel
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Kerid Crater
- Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
- Gullfoss Waterfall
- Skógafoss Waterfall
- The Best 8 Black Sand Beaches in Iceland
- Top 13 Travel Apps You Need When Visiting Iceland
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Map of Diamond Beach, Iceland
If you are wondering where you can find the Diamond Beach, follow the map below!
10 Comments
Saran
Oooh diamonds on the beach – too bad those aren’t reaaaal diamonds! Very informative, would love to visit one day!
Iuliya
I knowwww… if only they were real diamonds!!
Theresa
Loved how you covered every aspect, even toilets! Definitely on my to-go list if I get a chance!
Iuliya
Toilets are absolutely essential!! :p
Michelle
This is such an interesting post. I would love to visit. Thanks for the tips about not turning your back on them. I couldn’t imagine being swept into that freezing cold water!
Iuliya
I can’t imagine either!
Anna
What an interesting beach! I road tripped in Iceland years ago but didn’t make it to this beach. I so want to go back to Iceland as I loved it, and will definitely visit this amazing beach.
Iuliya
I hope you get to visit it!!
Sage Scott
I’d heard about the black sand beaches of Iceland, but I didn’t know much more than that. How fascinating that it’s also know as “diamond” beach, even if the “diamonds” are pieces of ancient icebergs instead of precious gems!
Iuliya
I know! And it really glistens like diamonds too. Diamonds that are thousands of years old. 😉