Iceland – Basalt Rocks on the Black Beach at Dyrhólaey


Felsentor aus Basalt mit Blick aufs Meer am schwarzen Strand bei Dyrhólaey

After the peninsula we drove briefly down to the black beach between Vík and Dyrhólaey, a place you have often seen here on the blog. Those few minutes turned into sheer snowstorm chaos.

Basalt, snow and storm

The basalt rocks on the beach in particular offered beautiful motifs despite the weather: sharp edges around which the snow swept horizontally. The best-known stretch of this coast is Reynisfjara, with its basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks in the surf. In weather like this especially, keep your distance from the water – unexpectedly large waves regularly surge far up the beach here.

Sea stack in the surf on the black beach near Dyrhólaey
A sea stack in the surf on the black beach near Dyrhólaey.
Lone rock on the black beach in the fog
A lone rock on the black beach, the sea disappearing into grey.
Gull above a sea stack on the beach near Dyrhólaey
A gull above the sea stack.
Snow and tyre tracks on the black beach from above
Snow and tyre tracks on the black sand.
Flat rock in the grey sea off the beach
A flat rock in front of the grey sea.
Sea stack and bird on the misty beach near Dyrhólaey
Sea stack and bird in the mist – a few minutes turned into a snowstorm.
Rocks in the sea off Dyrhólaey in the fog
Rocks in the sea off Dyrhólaey.
Snowy rocks and a path to the beach near Dyrhólaey
Snowy rocks and a path down to the beach.
Basalt columns at the edge of the cave on Reynisfjara beach
Basalt columns at the edge of the cave at Reynisfjara.
Dark basalt wall on Reynisfjara beach against the light
A dark wall of basalt against the light.
Steep rock face on the beach with Dyrhólaey in the background
A steep rock face on the beach, Dyrhólaey in the mist behind.
Basalt columns on Reynisfjara beach against a bright sky
Basalt columns against a pale sky.
Columnar basalt on the cliff at Reynisfjara
Columnar basalt on the cliff at Reynisfjara.
Structure of the basalt columns in the Reynisfjara cave
Snow sweeps horizontally across the basalt columns.
Basalt cliffs on Reynisfjara beach in driving snow
Basalt cliffs in driving snow.
Basalt blocks close up on the cliff at Reynisfjara
Basalt blocks up close, sharp edges.
Narrow basalt wall on the beach in the fog
A narrow wall of basalt in the mist.
Dark cliff and surf at Reynisfjara in the fog
Dark cliff and surf – unexpectedly large waves keep running far up this beach.
Tall basalt cliff on the black beach of Reynisfjara
A tall basalt cliff on the black beach.
Silhouette of the basalt cliff against a grey sky
The silhouette of the cliff against a grey sky.
Vault of basalt columns in the Reynisfjara cave
A vault of basalt columns in the cave.
View from the Hálsanefshellir basalt cave out to sea
Looking out from the Hálsanefshellir cave to the sea.
Basalt rocks in driving snow against a bright sky
Basalt rocks in driving snow against a pale sky.
Surf and rocks in the fog on the black beach
Surf and rocks disappearing into the mist.

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