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Free road trip plans with maps
Day-by-day plans for the four drives most people take, each on an interactive map with where to sleep, fuel stops, waterfalls and reader discounts along the way. Built for a relaxed pace, not a race.
See all road trip plansMap of hot springs, spas and pools
Every lagoon, wild hot spring and town pool in Iceland on one map. Find warm water near you, and see which spas give my readers a discount.
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The Reynisfjara black beach on the south coast of Iceland is an iconic place. It is right up there with other world-famous destinations like Blue Lagoon Thingvellir, Gullfoss waterfall, Skógarfoss waterfall, Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, The geysers of Haukadalir, Langjökull glacier with the ice tunnel, Hveradalir in the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range, Vatnajokull glacier, Lake Myvatn, and Eyjafjallajokull. There are many more of course but you get the picture.
Dramatic Scenery
The black beach is famous for its beauty. The photogenic Reynisdrangar sea stacks, impressive Dyrhóley promontory, and the rugged-looking Hálsanefshellir cave. Basalt columns in the rocks make everything look just perfect.
Nearby attractions
The beach is near the village of Vík. Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls are nearby. So are Eyjafjallajökull glacier and Mýrdalsjökull glacier which covers the infamous volcano Katla. Visit the Icelandic Lava Show, there. It is the only show which has lava flowing indoors.
Claim to fame for Reynisfjara black beach
Reynisfjara black beach has been featured in many videos. Most recently it is the setting for the ´Head Above Water’ music video by Avril Lavigne.
Stay safe on Reynisfjara black beach
Don’t go too close to the beach. Massive waves can hit at any time and carry you out to sea. This can be lethal. Here is a recent video from Reynisfjara beach which shows how intense and dangerous things can get.
Read travel stories featuring Reynisfjara beach
Hallveig’s Top 5 International Restaurants in Reykjavík
Here is my Top 5 list of restaurants that offer international cuisine in Reykjavík. 5. Thai cuisine Restaurant: Ban Thai Ban Thai in Laugavegur 130 is an establishment in Iceland. Founded over 30 years ago, it has been a beacon of Thai food in Reykjavík…
Hlemmur Mathöll: From Bus Station to Reykjavík’s Favorite Food Hall
For decades, Hlemmur was where Reykjavík waited for the bus. People stood in the cold and watched the buses come and go. It was also a sanctuary for the down-and-out. Homeless men would hang around, trying to get some warmth while they nursed their moonshine….
Midgard Adventure: Þórsmörk, Highland and Northern Lights Tours from Hvolsvöllur
One of my many valued partners is Midgard Adventure and Midgard Base Camp. They operate in the village of Hvolsvöllur on the south coast of Iceland. Hildur Kristjánsdottir leads this family-run tour company. Her passion for the wonders of the Icelandic highlands and sustainable living…
Laugarás Lagoon Discount Code: 5% Off With STUCKINICELAND
Here in Iceland, we are lucky to have an abundance of warm water. It has given Icelanders and travelers alike a favorite pastime: soaking in geothermal lagoons all around the country, not to mention our wonderful public swimming pools. Laugarás Lagoon is one of the…
I’m Afraid of Heights. I Did the Via Ferrata on Mt. Esja Anyway
I am afraid of heights. However, I have challenged my fear quite a bit over the years. I have completed the military-grade death march of the Glerárdalur 24 peaks in 24 hours and trekked up to Hrútfjallstindar, Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur. I have crossed a…
Want to Celebrate Icelandic Christmas – Here is the Ultimate guide
Icelanders go big on Christmas. Generous gift-giving is a core feature of Icelandic Christmas. The festival lasts 13 days. Like elsewhere in the Western world, Christmas celebrations and preparations start obnoxiously early, but we Icelanders try to extend the ancient solstice festivities for as long…
The 13 Icelandic Yule Lads: Iceland’s Bad Santas
Icelanders have their version of Santa Claus. Actually, we have thirteen versions of Santa Claus. Yes! Iceland has thirteen Santa Clauses, called Yule lads (‘Jólasveinar’ in Icelandic). The global trend of gentrification has caught up with them, and now they are a delight to children….
The Icelandic Christmas Cat: Iceland’s Most Terrifying Yuletide Monster
The horrible Icelandic Yule lads were a gruesome bunch of trolls that terrorized children and stole food from hungry peasants around Christmas. Their parents were the horrible ogre Grýla, who ate naughty children, and her bedridden, lazy, no-good husband Leppalúði. And there was their pet,…
The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhólshellir): What It’s Like Inside
My wife, Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir, and I drove out to Raufarhólshellir on an ordinary afternoon, the way you do when something good sits 30 minutes from your front door, and you have finally run out of excuses. It is a lava tube — a cave left…
New Year’s Eve in Iceland: What Actually Happens, Hour by Hour
New Year’s Eve is the one night of the year when this quiet country completely loses its mind. There is no official fireworks display in Reykjavík. No municipal show, no cordoned-off viewing area, no man on a microphone counting down. Instead, roughly every household in…
Reykjavík at Christmas: What’s Open, What to Do, and How to Save
Reykjavík at Christmas is dark, quiet and full of small lights. The city fills up with candles in windows, markets with mulled wine, and families out on the shopping streets. It’s a lovely time to visit, as long as you know how the holidays work…
Vök baths is a must visit nature bath in the east of Iceland
Vök Baths sit on the shore of Urriðavatn lake, about five kilometers from Egilsstaðir on Route 1. Two of the hot pools float on the lake itself. That is not a gimmick; geothermal springs run under the lake, and locals have known for generations that…
Gravel Travel Iceland: Super Jeep Tours and Your 15% Discount
If you want to see the parts of Iceland that most visitors drive past, Gravel Travel is worth knowing about. They are a family-run operator, authorized by the Icelandic Tourist Board, and they are well rated on TripAdvisor. Their 4×4 trucks reach tracks ordinary tour…
The Hengifoss Food Truck Serving Iceland’s Only Sheep Milk Ice Cream
Icelanders used to milk their sheep. For centuries, sheep milk was a common food in this country; then the tradition died out almost completely as farming shifted to meat and wool. A German cultural anthropologist living on the innermost farm in Fljótsdalur, East Iceland, brought…
Secret Lagoon Discount Code: Stuck25 for 15% Off
Short answer: the discount code for the Secret Lagoon in Flúðir is Stuck25. It gives you 15% off admission when you book on secretlagoon.is. An adult ticket drops from 4,500 ISK to 3,825 ISK — you save 675 ISK per person. No signup, no catch….
10% off whale watching from Reykjavik with the acclaimed company Elding
I have partnered with Elding since the early days of this magazine, and I continue to work with them. Not out of loyalty — out of habit, because the tours are good and because the company behaves the way I want an Icelandic tour operator…
Iceland Filming Locations You Can Actually Visit
If you saw The Odyssey this summer and thought the underworld looked oddly familiar, you were not imagining things. Odysseus walks into Hades on a black sand beach about two hours east of Reykjavík, and you can drive to it. 2026 has turned into one…
Iceland Sheep Round Up: How to Visit Réttir
I am not a farmer. I should get that out of the way first. My most vivid memory from a farm is from when I was four or five. I had been sent off with my cousins to a remote farm belonging to two brothers,…
From Los Angeles to Arnarfjörður: The Novelist Behind the Artists’ Residency Near Dynjandi
In early July, my wife and I traveled around the Westfjords. One of our favorite stops was Laugaból, also known as The Guesthouse at Dynjandi Falls, in Arnarfjörður. This is where we got to know Leslie Schwartz and Greg Littlewood. They bought the farm in…
From Paraguay to the Rainbow Street: The Couple Behind Seyðisfjörður’s Most Surprising Food Truck
Seyðisfjörður in the East of Iceland has always attracted people who do things their own way. It is a town of just under 700 people at the end of a long fjord in the East, famous for its rainbow street, its artist community, and the…
Six Trips to Iceland: A French Travel Editor Shares What She’s Learned
I meet a lot of travelers at the day job, but every now and then someone walks in who’s clearly done their homework. Auriane Rezé-Duclos was on her sixth trip to Iceland when I met her at Lava Show, and it turns out she runs…
Krauma Nature Baths – A Silver Circle Highlight in West Iceland
Looking for a top-rated relaxation experience in Iceland? Krauma Nature Baths offer soothing geothermal waters, stylish facilities, and a perfect location on the Silver Circle—West Iceland’s newest scenic road trip. Just an hour’s drive from Reykjavík, Krauma is fed by Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot…
Rent Outdoor Clothes & Camping Gear for Your Iceland Trip — Save 10% With My Code
One of the best services I have seen for travelers is Iceland Cover, which lets you rent outdoor clothes and camping gear for your trip to Iceland. I know that many people are excited about visiting Iceland but are rightly worried about how to dress…
15 Best Vacation Rental Platforms for Iceland Getaways in 2026
Planning a trip to Iceland means finding the right place to stay while you chase the Northern Lights or soak in geothermal pools. The wrong booking choice can mean hidden fees, misleading photos, or properties that don’t match what you expected. Iceland’s unique landscape —…
Eyrún Lydía’s Glacier Lake Dive: A First for Iceland
The brilliant photographer Eyrún Lydía is a friend of the magazine. I interviewed her after I discovered her wonderful photos of Icelandic nature some three years ago. Eyrún was gracious enough to take the time to share some very helpful photography tips with my readers….
RIB Boat Tours in the Eastfjords: A Guide to Fjarðaferðir in Neskaupstaður
The Eastfjords are the part of Iceland that most travelers admit they ran out of time for. The Ring Road slings you down the south coast, past Vatnajökull and Höfn, and by the time you reach the east, you’ve usually got a ferry to catch…
The Reykjavik City Card unlocks the capital of cool
One of the best ways to save money while exploring Reykjavik is to use the Reykjavik City Card. This handy card is a traveler’s key to unlocking Reykjavik’s culture, history, and activities. Dive into Iceland’s museums, enjoy the city’s geothermal pools, or take in the…
Silfra Just Levelled Up: Dive.is Now Offers the Whole Collection
The water in Silfra is so clear that you can see roughly 100 meters ahead of you. The choice of how to experience it just got a lot clearer, too. I have been sending readers to Dive.is for years, because floating between two continents in…
New Partner: Lava Car Rental — 5% Off Your Wheels in Iceland
If you’re planning a trip to Iceland, here’s something most first-timers underestimate: the rental car is often the single biggest line on the budget. Hotels and tours you can scale up or down, but a car is a car — and in Iceland, you’re going…
I’ve Just Updated My Guide to Key Icelandic Phrases — and Made It Actually Useful
When I first wrote my Icelandic phrases guide back in 2021, the idea was simple: give visitors a friendly nudge towards a few words they could use on their trip. It’s been one of the most-read articles on Stuck in Iceland ever since. But re-reading…