The Ring Road around Iceland’s perimeter is jam packed with stunning scenery. One of my most memorable stops was Diamond Beach, a spectacular black sand beach where icebergs from the famous Jökulsárlón lagoon wash up. As the ice chunks head out to sea, some of them are pushed back ashore by wind and waves, creating a landscape of ice boulders that is a virtual playground for photographers. It’s beautiful, and a must-see stop on your Ring Road trip. Keep reading for my fifteen favorite pictures that will inspire you to visit Diamond Beach in Iceland.
The waves endlessly beating against the ice bergs is a great reminder of the force of nature. The water never ceases.
If you’re brave enough to venture to the water’s edge, you’ll be treated to delightful scenes of water swirling around the ice boulders nestled in the black sand.
The best ones still have the blue tint of glacial water. For more spectacular blue ice, check out the tour to the nearby ice cave that departs right from Jökulsárlón.
I grew up in a place that gets its share of winter weather, but I’ve never seen anything quite like the field of ice boulders on Diamond Beach in Iceland.
I love this one for the beautiful blue ice and the large wave that’s about to break off in the distance.
Some of the ice boulders contain swirls of volcanic ash from long ago eruptions (and yes, some of them just have black sand on them).
These ice bergs look massive, but every wave rocked and jostled them like they were ice cubes. Water is ridiculously powerful.
I had to be quick to get this shot right by the water because there were bigger waves coming in and I couldn’t afford to get my shoes wet when I was about to head up onto the glacier that spawned these very icebergs.
Sea spray like this always reminds me of a scene from “The Little Mermaid.” Enjoy that brilliant blue though.
The ice boulders have a somewhat strange texture. I’m not sure what causes it – the glacial forces, exposure to seawater, melting, it could be anything – but it’s very intriguing to look at.
These ice bergs had to have weighed at least a thousand pounds, but the waves were shoving them around anyway.
This one looks like a dolphin!
This end of the beach was quieter, but it also had smaller chunks of ice.
I loved that all of the chunks of ice had different textures. Some of them were very blue, some were completely clear, some were more milky. The contrasts, especially when the black sand beach is factored in, make for beautiful photographs.
Getting to Diamond Beach
Don’t miss a chance to stroll among ice boulders at beautiful Diamond Beach in Iceland! It’s very easy to find. As you approach Jökulsárlón on the Ring Road from the west (coming from Reykjavik), you’ll want to turn off to the right just before you cross the bridge (Reverse these directions if you’re coming from the other direction). There’s a fairly large dirt parking area, and from there you can walk right to Diamond Beach. It’s about a five-hour drive fro Reykjavik, so I wouldn’t plan on making it a day trip, but if that’s your only option, it’s possible.
The amount of ice bergs and boulders that you see will depend on the weather and time of year. The direction of the wind and water can have a significant impact on the amount of ice that you get to see, so factor that into your plans.
Read more about Iceland here:
- What to Pack for Winter in Iceland
- Snowmobiling and Caving in the Vatnajökull Glacier
- The Best Spot to Ride Icelandic Horses
- 25 Pictures to Put Iceland on Your Winter Bucket List
- The Amateur’s Guide to Photographing the Northern Lights
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Kris is a girl whose suitcase never rests. Follow her adventures around the United States, abroad, and to her beloved Disney parks. Traveling the world, camera in hand, and sharing all of her best adventures is her ultimate dream.
Love to get there one day! Really beautiful!
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This is so incredible! Iceland is very high on my “place to visit” list. I love how you had to not get shoes wet when at the beach, but then going up a glacier!
This was my favourite sight in Iceland. And I have been blessed with a cloudless blue sky when I was there (I had kept my fingers crossed for months and I got lucky). Would you believe I almost missed the Diamond Beach? I knew about it, but then when I had seen Jokulsarlon I was so mesmerized I thought that the banks of the lagoon with a few ice chunks were already that. Luckily I checked again and realized that on the other side of the road there was much more to the lagoon and we saw the actual Diamond Beach. I loved it so much.
Incredible photos! I can definitely see how the Diamond Beach is a photographer’s dream! In some photos, the ice and waves look like an abstract painting. Amazing!
The dolphin one is so cool. It’s almost as if nature carved it out in the likeness of a lost soul. Sorry… The poet side of me is running free!
I loved seeing all the pics! We’re going to Iceland this fall and definitely stopping here!
Looks so amazing and beautiful! I’ve never seen something so unique! Totally saving this for a future trip to Iceland. Thanks for all the great info!
Lovely photos, brought back memories ! Iceland is a stunning country. I have visited the more common sights in Iceland and I agree that the Diamond Beach is a must-see !
These photos are incredible, I wouldn’t know where to begin photographing ice boulders. Was this during winter?
Wow, that place looks insane -it must have been so incredible to see it in person! Such a cool landscape, love the combination of ice, water, and black sand. Definitely putting this on the list for when I go to Iceland!
Stunning photos. Love Iceland! Haven’t made it to this spot yet, but definitely will try to the next time we visit.
Look how blue that ice is! Definitely putting this on my Wishlist for when I get to Iceland!
I’ll be there is just over a month. Can’t wait especially after seeing these photos.
This is just soooo beautiful! A kind of beach I would love to visit. And you are brave to come so close to the waves. 🙂
To be honest, I’ve never heard about this until I came across your post! It looks just like a fairytale, totally love it and makes me wanna go to Iceland even more…
Love the name Diamond Beach and it’s clearly so fitting based on your pictures. Your photos look more like paintings than photos! I cannot believe how blue it is.
Diamond Beach looks absolutely incredible!! Iceland has been inching its way higher and higher up my list and this post only made it shoot that much higher. Simply stunning! Your shots are gorgeous!
This is stunning!! We didn’t get to see this when we were in Iceland, but I would definitely put it on my list for next time!
These photos are great! I love Diamond Beach in Iceland!