Skardsvik Beach

Skarðsvík is one of Iceland's few golden-sand beaches, set against dark basalt cliffs and remarkably clear water at the western end of Snæfellsjökull National Park on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The colour contrast is what draws photographers out along the gravel road past the lava fields. A 10th-century Viking grave was found in the sand here in 1962, though the powerful surf means swimming is out of the question.