Ulfseyjarsandur Black Sand Beach

Local name: Úlfseyjarsandur

Steam rises off the black sand itself, and the only way in is on foot down an airport runway.

Ulfseyjarsandur is a black sand beach on the coast near Djúpivogur, in East Iceland. The beach is long, backed by mountains and open to the North Atlantic, and steam rises off the dark sand. No road reaches the shore: the way in is on foot from the airport road, about 20 minutes' walk from the village. People come for the sand, the mountains and the quiet.

Beach Viewpoint

Parking: Free. The nearest car park is about 1.8 km from the beach, with an asphalt surface; a second free car park lies a little further out.
Difficulty: About 20 minutes on foot from Djúpivogur, along the airport road and down the runway, then out onto the sand.
Transport: Nearest bus stops are in Djúpivogur — Djúpivogur - Hótel Framtíð and Djúpivogur — both a little over 2 km from the beach.
Address: Úlfseyjarsandur, 766 Djúpivogur

What makes it special

Ulfseyjarsandur is a long black beach with mountains behind it and the open North Atlantic in front. The unusual part is the steam, which rises off the dark sand itself. The other half of it is the emptiness. No road reaches the shore and no vehicle gets onto the sand, so coaches never arrive; an hour here can pass without another person in sight. The mountains close the view on the land side, and on the water side there is nothing until the horizon. The beach is long, and most of it stays empty in either direction.

Good to know

No facilities: no toilets, no drinking water and no information point within 5 km of the beach.
Bring supplies: take water and food with you from Djúpivogur.
It stays quiet: no road reaches the sand, and the beach can be empty even in August.

Getting there

No bus runs to the beach and no road reaches the sand. Drivers leave Djúpivogur on the airport road and stop at the car park; the rest is on foot, down the runway and out onto the black sand. From the village itself the walk takes about 20 minutes. You return the same way, so carry in only what you are willing to carry back.

Best time to visit

Better: around sunrise or sunset, when low light sharpens the contrast between the black sand, the steam and the sky.

Avoid: squeezing it in as a quick roadside stop — the beach is reached on foot, and you walk back the same way.

Crowds are not what you plan around here. Even in summer the sand can be empty, so the hour of the day matters more than the month.

Things to do nearby

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Sun & daylight

Museum

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