Djupalonssandur (Djúpalónssandur) beach
Djupalonssandur (Djúpalónssandur) beach
Be aware that the waves on this beach can be unpredictable and there are dangerous currents in the area.
We recommend you keep a distance of 25m from the sea under normal conditions and 40m when the sea is rough.
Turn onto road 572 and head to Djupalonssandur beach. Lava from a Snaefellsjokull eruption 7,000 years ago has been fashioned into round black pebbles known in Iceland as Djupalonsperlur or ‘the pearls of Djupalon’, by the power of the waves.
Walking on these pebbles creates a special sound and it is believed that holding them in the palm of your hand is a great stress reliever, which is why they are sometimes known as ‘worry stones’.
From the car park (toilets closed in winter) take the right-hand path past the picnic table and walk down to the beach. You’ll pass a lava formation on the right with a hole in it, Gataklettur. In clear weather, the summit of Snaefellsjokull is framed in it when viewed from a certain angle.
By the beach, you’ll find rocks of different weights, once used by fishermen to test and demonstrate their strength (depending on how heavy a rock they could handle, the bigger part of the catch would be theirs). In March 1947, the British trawler Epine ran aground in a storm and only five of the crew of 19 were rescued.
It was decided to let nature take its course and break down the trawler little by little and its rusty remains can still be seen on the beach.
If you don’t feel like walking down to the ocean you can follow the boardwalk to a viewing platform overlooking Djuplonssandur beach and the surrounding area.