On the rugged coast of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is a black pebble beach laden with mystical lava formations, the scattered remains of a seventy-year-old shipwreck, and stones which will test your strength. Incredibly beautiful and endlessly interesting, Djúpalónssandur is located in the middle of Snæfellsjökull National Park, just a short drive off of the main road.
There is a large lot which includes a free restroom, it is a quick walk down to the beach on Nautastígur, the Path of the Bull.
Descending through the lava field is otherworldly as strange formations jut up overhead in every direction.
Many of these structures have deep-rooted significance in the Icelandic culture of hidden people. One of the rocks is known as the Church of the Elves, others are known to be trolls – who become petrified to stone upon seeing daylight.
With that being said, you should not collect any stones when walking on the beach…it brings bad luck.
Exploring the expanse of the cove transitions from soft black sand to stones as smooth as black pearls, translating to Djúpalónsperlur.
They can be difficult to walk on, so a good pair of shoes will make all of the difference. To the left side of the beach, facing the ocean, are tall and twisting towers of lava.
In the water we were captivated by a shark who spent quite some time hunting back and forth along the shore.
Be cautious and do not walk too close to the waves, which can be very powerful, unsuspecting tourists have been sucked into the sea here.
You might imagine how dangerous conditions in the area are by assessing the waves, and also by the iron jigsaw puzzle of pieces left from the British trawler, Epine GY7.
On the night of March 13th, 1948 there was a blizzard and 14 men lost their lives, some of them were never found.
Five men were lucky enough to be rescued, be respectful of this history and do not touch the remains of the ship.
One thing you can touch, if you can find them, are the lifting stones which test your strength.
Known as Aflraunasteinar – Steinatök, there are four different sized stones each with individual names: full strong, half strong, half carrier, weakling. The heaviest is 339lbs and used in strong men contests, which are prevalent in Iceland. To be an oarsman on a fishing boat from nearby Dritvík Cove, you’d half to be able to lift the half carrier which weighs 119lbs. You can extend your hike to reach that very cove, which was once the biggest seasonal fishing station in the country from 16th century until the 19th century…now deserted.