Diamond Beach

About

Diamond Beach is named for the clear chunks of ice that wash up on its black volcanic sands. These icebergs originate at the Breidamerkurjokull glacier (hence the name Breidamerkursandur in Icelandic), and many of them are of 1,000 years old. Every day new ‘diamonds’ was ashore, meaning the beach never looks the same, and visitors always have a new landscape to experience. The beach is also an important breeding ground for many of Iceland’s birds, such as the Arctic Tern and the Great Skua, and as such is listed as a National conservation area. While here, be sure to take the short walk to the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, which has appeared in two James Bond movies, as well as one of the Tomb Raider films. Formed after the Breidamerkurjokull glacier began retreating in the 20th century, the lagoon is filled with icebergs left behind by the glacier.