Sneaker Waves at Reynisfjara Beach

Video showing large waves and sneaker wave at Reynisfjara

The Black Sand Beach

Reynisfjara is the popular black sand beach on the south coast of Iceland near the small town of Vík. While being famous for beautiful rock formations and basalt columns, the beach is also well known for dangerously large sneaker waves.

Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara come out MUCH further than previous waves. This means that visitors can see 8 or 9 or however many waves come up to a certain point and then the next wave comes out much further than the previous ones. These waves are incredibly powerful and can easily sweep an adult out to sea. There is an underground cliff that has a very strong pulling effect on the waves. Once caught in the waves it is difficult to escape especially for a child. The water temperature is only a few degrees celsius so hypothermia can set in very quickly. Multiple people have died in the waves at Reynisfjara in the past few years.

We advise Reynisfjara visitors to:

• Read the safety signage at the beach
• Stay FAR back from the waves
• Supervise children very closely
• Refrain from turning their back to the waves

If the tide is high or coming in stay out of the cave to avoid becoming trapped. It is easy to get great pictures at Reynisfjara without putting yourself in danger. Follow our safety tips and feel free to contact us for any more questions.

Safety sign at Reynisfjara designed by Efla Engineering