Hidden Gems · Iceland
Diamond Beach
Diamond Beach is the stretch of black sand at Breiðamerkursandur where ice from the Jökulsárlón lagoon washes back ashore. The blocks calve off Breiðamerkurjökull, drift through the lagoon and out to sea, and the tide returns some of them to the beach. How much ice is lying there changes from day to day.
Crowded, and still worth it. Five out of five on both scenery and crowds is not a contradiction here: there are coaches in the car park and people all along the sand, and the ice is good enough that it did not spoil it. Walk away from the car park along the beach and the numbers thin out fast. One thing to expect: how much ice is on the sand varies enormously, so the beach you get may not be the beach in the photographs.
My rating
Scale 1–5. On Cost, 1 means free and 5 means pricey. On Crowd level, 1 means near-solitude and 5 means tour-bus central.
Five out of five, one of only three I gave in Iceland. Clear ice on black sand with the surf behind it is a combination you will not find anywhere else, and it looks different every hour as the light moves through the blocks.
Located directly off Iceland’s Ring Road, Diamond Beach is easily reached and shares parking with Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
Parking is 1,040 ISK for the day and one payment covers the lagoon car park and both Diamond Beach car parks. If you pay a full fee at another Vatnajökull National Park site the same day, you get 50 percent off. Pay at the kiosk or through Parka. Checked August 2026.
Diamond Beach is quite popular and can get quite crowded, especially during the busy summer months when Iceland sees the most visitors. Despite this, the beach’s shoreline stretches for several kilometers, providing ample space to explore and find peaceful spots away from the crowds.
Before you go
Planning your own Ring Road trip?
Iceland Ring Road Campervan Guide
My full 14-day route — roughly 2,500 km, every campsite I used, what I actually spent, and the stops worth the detour. The plan I drove, in one PDF.
Advertising disclosure: The rental links below are affiliate links. If you book through one of them I earn a small commission — the price stays exactly the same for you.
How I booked my campervan
I compared three rentals before I chose mine. These are the ones worth checking — Lava gives 5% off with code CREATOR.