The south coast at a glance
- Where
- Route 1 from Selfoss east to Hofn
- Driving time
- Reykjavik to Jokulsarlon is roughly 5 hours one way
- Minimum
- Two nights out; three is better
- Highlights
- Jokulsarlon, Diamond Beach, Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss
- By ship
- Heimaey (Westman Islands) is the common call
- Serious hazard
- Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara have killed visitors
How Dangerous Is Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach?
Dangerous enough that people have died there. Reynisfjara produces sneaker waves — single waves that run far higher up the beach than the ones before them, with a strong undertow and no shallow shelf. Stay well back from the waterline, never turn your back on the sea, and keep children in hand.
This is the first section on this page deliberately. The beach is beautiful, the basalt columns and sea stacks are worth the stop, and none of that changes the fact that the water is lethal. Warning systems and signage exist on site; the deaths happened anyway, to people photographing the surf.
FIRSTHAND: in April 2023 we watched visitors walk to the wet sand for a photograph while a set was building. The wave that catches people is not the one they are looking at. Stand on dry sand, above the highest wrack line, and stay there.
The same rule applies at Diamond Beach beside Jokulsarlon, where waves shift ice blocks that weigh more than you do, and never climb on beached icebergs anywhere in Iceland.
What Is on Iceland's South Coast?
In order east from Reykjavik: Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, the black sand and sea stacks at Vik, glacier tongues off Myrdalsjokull and Vatnajokull, then Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach. Offshore lies Heimaey in the Westman Islands.
| Stop | Roughly from Reykjavik | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui | 2 hours | Waterfall with a path behind the curtain | Waterproofs; slippery and icy in shoulder season |
| Skogafoss | 2 hours | Broad 60 m fall with a clifftop stair | Spray reaches the lower viewing area |
| Reynisfjara and Vik | 2.5 hours | Black sand, basalt columns, sea stacks | Sneaker waves have been fatal — stay on dry sand |
| Solheimajokull | 2.5 hours | Accessible glacier tongue | Guided glacier walks only |
| Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach | 5 hours | Iceberg lagoon and ice on black sand | Needs an overnight nearby; do not climb on ice |
| Heimaey, Westman Islands | Offshore | Eldfell volcano and a large puffin colony | Expedition call or ferry from Landeyjahofn |
Times are dry-road estimates. Winter conditions, wind closures and daylight change them materially.
FIRSTHAND: we have driven this coast twice, most recently for ten days in April 2023, and reached Heimaey from the sea aboard the Ocean Diamond in 2022 — so we can compare the two approaches directly. From a car, the south coast is a queue of car parks in summer and an empty road in April. From a ship, it is a single island landing.
Is Jokulsarlon Worth the Drive?
Yes, and it needs more time than people give it. Icebergs calve off Breidamerkurjokull into the lagoon, drift to the outlet, and wash back onto the black sand as Diamond Beach. Boat trips run in the warmer months; the lagoon and beach are free to visit year-round.
FIRSTHAND: April meant ice in the lagoon, low light for most of the day, and space to stand still. It is also five hours each way from Reykjavik — the single most common mistake on this coast is trying it as a day trip.
Nearby Fjallsarlon is quieter and photographs almost as well. Ice caves in the same glacier system are covered in the Iceland ice caves guide.
Which South Coast Waterfalls Are Worth Stopping For?
Seljalandsfoss, because a path runs behind the curtain of water; Skogafoss, for scale and the stair to the clifftop; and Gljufrabui, tucked in a slot beside Seljalandsfoss and missed by most visitors. All three are within a short drive of Route 1.
FIRSTHAND: behind Seljalandsfoss in April is wet and icy underfoot, and the spray freezes on the rock. Waterproofs, not an umbrella, and boots with grip.
What Is Heimaey Like from an Expedition Ship?
It is the south coast landing a voyage gives you that a car does not easily. Heimaey is a volcanic island with the 1973 Eldfell eruption running through the town itself, buried houses at the edge of the lava, and one of the largest Atlantic puffin colonies in the North Atlantic.
FIRSTHAND: Eldfell's cinders were the closest we came in Iceland to standing on something geologically new. Ferries reach Heimaey from Landeyjahofn, but an expedition call puts you ashore without the schedule risk.
Which voyages include it is set out in Iceland cruise itineraries, and the ships in the Iceland cruise guide.
How Long Do You Need for the South Coast?
Three days and two nights as a minimum if Jokulsarlon is included: Vik on the first night, the glacier lagoon area on the second, and the drive back on the third. Two nights is workable; a single day out of Reykjavik is not.
Winter shortens everything. Daylight, road closures and wind are the constraints, not distance — Route 1 planning in full is in the Ring Road guide, and the cruise-versus-driving decision in Iceland by cruise or by Ring Road.
South coast questions
Why is Reynisfjara beach dangerous?
Sneaker waves run far higher up the beach than the preceding waves, the shelf drops away, and the undertow is strong. Visitors have been killed. Stay well back from the water and never turn your back on the sea.
Can you visit Jokulsarlon as a day trip from Reykjavik?
You can drive it, but it is roughly five hours each way and a poor use of the day. Stay a night near Hof or Hofn instead.
Is there ice at Diamond Beach all year?
Usually some, but it varies with calving and currents. Ice moves and rolls in the surf, so keep off it and away from the waterline.
How do expedition ships reach the south coast?
Most call at Heimaey in the Westman Islands, where the 1973 Eldfell eruption and a large puffin colony are both a short walk from the landing.
What is the south coast like in April?
Empty by summer standards, with long daylight, snow still on high ground and fast-changing weather. We drove it in April 2023 and would do that month again.
Do you need a four-wheel drive on the south coast?
Not for Route 1 and the main car parks in summer. In winter and shoulder season a larger vehicle with proper tyres is worth having, and highland tracks need four-wheel drive regardless.