20 Best Beaches in the World
By • Last UpdatedReynisfjara Beach, Iceland
On sunny days along Iceland’s south coast, the striking contrast of Reynisfjara Beach’s deep black sand and towering basalt sea stacks is truly breathtaking. However, don’t let the scenery deceive you: “Powerful waves are known to knock people off their feet,” warns Katie Hammel from the Iceland-based company TripCreator.
The Reynisdrangar are basalt sea stacks located beneath the mountain Reynisfjall, near the village of Vík í Mýrdal. This area is bordered by a black sand beach that was named one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world in 1991.
According to legend, the stacks were formed when two trolls attempted to drag a three-masted ship to shore. However, as dawn broke, they were turned to stone, becoming the iconic rock formations we see today.
Contemporary tales tell of a husband who discovered his wife had been taken by the two trolls, frozen in the night. He compelled the trolls to swear never to harm anyone again. His wife, the love of his life, had a free spirit that he could not contain, ultimately leading her to her fate among the trolls, rocks, and sea at Reynisfjara.