Djúpalónssandur & Dritvík: The Black Pebble Beach and Lifting Stones
Djúpalónssandur is a cove of black, rounded lava pebbles on the south-west tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, inside Snæfellsjökull National Park. It’s one of the few beaches on this coast where you can walk right down to the surf between lava formations, and it carries two features that set it apart from Iceland’s other black-sand stops: a scattering of rusted shipwreck iron and four stones once used to test a fisherman’s strength.
The Four Lifting Stones
Near the top of the beach sit four rounded stones, known as Steinatök. Each has a name tied to its weight: Fullsterkur (“fully strong,” about 154 kg), Hálfsterkur (“half strong,” about 100 kg), Hálfdrættingur (“weakling,” about 54 kg), and Amlóði (“useless,” about 23 kg). Fishing crews once worked this cove, and a man’s ability to lift Hálfsterkur onto a ledge was, by tradition, the minimum needed to be taken on as a boat hand. Amlóði — the lightest — was reportedly the stone given to those who couldn’t manage more, a mark against their name. Visitors still try their hand at all four; lifting Fullsterkur is a genuine feat of strength, not a photo prop.
The Wreck of the Epine
Scattered across the sand nearby are rusted iron fragments from the Epine GY7, a British trawler that wrecked on the rocks east of Dritvík on the night of 13 March 1948. Fourteen crew died in the wreck; five were saved by local rescue teams working through a blizzard. The remains are protected as a historical monument — do not move or remove any of the iron. The wreckage and the stones together make Djúpalónssandur as much a memorial as a scenic stop.
Djúpalónsperlur: The Black Pearls
The beach’s pebbles are known locally as Djúpalónsperlur, or “pearls of Djúpalón” — smooth, black, rounded by centuries of surf against lava rock. Collecting them is prohibited, both to protect the beach and because removing pebbles from any Icelandic nature reserve is against park rules. Take photos, not souvenirs.
- Getting there: about 75-90 minutes’ drive from Stykkishólmur, via the south side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula and Route 574, inside Snæfellsjökull National Park
- Parking: free car park at the trailhead
- Walk: short, well-marked path down to the beach, roughly 10-15 minutes round trip to the shore and back, longer if you continue to neighboring Dritvík cove
- What to bring: sturdy shoes for loose lava rock and pebbles, a windproof layer — this coast is exposed
- Timing: allow 45-60 minutes to see the stones, the wreck site, and the beach without rushing
- Rules: do not remove pebbles or touch/move wreck iron — both are protected
Where to Stay
The Stykkishólmur Inn puts you in the walkable old town on Snæfellsnes’s north coast, making it a natural base for a full day looping the peninsula out to Djúpalónssandur and back before dinner. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.
Photo: Chris 73 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.