Country Life

Life’s a beach

Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland

WHEN you first set eyes on Reynisfjara Beach (also known as Black Sand Beach) at Iceland’s southernmost town, Vík í Mýrdal, more commonly known as Vik, you will feel as if you are at the end of the world. Dramatic rock pillars (the Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks) rise from the sea against the backdrop of bleak, jet-black sand and white sea foam, fierce Atlantic waves and ever-changing light under hexagonal cliffs.

As you take in the moody atmosphere, you may imagine you’re in a film set and, indeed, the beach appeared in . The sea stacks feature in ancient legends and are home to thousands of seabirds, such as puffins, guillemots and fulmars. However, the beach, which is about 112 miles from the capital, Reykjavik, is not for swimming: the

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