Rauðisandur

“Most Icelandic beaches are black volcanic sand, but Raudisandur glows red and gold because it is made of crushed seashells rather than lava.”

About Rauðisandur

For most of its history Raudisandur was simply a remote farming district at the end of a difficult road in the southern Westfjords. Its distinctive shell-sand and isolation have made it a quiet favourite among travellers willing to tackle the steep access route, and a small cafe and church mark the only services along the bay.

Raudisandur

Raudisandur is a long, remote beach in the southern Westfjords whose sand shifts through shades of red, pink and gold rather than the black that covers most of Iceland's coast. Stretching for around ten kilometres along Breidafjordur, it is backed by green hills and faced by turquoise shallows, a colour combination found almost nowhere else in the country.

Sand From Shells

The unusual colour comes from the sea. Most Icelandic beaches are black volcanic sand, but Raudisandur is made largely of crushed and weathered scallop and other seashells, which lend it warm reds and golds that change with the light and the tide. Reaching it requires a steep, winding descent on a narrow mountain road, which keeps numbers low and the long beach often almost empty.

The Experience

You drop down a steep, single-track mountain road to a vast, near-empty beach where the sand glows in reds and golds against the turquoise shallows and green hills. The colour shifts with the weather and tide, and the sheer space and silence are the draw. Birdlife is abundant, and seals are sometimes seen offshore.

Why It Matters

Raudisandur is a striking exception to Iceland's black-sand norm and one of the most peaceful, least-developed beaches in the country. It captures the Westfjords' character: hard to reach, sparsely visited and quietly extraordinary for those who make the effort.

Why Visit

A rare red-gold shell-sand beach, vast and usually empty, with turquoise water and green hills, deep in the remote southern Westfjords.