There’s Now a Black Sand Beachfront Hotel in Iceland, Because Sugar-sand Beaches Are So Last Year

Iceland’s South Coast is known for dramatic waterfalls, hulking glaciers, and sweeping black-sand beaches formed by the country’s volcanic landscape. Now, a new hotel gives travelers a chance to stay right in the middle of it all.

Black Sand Hotel is on a peninsula in the Ölfus region, just 45 minutes by car from Reykjavík. Set between a volcanic beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Ölfusá River, and mountains, the contemporary retreat is billed as Iceland’s first beachfront boutique hotel.

The property opened in stages, starting with its 70 guest rooms, bar, restaurant, and common spaces, all unveiled in April, followed by nine spacious suites—some with separate living and dining areas—in July. A geothermal spa, the last major addition, is slated to open this fall.

“Guests can leave Reykjavík, and in less than an hour, find themselves immersed in one of the country’s most dramatic coastal landscapes,” Kolbrún Eysteinsdóttir, the hotel’s general manager, tells Travel + Leisure. “It’s a setting that feels far removed from the city and offers guests a real sense of the beauty and scale of Iceland.”

Regan Stephens