Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks

The Reynisdrangar are three basalt sea stacks that rise from the sea just off the coast at Reynisfjara. The tallest reaches about 66 metres and all three are visible from the beach and the Dyrhólaey promontory. Arctic terns and fulmars nest on the stacks and surrounding cliffs; in summer, puffins add to the spectacle.

The stacks are not accessible — the sea between the beach and the stacks is too dangerous to wade or swim — but they are best viewed from the beach at Reynisfjara, where they appear framed by the basalt columns and the dark cliff face of Reynisfjall. The view from the Dyrhólaey headland to the west gives a different perspective, looking down over the entire bay.

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A story
Icelandic folklore explains the sea stacks as two trolls who were caught at sea trying to drag a three-masted ship to land. Dawn caught them before they could return to shore, and they turned to stone. The three stacks are named Langsamur (the tall one), Langhryggur, and Háistandur. Puffins nest in the cliffs above and around them every summer, arriving in April and leaving in August.

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