Rauðasandur Beach And Saurbæjarkirkja
Rauðasandur Beach is an isolated beach in the Westfjords of Iceland. Where most beaches in Iceland are black or a very light white, this is unique in its deep golden red. It stretches for 10km with a campsite and seal colony at the southeastern end.
The farm, Sjöundá is located close to the campsite and was the site of a brutal passion murder in the early 1800s. Just a short distance from the beach is the black church called Saurbæjarkirkja.
Rauðasandur Beach
The road to Rauðisandur Beach (or Rauðasandur) is hard. The 180-degree hairpins on a gravel road with no safety barriers are not the ideal conditions even in good weather. It is however worth it as the landscape opens out and the 10km long sand beach comes into view.
After all of the black sand beaches that are scattered around Iceland, this red sand is a special treat. In the afternoon sunlight, it shimmers with a haze. The shallow water ripples reflect the blue sky in a diamond-like pattern with the distant outline of Snæfellsjökull glacier in the background.
However, this beach is a bit of a chameleon. The colours change with the light and time of day in a never-ending kaleidoscope. A dark day during winter on this beach is very different to the glistening hues of summer. The sand can appear anything from a light yellow to a deep orange-red, which becomes even deeper when seen against the green grasses that edge the beach.
The beach can be reached from the east end of the bay at the Melanes campsite following a well-marked path. Look and listen for the seals that haul out along this piece of coastline before fording the small river to get onto the beach. It is worth it to walk along the coarse sand, littered with shells and whale bones rolled smooth by the Atlantic waves.
You can also reach the at the opposite end following the paths that snake across the floodplain from the small farm beyond the church. If you are lucky you will be able to sit for a while at Franska kaffihúsið a small French cafe that opens for a short time each summer and watch the world go by.
Saurbæjarkirkja
Saurbæjarkirkja is the small church that sits below the mountains on this small fringe of land just a short distance from the cafe. It arrived in 1982 having originally been the church in Reykhólar. Each timber was marked as it was dismantled and rebuilt in Rauðasand.
The church sits away from the beach under the high cliffs that stand above this remote and isolated beach.
The Murders at Sjöundá
This stunning location does have an undercurrent and a history of darkness and passion. The infamous Murders at Sjöundá happened on the farm close to the Melanes campsite in 1802. Two families shared a farm but when one of the spouses in each family was found dead in unexplained circumstances a few months apart, the gossip about an affair became a reality.
The whole saga is described in the novel Svartfugl by the Icelandic writer Gunnar Gunnarsson. It was first published in Denmark in 1929 over 100 years after the event but is still a story people want to hear even today.
Places to Stay Near Rauðasandur
In the Rauðasandur Beach area accommodation is limited. In the south-eastern corner of the bay is Melanes campsite which is right on the beach. The facilities are good and they have sleeping pods if a tent is a little too extreme. It can be a little exposed here but it is the only option in the area. The campsite does not need to be booked in advance, you just pay at the kiosk when someone is there but the pods need to be booked in advance.
Getting to Rauðasandur Beach and Saurbæjarkirkja
Rauðasandur Beach can be reached by following the 614 road over the mountain pass, a road which is often described as the most difficult to drive in Westfjords.
The 614 is a small left turn signposted off the 612 to Látrabjarg which joins with the main 62, the link between Patreksfjörður and Flókalundur near the Brjánslækur ferry (to Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula).
The 612 and 614 are both gravel for a large part of the drive and can be narrow and winding with passing places.
If you do not want to drive, then there are tours from Reykjavík which include time to walk on Rauðasandur Beach
- Rauðasandur Beach, 451 Patreksfjörður, Iceland
- Find the beach on Google Maps
- Fuel is limited in this area so make sure that you leave Patreksfjörður with a full tank.
- Allow time to navigate the mountain pass down to the beach, it is steep with switchbacks and hairpins on rough gravel
- If you are planning to walk at Rauðasandur Beach check the Tide Times to ensure the tide is out and the beach is exposed.
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