When we took our Iceland tour in 2016, there was not a choice of shore excursions – though I will say we were very happy with the ones Tauck provided.  Our first port was Grundarfjordur.  We had three stops, each with a different kind of beach.  Budir, our first stop, is famous for its black church and rare golden sand beach.  We first came to the church, one of three black churches in Iceland.  The exterior of the church is painted with pitch, just like the hull of a boat.  This protects it from the harsh weather.  A church has been on these grounds since 1703, but the current one dates back to 1848.  A lava wall surrounds the church.  A short walk brought us to the sandy beach, though there were large pieces of lava rock on the beach as well.  The contrast in colors was striking.

Our second stop was at Arnarstapi which is on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.  This beach is characterized by cliffs of lava and basalt which serve as a resting place for migrating birds.  We saw kittiwakes among others. We also saw a sculpture of Bardur Snaefellsas, who is supposedly half man and half giant.  He is the deity of Mt. Snaefell.

Our last stop of the day was Djupalonssandur Beach which was also on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.  The first picture is the path to the beach.  I included it because it depicts lava, moss and grass.  After volcanic eruptions, moss will actually grow before there is soil for grass.  This is true throughout Iceland – soil is at a premium.

The beach itself is made up of smooth, black pebbles that have been washed ashore from the ocean.  They have been made smooth by water and wind.  Unique lava formations surround the beach.  The remains of a British trawler which was shipwrecked in 1948 is still on the beach. They are a reminder of the powerful sea.  Our group could choose to walk directly on the beach or take a path overlooking the beach.  We took the upper path though both provided incredible views.