Diamond Beach

We stayed here for hours.

A stream from Glacier Lagoon feeds thes ocean from just behind the beach. In this lagoon, chunks of iceberg break off of a massive glacier and travel down the stream into the waves where they get tossed and rolled around before washing back on to shore. Like rocks out of a rock tumbler, the ancient ice emerges looking polished and new. If this isn’t breathtaking enough, the shore that the diamond-like ice rests on is made up of crushed volcanic rock, creating a stunning contrast between the clear ice and dark sand.

Plan to spend a lot of time here while you tour the ring road. The gentle power of the waves chiseling away the hard ice is one of the most mesmerizing sights on this journey. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a seal or two splashing away and bobbing around the ice too.