Situated about 2 hours southeast of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, lies one of the country’s more unusual sights. The wreckage of a US Navy DC-3 rests in a seemingly endless field of grey volcanic sand. The plane crashed in 1973 after running out of fuel on a training flight. All crew survived, and the wreckage was left where it came to a halt.
The Sólheimasandur beach, that the wreck sits on, stretches from the highway all the way to the water’s edge and provides a eerie contrast to the bright silver fuselage. On the day I visited, the sky was covered in thick, low, gray clouds that made the black and white effect even more profound.
More Information
What Sólheimasandur Plane Crash
Where Iceland
Cost Free
Stay Everywhere in Iceland is expensive. I stayed in a hotel on points, so thankfully didn’t have to pay anything. I would recommend staying in Reykjavik and renting a car to see the farther afield sites.
Notes The crash site is off of Route 1 between Skogafoss and Vik. Use the GPS coordinates of 63.4912391,-19.3632810 to find the turnoff. If you are coming from Skogafoss the turn will be just past a bridge on your right hand side. There is a very small brown sign noting the turnoff to the plane. Follow the hard pack dirt road a couple of miles to the plane. The road is easily passable in a small 2WD vehicle, but a larger SUV or truck would make the drive more comfortable. Take care in exploring the wreckage, as it is quite fragile and has many sharp edges.
Where Iceland
Cost Free
Stay Everywhere in Iceland is expensive. I stayed in a hotel on points, so thankfully didn’t have to pay anything. I would recommend staying in Reykjavik and renting a car to see the farther afield sites.
Notes The crash site is off of Route 1 between Skogafoss and Vik. Use the GPS coordinates of 63.4912391,-19.3632810 to find the turnoff. If you are coming from Skogafoss the turn will be just past a bridge on your right hand side. There is a very small brown sign noting the turnoff to the plane. Follow the hard pack dirt road a couple of miles to the plane. The road is easily passable in a small 2WD vehicle, but a larger SUV or truck would make the drive more comfortable. Take care in exploring the wreckage, as it is quite fragile and has many sharp edges.
