Ytri-Tunga

Ytri-Tunga is a beach on the south shore of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, known less for its sand than for the seals that haul out on the rocks just offshore. Visit West Iceland says they can be seen there all year round. A marked path runs from the car park down to the shore, and you watch from the beach.

Low, open and usually windy. Gold sand in pockets between black lava rock, shallow pools left behind by the tide, and the Atlantic breaking on a reef a little way out. The seals stay on their rocks; you stay on yours.

Nobody promises the seals will be there — they are wild animals and how many are out depends on the tide and the day. The Icelandic Seal Center asks for a respectful distance of 70–100 m, no touching, no drones, and that you never approach a pup on its own because the female is nearby. The lava rock is slippery when wet and the tide fills in behind you, so watch where you are standing as much as what you are photographing.