Skarðsvík is a small and beautiful beach with large basaltic rock formations and a golden sandy beach. It is located on the western tip of the Snæfellsjökull Penisula near the community of Öndverðarnes in Snæfellsjökull National Park and accompanied by a small cave once used as a grave. While the bright blue waters are very beautiful and attractive, you are advised against bathing because the conditions are likely to be hazardous with strong currents. It can be extremely windy here! The beach is isolated and a popular stop for travelers along the peninsula.
There is a paved road from Útnesvegur, the main coastal road, which leads to a small parking area with some information signs and a picnic area. From here, there is a path and wooden steps down to the beach. Fractured basalt columns, created from cooling lava, cover the landscape. They form perpendicular to the lava flow, and their large size suggests very slow cooling. There are several hiking trails leading from the beach over the lava fields.
Take a right at the water and walk to where the sand ends at a high basalt wall. At the northern end of the beach you will find a small cave. In the summer of 1962, a burial mound was discovered here, and the remains of an 18- to 25-year-old male were exhumed by Throkell Grímsson. There was a sword 95 centimeters (38 inches) long and a spearhead 21 centimeters (5 in) long. Also in the grave were a broken knife, an elaborate shield boss, and pieces of iron. The skeleton and articles are presumed to be from the 10th century and are now preserved at the National Museum of Iceland.
The road continues past the beach and turns to gravel. It leads to the Saxhóll cliffs and two gorgeous lighthouses called Svörtuloft and Faxi. In good weather many people take their two-wheel-drive vehicles on this route, but the path is long, bumpy, and narrow.
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