The Beach of Ice and Fire

Don't get mistaken by this seemingly black-and-white image with sand that looks photo-shopped. This is the fascinating black sand beach along the Southern Coast of Iceland. Frequently rated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, it is a geological paradise where black sand is formed by the erosion of obsidian. Violent ocean waves strike the coast that has no landmass separating the beach at 63 degrees North and Antarctica. The foreground shows remnants of a cliff in the form of Basalt rock columns. Icelandic folklore considers the standing rock formations in the ocean to be mischievous trolls with numerous stories tied to this beach.