Social media fame draws hundreds of thousands to Iceland seal beach

Social media has helped make the seal beach at Ytri-Tunga on the Snæfellsnes peninsula a popular destination, with an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 visitors a year, mbl.is reports.

Seals are often seen resting on rocks along the shore. The beach is run as a visitor area by Lukkutangi ehf., whose managing director, Þorgrímur Guðmundsson, says tourists continued to visit after a farm tourism operation at Ytri-Tunga closed in 2006. Visitor numbers grew steadily, boosted by photos shared on Instagram and TikTok.

Guðmundsson says the area was not formally advertised. He says visitor numbers rose significantly after the Eyjafjallajökull eruption brought Iceland into international headlines. Lukkutangi was established in 2022 by landowners at Ytri-Tunga and Grenhóll to protect and develop the land for the growing number of visitors.

Work to improve facilities began in spring 2023, including construction of a paid car park intended in part to limit erosion. A new two-lane road and walking paths stretching about 1.5 kilometres have also been built. The company is preparing infrastructure for water-flush toilets.

Storm damage in March 2025 sent seawater far inland and destroyed large sections of the walking paths. Guðmundsson says shore protection is now the area’s biggest expense.

The operators count vehicles rather than visitors. About 80,000 cars arrived in 2025, and Guðmundsson estimates that the total number of visitors was between 300,000 and 400,000, though he says the figure is not scientifically calculated. A food stand at Ytri-Tunga, which is not run by Lukkutangi, serves hot dogs, coffee, bread and cakes.