Tourists ignore safety barriers at Reynisfjara, landowner says

Tourists at Reynisfjara beach repeatedly ignore safety advice and climb over barriers, one of the area’s landowners told mbl.is after a child went under in the sea there on Wednesday.

Íris Guðnadóttir said she was “very shaken” when she saw video of the incident. She believes the people shown would not have been pulled out to sea given where they were, but said the incident looked serious. She urged tour operators and guides to stress that visitors must follow the beach’s safety rules.

Landowners were preparing to restrict access when they learned conditions had worsened sooner than forecast, Íris said. She added that the safety measures had to be reconsidered after the sea’s impact last winter changed conditions at the beach.

When waves are high, access to the lower car park is now closed and staffed safety posts are set up. Ropes and chains mark areas visitors should avoid. Reynisfjara is not closed altogether, Íris said, but access to specific areas is restricted when conditions become dangerous.

Some visitors continue to disregard warnings from safety staff and climb over the barriers, she said. The landowners are private citizens and have no enforcement powers. Íris called on tour companies and guides to help ensure visitors follow signs and instructions.

Although some of the beach returned this summer, it is now lower than before, she said. When the sea is high, waves can therefore reach much farther up the beach. The landowners are still adapting their procedures to the changed conditions, Íris added.