The Charm of the DC-3 Plane Wreck

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Plane wreck on black sand with water in the foreground
Björgvin Hilmarsson
DC-3 Plane Wreck

One of Iceland's more unusual highlights of the South Coast is the famous DC-3 plane wreck on Sólheimasandur black sand beach.

The US Navy aircraft had to make an emergency crash landing in 1973, now resting abandoned on the expansive black sands of Sólheimasandur.

ATV
Arcanum
Quad Bikes riding to the DC-3 Plane Wreck

Visit the Plane Wreck in Style

If you want to visit this eerie and interesting location for yourself, you can park your rental car at a recently built car park just off the main road and walk down the beach to the site. This is about 4km (2.5miles) in each direction.

Alternatively you can take the stress out of walking to the DC-3 plane wreckage by joining an ATV Quad bike tour operated by Arcanum. Both experiences below visit the crash site as well as giving you amazing views of the South Coast from a black sand beach.

Music of the DC-3 Plane Wreck

The decaying wreckage has gained popularity in recent years, becoming a popular photo hotspot as well as a backdrop for music videos.

Most recently, Italian house-music trio Meduza visited Iceland, in particular the DC-3 plane wreck crash site, filming a DJ set in collaboration with music label Selected.

We have compiled a short list below with some of the the DC-3s most viewed music videos, ranging from Country to K-Pop for you to enjoy.

  • Selected Sessions - Meduza - Iceland DJ Set

  • Dierks Bentley - Black

  • Justin Bieber - I'll Show You

  • Gerua - Shah Rukh Khan

  • LOONA/HaSeul - Let Me In

About the Author

IMG Staff Writer

IMG Staff Writer

An anonymous but well informed member of our team that enjoys sharing their knowledge of Iceland & Greenland’s stunning nature.

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