Basalt columns in Kálfshamarsvík cove, Skagi peninsula, Iceland Jul 13, 2025

Today"s image takes us to Kálfshamarsvík—a secluded cove on the country"s remote Skagi peninsula. Unlike Iceland"s famous black sand beaches, this cove"s shore is strewn with large, smooth pebbles, while its fiery volcanic past still reveals itself in the towering cliffs. Here, evidence of volcanic activity is on full display in the form of rare hexagonal basalt columns. These sea cliffs are shaped into natural sculptures so symmetrical that they look almost man-made. These striking formations were created around 2 million years ago, when thick basalt lava cooled slowly, contracting and cracking into geometric shapes that formed near-perfect hexagons. Though Iceland is full of volcanic marvels, formations like these are rare, making this quiet cove truly remarkable.

© Arterra Picture Library/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Jul 13, 2024Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 15, 2024Varenna on Lake Como, Italy
Dec 28, 2024Green sea turtle, New Caledonia
Dec 22, 2024Crystal Pier, San Diego, California, United States
Jan 9, 2025Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia
Aug 23, 2023Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland
Nov 20, 2025Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil
Mar 12, 2024Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Feb 19, 2024Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain
Nov 28, 2024Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, Canada
Oct 22, 2025Belogradchik Rocks, Bulgaria
Dec 26, 2024Christmas lights at Mousehole harbour, Cornwall, England
Dec 10, 2025Castle of Rocca Calascio, Italy
Aug 26, 2025Trullo buildings in Alberobello, Apulia, Italy
May 23, 2025Yellow-spotted river turtle, Amazon Region, Ecuador
Sep 8, 2023The Circus, Bath, Somerset, England
Apr 10, 2024Burrowing owl chicks, Wyoming, USA
Feb 12, 2024Galápagos tortoise
Oct 13, 2023Vieste, Apulia, Italy
Apr 19, 2024Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
Oct 29, 2024Great horned owl
Jul 12, 2025Thomsons gazelles
Jan 31, 2024Burchells zebras
May 13, 2025Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile
Feb 28, 2024Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, England
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
Mar 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
Feb 12, 2025Marine iguanas, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Feb 11, 2025Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China
Aug 30, 2024Whale shark
Nov 18, 2025Male hooded merganser