Vík & Reynisfjara Beach
Vík í Mýrdal is situated on the south shore of Iceland. Vík was once a fishing village. Men would launch their midsize fishing boats from the black sand beach, which was a very dangerous occupation given the huge surf here.
Everywhere along the shoreline are reminders of some serious ship wrecks, including a memorial to drowned seamen whose boats were likely caught up in the rocky shore around Reynisdrangur.
Private Northern Lights Tours
Jökulhlaup Threat
The residents of Vik live with the threat of glacier floods (Jökulhlaup) from a Katla volcano eruption under Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Such floods come every 100 years and are described as the biggest floods humans have ever experienced. The biblical film ‘Noah’ was filmed in the area.
Reyniskirkja Church in Vík
The church is situated high on a hill and is the site of refuge should any serious eruption occur. Local people practice running up to the church on Wednesdays.
Vík Tourist Facilities
Vík is now a principle tourist destination as it lies on the number 1 road at a reasonable distance for a day trip from Reykjavik. Vík is often the furthest point on most South Coast photo tours. Vík also serves as a useful resting point as it is half way from Reykjavik to Jökulsarlon glacier lagoon & ice-beach.
It is possible to connect with local tours on the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, such as the Mýrdalsjökull Ice cave.
There is a very busy grill that shares its car park with a busy gift store, and this is all across the road from one of Iceland’s largest campsites and a long golf course.
Reynisdrangar sea stacks
Most of the town is obsessed with the Reynidrangar sea stacks. You can spot the shape in many places. Legend has it that this was a tröll who was frozen in the morning light as he tried to tow his sailing ship ashore. Most photographers also obsess about the sea stacks, which can be seen from two beaches. The iconic shape is best viewed from Vík beach.
From the other black beach at Reynisfjara, the stacks appear in a different configuration and can be seen along with one of the finest examples of basalt hexagons. The sea can be very dangerous, and it has claimed the lives of several unsuspecting tourists.
Photo tips:
During the winter, always check the weather and road conditions for safetravel.is because the elevated road approaching Vík can be very dangerous and often closes in severe winter storms. If you get it wrong, you could end up stranded in Vik for several unintentional hours.
With the sea stacks in mind, explore the town to find different angles and different foregrounds. The best moments on the Vík side beach are winter sunsets, but the light in the town is better on winter mornings.
Danger of death!
You should observe the safety warnings, especially on the Reynisfjara side. The information points called the dangerous waves “Sneaker waves”, but they should be called Doc Martin waves.
Day Tours to Vík
A selection of South Coast sightseeing tours from Viator are featured below. These south coast day tours depart from Reykjavik and include Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, Vik black sand beach, and more. In many ways, the south coast tour of Iceland is difficult to beat in a day.
Private South Coast
These private tours will allow you to spend more time at your favourite locations.
South Coast by Minibus
Save a bit of money with these minibus tours of Iceland’s south coast. Hand-picked for their’small group’ policies.
Reynisfjall mountain
The bird cliffs that overlook the village of Vik are part of Reynisfjall Mountain. The ring road crosses Reynisfjall mountain before descending into Vik, but there is a challenging 4×4 track that will take you up on top of the sea cliffs. This road requires a serious Jeep and driver and gets worse as it gets higher. From the top of the track, there are amazing views over the village of Vik. From the bird cliffs, it is possible to get close to puffins in the summer. The cliff has great views over the Reynisdrangar sea stacks.
The sea cliffs accommodate a large puffin colony. The best time to see puffins is from May – August. This location is featured on our Iceland Puffin Map. The western edge of the cliffs gives you a great view along the black-sand beach of Reynisfjara. The black sand stretched towards the Dyrholaey sea arch.
Where to Stay
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Vik Accommodation
Use the sponsored links to find hotels close to Vik & Dýrholaey.
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Activities from Vik
These Iceland nature activities are in Vik, or depart from Vik. These are useful if you are on a Self-Drive tour or staying in the area.
