Vík

Vík (Vík í Mýrdal in full) is Iceland's southernmost village — 300 inhabitants at the foot of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, set on the black Atlantic coast. Its red church perched on a hill is one of the country's iconic images: local legend says it is the only building that would survive a possible eruption of the Katla volcano under the glacier (lava and mud flows would reach the sea by skirting the hill). It is the main stopover on Route 1 between Reykjavik and Jökulsárlón, and the mandatory stop to visit the Reynisfjara black beach 5 km to the west.

Reynisfjara is probably Iceland's most famous beach. The black volcanic sand comes from the erosion of basalt rocks by the Atlantic Ocean. The Hálsanefshellir cave (on the right as you arrive on the beach) houses the country's most perfect basalt columns: hundreds of hexagonal columns of extraordinary geometric regularity, the result of slow and symmetric cooling of volcanic lava. Offshore, the Reynisdrangar stacks (rocks rising from the ocean 100-200 m from the beach) are remnants of an eroded ancient cliff. Icelandic legend says they are two trolls petrified by the first rays of sun as they tried to drag a ship ashore — they have remained frozen in the sea ever since.

WARNING: Reynisfjara beach is dangerous. It suffers from sneaker waves — unusually powerful waves that can appear without warning from the Atlantic and sweep careless visitors into the sea. Several tourist deaths have been recorded in recent years (at least 5 since 2007, including one in 2022 and one in 2024). The alert system installed includes orange/red lights at the beach entrance depending on the danger level. Strictly observe the warning signs, never turn your back to the ocean, stay more than 30 metres from the edge and never go down on the wet sand. Vigilance is particularly important on rough-sea days (check conditions on safetravel.is).

5 km west of Vík, the rocky peninsula of Dyrhólaey (accessible by Route 218) offers one of the best panoramas on Iceland's south coast: plunging view over Reynisfjara beach, the Dyrhóláey rock arch (which ancient navigators sailed through) and the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. It is also one of the best puffin observation sites in Iceland, between May and early August: birds nest in the cliffs and return to the nest in late afternoon (4pm-10pm). Free site, parking at the top (sometimes closed during nesting season to preserve the birds), marked path to the cliffs.