By air
Keflavík (KEF), ~2.5 h
Europe · Iceland
Vík, Iceland
Black sand, sea stacks and puffins
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September; puffins June to August
Don't miss
Reynisfjara
Skógafoss
Seljalandsfoss
Dyrhólaey
Things to do
Reynisfjara's basalt columns
Puffin watching
The Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Waterproofs; stay well back from the waves
A quieter corner
The walk to the Sólheimasandur plane wreck
Questions travellers ask
When can I see puffins near Vík?
June to August. The wider season for Vík is May to September.
What should I know before visiting Reynisfjara?
Its basalt columns are the draw, but stay well back from the waves, and wear waterproofs.
Which waterfalls should I see near Vík?
Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Dyrhólaey is another stop worth making, and the walk to the Sólheimasandur plane wreck is a quieter one.
How long is the journey from Keflavík to Vík?
About 2.5 h from Keflavík (KEF). Warm up with lamb soup when you arrive.
About Vík
- Coastal
Where it is
Vík í Mýrdal is Iceland's southernmost village, on the Ring Road about 180 km by road south-east of Reykjavík, directly south of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which sits on top of the Katla volcano.
History
Vík grew as a small farming and trading community on the exposed south coast. Katla has not erupted since 1918, but a large eruption could melt enough ice to send a great flood towards the village, and its church, high on a hill, is thought to be the only building that would survive it.
People
Vík is home to a few hundred people who speak Icelandic, and farming and tourism are its main livelihoods; the village is a base for travellers on Iceland's south coast.
Known for
- Reynisfjara's black sand and basalt columns
- The Reynisdrangar sea stacks
- Puffins on the sea cliffs
- Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls
- The hilltop church above the village
Did you know?
According to folklore, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks are trolls who tried to drag their boats out to sea and were turned to stone by the rising dawn.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.