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Vik is the southernmost village in Iceland. It’s situated 110 kilometers (68,3 mi) from Reykjavík, South of Katla Volcano. Make a stop at the town of Vik as you travel along the Ring Road in South Iceland!
Vik i Myrdal is a common stop along the South Coast, with excellent restaurants and all the basic services one might need, including a supermarket, a swimming pool, and a gas station.
The Black Sand Beach is in walking distance of the village and with only a few minutes driving you will have plenty of other amazing attractions. The biggest problem being how to choose which one to visit first!
Vík is known for a mild climate and the surrounding mountains give shelter from the wind. A large Arctic Tern colony is located East of Vík but Mt. Reynisfjall to the West is home to numerous other bird species including the famed Puffin. Other birds are Fulmar, Kittiwake, and Auk.
The village is located at a very volcanically active area and as mentioned before the powerful Katla nests in a nearby glacier. This is where the whims of nature, such as volcanoes, have had a huge influence. It’s been said that if Katla would erupt, the glacier meltwater would likely go over most houses in the village with the exception of the mighty church.
Vík is an important service in this part of Iceland. There are cafes and restaurants, a variety of shops, accommodation and all main services. Many tours which travel through South Iceland make a stop at Vík giving an opportunity to explore this scenic and welcoming village.
Vik Iceland has around 300 inhabitants making it the largest settlement in the area, it is part of the Mýrdalshreppur Municipality, and what might be a little confusing is that the village is also known as Vík í Mýrdal.
Vík is situated on the coast in South Iceland 179 km from Reykjavík, 142 km from Hveragerði and 129 km from Selfoss.
GPS coordinates of Vik: 63.4186° N, 19.0060° W
You just need to follow Highway 1 (the Ring Road) in a southerly direction all the way. For those traveling from an easterly direction, Egilsstaðir is 448 km, Höfn 272 km and Jökulsárlón is 192 km.
The white church with the red roof standing high on a hill above the village has become a totem of Vík. You rarely see a photo of Vík where the church isn’t the main focus and once you have laid your eyes on it, you’ll know why.
The church is called Víkurkirkja (basically the church of Vík) and was built in the years 1932 to 1934, which was about time, as a priest had lived in the village since 1911. Still today, the church is actively used and the priest of the congregation, called Víkursókn, is now Sr. Haraldur M Kristjánsson.
Fun fact: If Katla volcano would erupt the church is believed to be out of harm’s way and would likely stand its ground due to its high position.
Vik is full of incredible nature to explore. Here’s a list of the top places to go when you’re in town:
The mighty Mýrdalsjökull is the glacier closest to Vík. It is the “mother-glacier” to both Sólheimajökull hiking paradise and Kötlujökull where a natural ice cave was found not too long ago so basically Mýrdalsjökull is a glacier tour utopia.
The famous volcano Katla is located underneath the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The epic volcano trail Fimmvörðuháls – the starting point of Eyjafjallajökull’s eruption in 2010 – is also located in between Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull glacier.
Kötlujökull is where “the Ice Cave under the Volcano” is located and the tour is available with pick up from Vík, making it the ultimate Vík tour.
Sólheimajökull is where we offer popular tours such as the Blue Ice tour and Bilbo’s Glacier Hike.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach is the most famous black sand beach in Iceland and has even been named one of the top ten most stunning non-tropical beaches in the world a few times. It is a place of wild and dramatic beauty where the roaring waves of the Atlantic Ocean power ashore with tremendous force.
The roaring waves, stunning black basalt columns, the alluring basalt stacks, Reynisdrangar, in the ocean and the magical carved cave in Reynisfjall mountain are just some of the reasons people keep raving about this place.
Marvel at the power of the ocean but do not stand too close – those powerful waves deserve your respect! The waves can easily snatch you pretty quickly and if so even the fittest of swimmers will be in trouble. Be extra careful when traveling with children.
Dyrhólaey or Door Hill Island is an unbelievably beautiful small peninsula or a mountain arch standing in the ocean near Vík. It is about 120 meters (393,7 ft) and was formerly known as Cape Portland by the sea-men that used to sail the surrounding waters. The view over Dyrhólaey is stunning but the view from it is no different.
To the North, you have the robust Mýrdalsjökull glacier and then in the East, you have the dazzling black lava basalt columns Reynisdrangar. In the West, the whole South coastline meets your eyes so the vista will not disappoint.
In summer, puffins are known to hang out at Dyrhólaey and the place is known to be a good location to spot them!
Restaurant Sudur-Vik
Halldorskaffi
Berg Restaurant
Vík is known for its mild but rainy weather. The village is, like most hamlets in Iceland, located at the shore which results in an almost constant ocean breeze.
In winter, Vík will get covered in snow and in summer there will be a fantastic array of colorful flowers and purple lupins. The weather conditions in Vík are often quite similar to Reykjavík but is also a victim to quite some downpours.
The Icelandic weather forecast has an excellent web page where you can check the weather a week in advance but make sure to continue checking, the weather gods tend to change their mind quite frequently.
Vik i Myrdal is an excellent location to spot the Northern Lights and is a common stop on Arctic Adventures multi-day tours to see them!
Hotel
Hostels
Guesthouses, B&B and Farmstays
There is a lovely and spacious camping site at Vík í Mýrdal with great facilities and a picture-perfect view. The facilities include WC, showers, running hot and cold water, WIFI, a dining area, washers, dryers, electricity, and a BBQ.
Open 1st of June until the 15th of September.
Please note that wild camping is forbidden in this area and along the entire South Coast. Campers of all types are obligated to use the designated campsites.
