One thing we absolutely, hands down, had to do in Iceland was visit the “Black Sand Beach” located in Vik. We made the picturesque 180 km, 2 ½ hour long drive from Reykjavik through winding roads and rolling mountains, arriving in the sparsely populated town of Vik, the southern most village in the country.
The first striking thing I noticed was the church up on the hill - bright white with a red roof, Vikurkirkja. We then drove around the town to get to the beach. It looked pretty dead (we were there in the month of October) and the very few businesses we passed seemed closed, including most restaurants. We made our way to the beach and found some parking.
The black sand beach we visited is called Vikurfjara beach. I had never seen anything like it. It was like stepping into a black and white movie. Along with the cloudy, gray, rainy day, the sand and rocks provided no color contrast. The sand is made of basalt, which is formed by quick cooling basaltic lava.
Offshore one can see the three hauntingly beautiful basalt rock formations getting pummeled by the sea. These are collectively known as the Reynisdrangar. Legend has it that three trolls were caught out at sea late one night and froze by morning to form these three columns.
Beautiful and otherworldly (a word I use quite often to describe Iceland), we walked along making footprints in the black sand as we explored. Up ahead was a rocky cliff with birds. I was hoping for puffin, but they were actually arctic terns. Apparently puffin are only around in the summer months when they return from sea to breed. Someday I would like to come back in the summer months to see them.
After our time at the beach, we decided to grab dinner, but where? It seemed like everything was closed in this town. But, luckily, we ended up finding one place that was open - it was a gas station with a restaurant. Víkurskáli had counter service and a pretty darn good variety on their menu, including a veggie burger (which was what I ordered). For food at a gas station, we all thought our meals were really good. So, if you make it to Vik, don't be afraid to eat at Víkurskáli!
Vik was an incredible, stunning place for a day trip, and a place I will never forget. If you make it to Iceland, please make the drive - it’s worth it!
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